The Big Cartoon DataBase (or BCDB for short) was an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows, and cartoon shorts.
 | |
| Type of business | 501(c) non-profit corporation |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Created by | Dave Koch |
| URL | www |
| Registration | Optional (currently non-functioning) |
| Launched | 1997 |
| Current status | Mostly offline and inoperable |
The BCDB project began in 1997 as a list of Disney animated features on creator Dave Koch's local computer.[1] In response to increasing interest in the material, the database went online in 1998 as a searchable resource dedicated to compiling information about cartoons, including production details such as voice actors, producers, and directors, as well as plot summaries and user reviews of cartoons.[2] In 2003, BCDB became a 501(c) non-profit corporation.[1] On June 24, 2009, it was announced by creator Dave Koch on his BCDB forums that the site had 100,000 titles.[3]
Due to system issues that have been unable to be resolved, all cartoon information on the site is non-existent after 2019. Users have ceased to contribute to the site due to the issue. Since the creator is no longer active and the moderators are not in charge of this site, the error still persists as of 2022. In January 2024, the website became inaccessible. Some pages on the site still exist however.
Features
editOne feature of the BCDB is its "Top Rated" page which provides a listing of the top 25 animated films as voted by the registered users of the website. Ratings are shown based on top score as well as the cartoons that receive the highest number of votes. Users are given the option of rating a movie from "1" (lowest) to "10" (highest). To safeguard against attempts to skew the data, the DataBase employs data filters and a vote quota in an attempt to give an accurate Bayesian estimate. The BCDB also has a lowest-20 rated cartoons feature which, based on the same data, shows the least liked cartoons in the database.[4]
BCDB also includes a linked, online forum, where users express their opinions about cartoons, and/or ask questions about them. The forum is available to all registered users, and is actively moderated by a team of moderators and administrators.
Other features include news items related to the animation industry and the image gallery, which allows users to see images of various cartoon characters taken from popular films.
Recognition
editIn 2002, The San Diego Union-Tribune listed BCDB as a "top site" and wrote "with more than 42,000 cartoons, 2,000 series[,] and 1,300 cartoon reviews, this may be one of the Internet's largest searchable databases of cartoons".[5] In 2005, Apple Hot News wrote "The Big Cartoon Database is the place to find in depth information about any cartoon ever made".[6] In 2006, it was reported by the Reference and User Services Association, in their Eighth Annual List of Best Free Reference Web Sites, that "The Big Cartoon Database is the definitive Web compendium for anyone interested in the history of animation."[2]
The BCDB has been used as a reference by such news sources as Hartford Courant,[7] The San Diego Union-Tribune,[5] Oakland Tribune,[8] Beacon News,[9] USA Today,[10] and the Animation World Network,[11] among others. Que's Official Internet Yellow Pages rates the site as 5 (out of 5) stars.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b Koch, Dave. "About BCDB". BCDB. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ a b "Best Free Reference Web Sites: Eighth Annual List". Reference & User Services Quarterly. Reference and User Services Association. May 1, 2006. ISSN 1094-9054. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ "100K!". BCDB. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ "Ratings". Big Cartoon Database. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ a b "PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY – TOP SITES". The San Diego Union-Tribune. December 9, 2002. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ "Big Cartoon Search". Apple Hot News. February 6, 2006. Archived from the original on January 3, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ Hunt, Kevin (November 14, 2002). "Hartford Courant". Hartford Courant. pp. D3. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ "The flicks we wish we'd left on shelf". Oakland Tribune. December 8, 2003. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ Danahey, Mike (September 2, 2003). "Go, Mickey! It's your birthday!". Beacon News. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ Snider, Mike (November 15, 2004). "Film rescued from scrap heap". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ DeMott, Rick (December 18, 2006). "Ivor the Engine Actor Dies". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ Joe Kraynak (2005). Que's Official Internet Yellow Pages. Que Publishing. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-7897-3408-2.
External links
edit- Official website (currently not working)