As I expressed a couple weeks back, I’m rewriting the top section of the sidebar so it’s clearer what kind of content is encouraged here. I’ll give you what I have so far, so please free to comment, ask questions and/or make recommendations. I’ll take everything in to account before making the change. Following is the new text I propose:

(note: the image above is one of a 'Net series, and I’m borrowing the title just for kicks)

“Fondly dedicated to Euro comics and artistry, sometimes branching out to adjacent work from around the world, wherever there’s a distinct ‘Euro’ connection or inspiration. See FAQ for more info.”

FAQ addendum:

Q: “If the only limit on content sharing is that it has a “distinct Euro connection or inspiration,” then couldn’t almost anything be shared at EGN, ‘six degrees of separation’ style?”

A: Honestly, it’s a bit of a grey area, in which one person’s perspective might be quite different from anothers’.

Let’s compare the viability of Gary Larson’s “Far Side” comic versus Charles Schulz’ “Peanuts” comic, for example. Larson is 3rd-gen Swedish on his father’s side, while Schulz is 2nd-gen German on his father’s side and 2nd-gen Norwegian on his mothers’. So clearly, sharing a Peanuts comic here is being more faithful to a ‘Euro connection’ than a Far Side one, right?

Well no, not really. Peanuts after all is an iconic American strip; one of the greatest of them all. Meanwhile, Far Side is an example of an outlier comic that helped break the mold, spawning a new subgenre of modern strips. To me, it’s vastly more iconic as a “Gary Larson” comic than it is an American comic. Not to mention, it’s very much an outsider’s gentle commentary and satire of American culture more than it is a direct reflection of such, as seen in Peanuts. But that’s just one perspective, and the more important thing is still this-- neither truly belong here, beyond perhaps as an occasional jokey kind of share, clinging to a technicality.

What’s really intended by “distinct Euro connection or inspiration” is more in terms of style and spirit than technical connections. And for now, I’d say that ultimately, such judgement is best left to the person doing the share. If they feel the content they’re posting here has Euro characteristics, and are willing to explain what that might be, then we’re good. In future, if that relative loophole happens to be abused, then it will need to be addressed.

Last thing-- if you’re going to comment on a ‘Euro-style’ share, then we ask you to do it in productive fashion. For example, saying “HEY! This isn’t Euro-based” isn’t really helpful. OTOH, asking the poster for clarification is perfectly cool, as it adds on to what they’re trying to accomplish in the first place.

Thanks for reading, and for your cooperation.

So to be crystal clear about the above text-- the first bit will replace what’s currently at the top of the sidebar, and the longer section will be added as a comment in the FAQ thread.

Maybe what’s also worth mentioning here (or somewhere above?) is that starting from ‘pure BD’ in this community, I very early branched out to Euro comics, then to Euro art, and later to ‘Euro-adjacent’ works. That’s ~600 posts across ~2.5yrs, so there’s literally a tonne of examples of my personal approach, not that I expect anyone to post in the same way. But, just sayin’…