comic on main page or on its own?

Psiogen · Post by **Psiogen** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:27 pm

I'm in kinda a weird situation, cause my comic appears on a site other than mine. I used to put today's comic on my site, but now I have a blog there, and just put up little picture links to the comics. I suppose most of my readers just bookmark my Graphicsmash page now and don't read the blog at all.

I might start another comic on my own site, though. I'm not sure what I'll do then.

Jackhass · Post by **Jackhass** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:40 pm

I like it on the front page...

...the comic is the focus of my site, so it should be on the front page.

Dutch! · Post by **Dutch!** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 1:24 am

I'm with the mutton.

Cartoon goes on the first page. A few navigational buttons and maybe some comments and a heading.

If you have to click somewhere else, it's an unnecessary click.

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 3:52 am

Ghastly wrote:If I'm checking a new comic and the comic isn't on the main page, I don't bother going any further.

Ditto.

Patrick_Shannon · Post by **Patrick_Shannon** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 6:29 am

I didn't want to put the comic on the very front page because my comic sizes can vary, not to mention I also like to write for the site. I rather liked the way that Joy of Tech does thumbnail previews for their front page, so I borrowed from that. With a prominant thumbnail, it's easy to tell from the front page if the comic has been updated or not, and it's not going to kill anyone to make one more click (takes just as much effort to click away). On the other hand, if there was no telling from the front page if a comic had been updated, then I could certainly see why anyone wouldn't want to waste their time.

Warofwinds · Post by **Warofwinds** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:41 am

Ah, thumbnails. Good idea.

Grabmygoblin · Post by **Grabmygoblin** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:55 am

what do you guys think of the set up http://nineswords.keenspace.com has?

Warofwinds · Post by **Warofwinds** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:27 am

Yeah, Kagerou (http://electric-manga.com) does that, and I really like that idea except I ain't that good of an artist to do two comics a week AND new art to click on. Eh. I am overcome with envy.

Soap Soaperson · Post by **Soap Soaperson** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:32 am

http://www.sgvy.com/

That comic has a setup I can stand. It's the only off-the-front-page comic I read, really.

Nothingspecial · Post by **Nothingspecial** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 11:34 am

As a general rule, I'd say it depends on the format:

comic strip (ie. sluggy freelance or PvP) - main page
graphic novel (ie.Strings of Fate or Return to Sender) - secondary page

The only note is that the main page of the graphic novel variety (think ) should be VERY clear as to whether a new page has been posted or not.

Then again, nothing says that you can't break these rules. Penny Arcade and CtrlAltDel have both been mentioned, but 8-bit theater gets away with posting the comic on a secondary page too. MorningStar and MegaTokyo both put their graphic novel sized pages on the main page and avoid it feeling cluttered.

So, I guess, do what you want, since there aren't any hard and fast rules. Just beware that you might be punished by the readers if you don't execute it well.

Melody · Post by **Melody** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:55 pm

http://aiyaiyai.keenspace.com/d/01106.html Nudity!

Patrick, my comic sizes vary a lot, too, so I use a vertical layout.

Birdie · Post by **Birdie** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 3:18 am

I think I'd have to come to the conclusion that if you're doing a humorous comic strip that the best way to do so would be to have your strip on the first page. If you are creating something dramatic it's okay to have it appear as a link. There are exceptions to the rule, but I think we can all agree that in order to break that rule you have to have either A: A really awesome comic that people really love, or B: you have more content to your page than a silly little comic.

[edited to add my two cents]

I think I'd prefer the comic on the first page, I'm also so lazy as to say that if the comic isn't appearing at least partially without scrolling down, it's become a little too much effort to read.

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 3:12 am

Front page all the way. I don't know, splash pages always seemed a kind of "You're comming for me, not for my comic attitude". I may be wrong though. Maybe if your comic is updating once a week or less, they have a point. But imagine someone visiting your comic daily from keenspot or some webcomic directory, having to go through a splash page every day, to see one comic strip.

Dutch! · Post by **Dutch!** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:52 am

I agree. It'd piss me right up the wall.

Dutch! · Post by **Dutch!** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:53 am

Bugger. My 100th post and I wasted it on a comment like that...

Maxim Kovalenko · Post by **Maxim Kovalenko** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 5:54 am

Personally I prefer having the comic on the front page. I do a graphic novel and it seems to be the easiest way to let everybody know that it's been updated.

As for splash screens for webcomics.... I am probably going to irritate somebody by saying this...but splash screens for webcomics make baby Jesus cry.

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 5:59 am

Maxim Kovalenko wrote:(S)plash screens for webcomics make baby Jesus cry.

Back in 2000 when I first started Spare Change, I had one.

But it pissed me off so much I ripped it down.

ManyWorlds · Post by **ManyWorlds** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:27 am

Soap Soaperson wrote:http://www.sgvy.com/

That comic has a setup I can stand. It's the only off-the-front-page comic I read, really.

I read that, and one other non-front-page comic (The Loungeg). If a comic updates daily, or close to it, it's okay to have it off the front page (readers know their clickage will be rewarded). SGVY updates once a week, but it's several pages at once. And it's pretty funny, too (Ranma 1/2 + Sailor Moon = SGVY).

[AOD] · Post by **[AOD]** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:41 am

Well it depends. If you've got an ugly-looking comic like mine, it's better to have it on the front page, because then the reader will load the page and say "WTF IS THIS?" before they leave, instead of having it on a secondary page and have them say "WTF? I WASTED MY TIME CLICKING FOR THIS CRAP?".

Because that'd make them doubly sore, you see.

@~AoD

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:55 am

[AOD] wrote:Well it depends. If you've got an ugly-looking comic like mine, it's better to have it on the front page, because then the reader will load the page and say "WTF IS THIS?" before they leave, instead of having it on a secondary page and have them say "WTF? I WASTED MY TIME CLICKING FOR THIS CRAP?".

Because that'd make them doubly sore, you see.

@~AoD

That is such an Andy Kaufmann way to get visitors!

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