Metadata for Superheroes: Designing a MODS Schema for Dark Horse Comics

By designing templates and example records for both creative and administrative materials, I explored how MODS supports nuanced description, rights management, and interrelated content—key needs for a multimedia company. One of the strengths of MODS is its flexibility and XML-based structure, which made it well-suited for handling complex, born-digital and print assets. However, applying MODS outside of a traditional library setting presented challenges, particularly in aligning fields with internal business workflows and proprietary content types. Additionally, balancing descriptive richness with practical implementation required careful judgment to avoid overcomplicating the schema. Overall, this assignment highlighted the strengths and limitations of MODS for corporate archival use and offered insight into adapting bibliographic standards for creative industries.