Welcome to the manual of style, a guide to the format, arrangement, and syntax for editing articles on the wiki.
Editing[]
When editing or creating an article, be sure to add an infobox that is based on the article's subject. As of 2018, the infoboxes are designed with attached categories, so they will automatically categorize the article.
- Grammar - Every page and page title must have correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, or the page will be deleted, edited, or renamed.
- Capitalization: Capitalization of article titles and section headers should include the first letter of the first word being a capital letter, but it should otherwise follow the normal English rules of capitalization. For example, a section title should be "External links" instead of "External Links." An exception is the capitalization of article titles for characters.
- Avoid speculation/opinionated edits: Please avoid using the expressions "it is a fact", or "the fact that". There are no facts regarding gremlins, unless you are referring to production notes, or merchandising. An exception is mentioning an observation supported by hints and evidence. However, please indicate it with an expression that it is noted (ex: "it is hinted that") and with evidence, in order to avoid supporting a speculation or assumption.
Categories[]
In the past, there were too many categories with multiple variations, such as with the word "gremlins". Since 2018, those categories have been consolidated. Please note the following when developing labels:
- Please avoid using the labels "deceased" or "survivor". They are redundant labels and categories that clog up the pages. Most of the gremlins in the films had died, and it is arguable which ones survived. It is also not necessary to include these labels on humans/people characters, as killing people is not a focal point in the movies.
- Please avoid using the label "status unknown", another redundant and useless category that frustrates people who want information... No one wants to see "it is unknown."
- For mogwai and gremlins, please avoid using the labels "male" or "female". Gremlins are asexual. Content should be written using the pronoun "it". Avoid using "he"/"she" if the pronouns are not given; it is arguable about which gremlins are thought to be female. Greta might be the only "female" type, but again, it is arguable—and not worth categorizing males from female. Especially when there is only one (1) gremlin that is arguably female.
- The above is a segue to avoiding expressions that deal with "cross-dressing". Emphasizing cross-dressing is not required as —in general terms, gremlins are neither male nor female to qualify as "cross-dressing" into anything.
- Please avoid characterizing people by race, such as "Black actors", "Chinese actors", "Asians". It's not necessary here, and should not be a focal point on this Wiki.
Layout[]
For editors, please consider how the Gremlins concept was formed, in order to present a proper layout and tone for our articles. As of 2018, the wiki focuses on the film series developed by Joe Dante and created by Chris Columbus. The original concept by Chris Columbus draws more toward Chinese mythology, exploring darker tones. Steven Spielberg developed Gremlins to have a lighter mood that would make it more marketable. Joe Dante follows Chris Columbus' script under Spielberg's umbrella, connecting WWII gremlin legends. As such, the tone written for articles should be written based on the films and the versions made by each filmmaker; this includes the Steven Spielberg version for Gremlins-related content, and the Charles S. Haas for Gremlins 2. The articles' tone should capture Spielberg's lighter mood. Brief mentions of alternate content can be included, as long as it is indicated from which writer, or its source.
George Pipe was asked to create the novelization of Gremlins. Both the movie and the novel were released in 1984. However, Pipe deviated from source material and created an extraterrestrial origin story for the Mogwai. Because Pipe's novel adaption is not considered canon by the filmmakers, the extraterrestrial origin story is exclusively attributed to George Pipe.
The Trivia section at the bottom of each page is where Pipe's extraterrestrial extravaganza and Chris Columbus' dark corners should be. Because Gremlins was originally created by Chris Columbus, additional footnotes and side-notes are encouraged on articles, where appropriate. If there is more interest in Pipe's extraterrestrials, a separate article should be created, dedicated only to the novel's concepts.
For reference, this guide shows where the content is placed:
- Introduction (film content)
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- Gremlins
- Spielberg/Dante's film content
- Gremlins 2
- Haas/Dante's film content
- Trivia
- Chris Columbus content
- George Pipe's novelization content (or separate article)