comic-world-bible-system

name	comic-world-bible-system
version	1.1.0
category	comic-consistency
description	The canonical source of truth and asset registry for long-form comic production. Defines structured world bibles, character compendiums, style grammars, and generates derived consistency artifacts (DNA templates, model sheets, negative libraries).

Comic World Bible System

Core principle: Every consistency decision in a long-running comic project must trace back to a single, versioned source of truth.

This skill implements the World Bible as the central nervous system for 1000+ panel arcs. It replaces ad-hoc prompt engineering and scattered reference images with a structured, queryable, and derivable knowledge base.

When to Use

• Starting any new long-form comic project (multi-chapter, serialized, or 100+ panels)
• Establishing consistency rules before generating the first panel
• Generating or updating character DNA templates, model sheets, or style references
• Validating that new panels remain consistent with established canon
• Training or fine-tuning consistency models (LoRAs, IP-Adapter references)

World Bible Schema (v1)

A world bible is a structured document containing the following top-level sections:

1. visual_grammar

• master_style_references: 3–5 canonical style reference images
• color_palette_anchors: Named swatches with hex codes
• linework_rules: Weight, anti-aliasing, hatching conventions, pressure behavior
• lighting_grammar: Key light direction, shadow hardness, ambient temperature
• typography_rules: Lettering rules (if used)

2. character_compendium

One entry per character containing:

• canonical_reference_sheet: Front, 3/4, side, back, neutral expression
• expression_library: Minimum 6 core emotional states
• costume_variants: Per-variant color codes
• dna_template: Ready-to-inject prompt fragment
• consistency_method: Recommended LoRA path, IP-Adapter source, InstantID/PuLID settings
• signature_marks: Distinguishing features
• negative_prompt_block: Known failure modes for this character

3. world_register

• location_reference_sheets: Consistent architectural and lighting rules per location
• recurring_props: Visual specifications for objects
• time_weather_lighting: Time-of-day and weather conditions per location

4. negative_library

• project_wide_negatives
• per_character_negatives
• per_style_negatives
• documented_artifacts_to_reject

5. version_history

• Date-stamped record of all changes
• Rationale for each change (critical for long-running series)

Expected Folder Structure

A well-organized world bible project follows this layout:

project-root/
├── bibles/
│   └── v1.0.0/
│       └── world-bible.yaml
├── assets/
│   ├── characters/
│   │   └── [character-name]/
│   │       ├── reference-sheet.png
│   │       └── expressions/
│   ├── locations/
│   └── style-references/
├── exports/
│   ├── dna-templates/
│   ├── model-sheets/
│   ├── consistency-config.json
│   └── style-grammar.yaml
├── artifacts/          # Generated reference packs
└── version_history.md

Framework

1. Create World Bible

• Start with a minimal valid bible (Visual Grammar + at least one Character entry)
• Use the schema above as the contract
• Store as versioned YAML or structured Markdown + assets folder

2. Derive Artifacts

From a valid world bible, the system can automatically generate:

• Character DNA templates (for prompt injection)
• Model sheet generation prompts
• Style memory reference packs
• Negative prompt libraries
• Consistency configuration files (LoRA weights, IP-Adapter settings)

3. Validate

A valid world bible must pass these checks:

Structural Validation

• All top-level sections present (visual_grammar, character_compendium, world_register, negative_library, version_history)
• At least one character entry exists
• Every character has a dna_template block
• Style grammar (linework + lighting) is defined

Content Validation

• Canonical reference images exist for all characters (or clear placeholders)
• Negative libraries are non-empty
• Version history has at least one entry with rationale

Consistency Validation

• No conflicting costume or lighting rules across characters
• All referenced assets in the bible have corresponding files in the assets folder

4. Derive Artifacts

The world bible system is responsible for generating ready-to-use artifacts from the canonical data.

4.1 DNA Template

• Automatically formatted prompt fragment
• Includes face, hair, build, costume, and signature marks
• Injected at the top of every generation prompt

4.2 Model Sheet Prompts

• Generates structured prompts for front, 3/4, side, and back views
• Includes expression variations
• Optimized for InstantID / IP-Adapter workflows

4.3 Negative Prompt Library

• Combines global negatives with character-specific negatives
• Includes known failure modes (e.g., "extra fingers", "deformed hands", "modern clothing")

4.4 Style Memory Pack

• Extracts linework rules, screentone density, and hatching behavior
• Generates reference images for attention injection (StyleID, Consistent Self-Attention)

4.5 Consistency Config

• Recommended weights for LoRA, IP-Adapter, ControlNet per character
• Optimized for long-sequence stability vs. expression freedom trade-off

Example files are available in the /artifacts folder.

5. Tooling

Implemented — structural/content validation runs via the repository validator:

python3 tools/validate.py --bible path/to/world-bible.yaml

It enforces the Validate rules above (required sections, character DNA + reference sheets, non-empty negatives, rationale-bearing version history). Example bibles under examples/ are validated automatically in CI.

Planned query interface:

• get_character_dna(name)
• get_style_grammar()
• list_characters_in_costume(costume)
• export_consistency_config(pipeline_type)

Integration with Other Layers

Layer	How it uses the World Bible
comic-core	References style grammar and structural rules
comic-character-consistency-system	Primary source for DNA templates, model sheets, and identity artifacts
comic-style-memory-system	Pulls linework, screentone, and hatching rules
comic-long-sequence-orchestrator	Maintains persistent state against the bible across 1000+ panels
Style skills	Load style-specific rules and negative libraries

Design Principles (from Research)

• Single Source of Truth — No consistency decision should be made without referencing the bible
• Derivability — The bible should be able to generate the artifacts needed by technical consistency systems
• Versioning — Long-running series require change tracking with rationale
• Human + Machine Readable — Structured enough for agents, readable enough for human artists and editors

Versioning & Change Management

Versioning Strategy

• Major (v2.0): Changes to core visual grammar, color anchors, or fundamental style rules
• Minor (v1.1): New characters, significant costume/location additions, or new negative library entries
• Patch (v1.0.1): Corrections, clarifications, or small refinements with no breaking changes
• Every version bump must be accompanied by a dated entry in version_history with clear rationale

Conflict Resolution Rules

• Character vs Character conflicts (e.g., two characters cannot both have the same signature mark or costume color) → escalate to human review with proposed resolution
• Panel vs Bible violations (generated panel breaks established rules) → flag immediately, suggest corrective prompt adjustment
• Canonical reference always wins over any generated variation or model output
• Style grammar overrides individual character preferences when they conflict with the established visual language

Export Formats for Consumers

The world bible system supports multiple export formats depending on the consuming layer:

Consumer	Export Format	Purpose
comic-character-consistency-system	dna-templates/*.yaml + model-sheets/	Identity locking and reference generation
comic-image-generation-adapter	consistency-config.json	LoRA weights, IP-Adapter settings, negative blocks
comic-long-sequence-orchestrator	world-bible.yaml (full)	Persistent state validation across 1000+ panels
comic-style-memory-system	style-grammar.yaml	Linework, screentone, and hatching rules
Human editors / writers	world-bible.md (rendered)	Readable documentation with embedded references

Example export structure is defined in /exports/README.md.

Minimal Valid Example

Here is a minimal valid world-bible.yaml that passes all validation checks:

visual_grammar:
  master_style_references: ["style-ref-01.png", "style-ref-02.png"]
  color_palette_anchors:
    - name: "primary-navy"
      hex: "#19294D"
  linework_rules: "clean 2px with subtle hatching"
  lighting_grammar: "soft key light from upper left, gentle shadows"

character_compendium:
  - name: "Rabot"
    canonical_reference_sheet: "rabot-ref-sheet.png"
    expression_library: ["neutral", "focused", "smirk", "surprised", "determined", "tired"]
    dna_template: "young man, short dark hair, sharp features, wearing navy jacket with white shirt"
    consistency_method: "IP-Adapter + LoRA weight 0.75"
    signature_marks: "small scar on left cheek"
    negative_prompt_block: "deformed hands, extra fingers, blurry face"

world_register:
  location_reference_sheets:
    - name: "Control Room"
      lighting: "cool fluorescent with strong overhead shadows"

negative_library:
  project_wide_negatives: ["modern clothing", "photorealistic", "text on image"]

version_history:
  - date: "2026-05-23"
    change: "Initial world bible created"
    rationale: "Establish baseline for 1000+ panel Rabot series"

This example satisfies structural, content, and consistency validation.

Without a world bible, even the best technical consistency tools have nothing reliable to be consistent with.