Classic Era

The Classic Era refers to content created by Tony Bark from 2005 to 2009, during his mid- to late-teenage years. This period primarily consists of Z's Shorty Manga, independent webcomics, and short stories. This era is largely a precursor to the Caseyverse, as Bark had intended to create a series of comics with Zack Casey as the protagonist. Notably, Generation Trance, a DJ group, heavily influenced Bark and inspired Zack's DJ alter ego. However, due to unforeseen circumstances and mental health issues, this early vision was unintentionally abandoned when Zack embodied Bark himself as he attempted to cope instead of becoming a character in his own right.

Constraints

Due to copyright restrictions, some larger elements legally cannot be adopted because they consist of elements of Bark's friends' characters during that time. Certain elements created by Bark within this era can be considered part of the verse but haven't been integrated into the modern, pre-crisis timeline just yet. Sunset, the original, unpublished short story that inadvertently launched the Caseyverse into what it is today, was written in an attempt to start fresh while returning to his original plans.

The only exception comes from Megawolf77, whom Bark allowed him to adopt an older version of his character. However, due to the lack of current proof, at the moment, this will be presented as an "Expy," meaning "exported character." This concept draws from popular examples like Mickey Mouse, who is considered an expy of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit after Walt Disney lost the rights. The practice is very common within the comics industry.