Option 1 is usually better. Interested visitors see a higher quality image, and even though there is LESS to see, it is tantalizing in its…lack…of the entire image.  It’s saying “see more! Click here!” without actually saying it.  If you do it right, that is.

Option 2 is what most people seem to go with. What happens though is that the art loses quality, looks squashed, gets blurry and becomes…unattractive.  The only time I’ve seen this done right is on LARGE banners, like 160×600 towers or 728×90 leaderboards. If you have enough room, you can fit more. But if you don’t have enough room, don’t try to fit the 14 co-eds into the telephone booth.

How about some examples? I’m going to go with a middle-size, popular-size banner for linking (200×40px) and a random panel from a recent Not Alone page of mine (last panel).  I need more banners for that comic anyways.

First, I’m going to draw upon my 8 elements of a banner discussed in the first article about this. I’m going to choose a “facial feature” and use my personal logo.  I’m not going to include my URL because Not Alone doesn’t have its own site. I will include a border, action/movement is part of the panel, I’ll be using a monochromatic color scheme, and since this is a panel straight from my comic, the advertising is truthful. If there is room for a tag-line, I will include it.
Option 1, small piece of larger art done wrong, then right:

Why is the first one wrong and the second one right? The first has art that is TOO large on a canvas that is TOO small. It should only take one short glance to discern what is being shown to you.  You shouldn’t have to pause and ask, “what is that supposed to be?”  The second one is “right” because you can easily tell what it is, yet it’s still large enough that it’s only a PIECE of the entire image.

Option 2, “zoom out” done wrong and then done better:

Again, what makes the first wrong and the second right? In the first, the image is so SMALL it is you can’t tell what it is without squinting, the same kind of problem that the bad option 1 banner had, but in the opposite way. The second version of this type of banner is better because you can still see what it is without compromised quality. I don’t call this one “right” because to do a far-zoomed-out banner, you need to choose the right dimensions for the job. This image could not be placed in a way that satisfied me. It is only better, not “right.”

Some other things:

When the image that you choose is facing a certain way (for example, the character on the banner faces to the right), it should face your logo on the other side. The two should face each other, drawing attention INWARD. If the elements faced opposite directions, attention would be focused OUTWARD. Draw the person in. People will look where the character in the banner is looking. So, focus that attention on you, not away from you.

Second, another common mistake I see with small banners is people not wanting to include text at all. It is amazing how small text can be and still be readable. You need at least your comic’s title or logo on every banner advertising your comic. If you can fit a tag line it, do so. The phrase, “fate is a choice” on these banners is set at only 10px high. It was still readable at 8px high, but there was no reason to make it that small.

Making Banners: Animations to come after the holidays are over.

Making Good Banners 1 dealt with 8 technical elements of banner-making: facial features/eyes, tag-lines, URL, separation, action, color, more than tag-lines, and sexual attraction. I also touched on the importance of having a recognizable logo and ended talking about the dangers of “false” advertising.

This article is going to touch on MAKING tag lines and targeting demographics, placement of images, and when/how to use animations.

1) Tag-line, motto, etc: If you don’t have one, it’s time to sit down and make one. It is one thing to have good art on your banner, but good art alone will get you only half the clicks good art AND a catchy tag line will get you. A tag-line should be short, about 10 words.  In this case, less is better, so if you can get under 10 words and still get your point across, you’re golden.

When you make one of these, what you should do is transmit the overall FEEL of your comic to someone who has never read, seen or heard of your work before. You are not necessarily trying to give them the plot synopsis (that’s what your about page is for!), you are trying to make people click to see your site first, to get them excited, to make them think, “that sounds like something I would like.” Plot-schmot. You are the hunter, they are the prey, your tag line is the bait.  The bait isn’t the whole animal, just a small, tantalizing piece. Now go and get ‘em, Sparky!

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Examples! I’ll (yet again) start with my own stuff. I had to make a 600×29px banner for the new, narrower, SpiderForest rotating header for my comic Not Alone.  I already had a short, tight synopsis, which is what I recommend starting with first if you’re having trouble thinking of a tag line. After all, if you can’t even condense your story into a paragraph, you’re going to have quite the time condensing it into 10 words or less!

Ignoring that synopsis for now, Not Alone is a story about self-discovery, leaving home, trusting yourself and having an adventure. It’s fluff, really, and I’m not afraid to say that. It’s short, it’s cliche, but it’s the stuff people like, especially young women between the ages of 14 and 21, my target audience for that comic.  My tag line is, “Who were you meant to be?” (I like tag-lines that directly ask a question. I find them to be more interactive.)

Pretty much a fluffy tag-line, just like the comic. (I’m considering, “Fate is a choice, not a destination,” but…eeehhhh…..)

What it was meant to evoke: a sense of fate, adventure and discovery. Much like the story of Harry Potter, perhaps you are simply waiting to be discovered. You deserve more in life than you have.  There’s something out there, and you’re missing it!

Targeted demographic: Teens and dreamers.

Here are some more examples, better than mine:

Abandon: First Vampire “The Past Will Bite You.”

SkyFall: “1000 years of war, 6 magical devices, 1 last hope.”

Dreadnought Invasion Six: “Existence to Extinction in One Short Trip.”

Fortune’s Fools: “There are Epic Tales of Chivalry, Honor and Love Undying… This is Not One of Them.” (Could easily be shortened up a bit, but works as is.)

Utukki: “Some People Can’t Let Sleeping Demons Lie.”

Looking For Group is basically a tag line and title in one!

You’ll notice in each of these either a distinct crescendo or a forceful OOMPH at the end.  None of these patter out. They’re almost sharp, like a warning, harsh, like a dark whisper, exciting, or amusing. They are meant to stick in your head, and perhaps (especially Utukki’s) play off something else you may have heard before.  Think of WHOM these tag-lines target. What age ranges? What backgrounds? People who watch what type of TV or play what type of games? You do the same thing. Consider who reads your comic, and then make a tag-line to get more people like them.  If you are going to advertise to people who are NOT like them, you’ll need a tag-line that appeals to another audience.  Always always always market to your audience, because your banners will have poor results if you don’t. Would you ever advertise a minivan to a guy looking for a corvette? No! But you would advertise that minivan to, say, a couple with kids, and perhaps, if you gave that minivan a pimpin’ make-over, flames on the side and rims, you COULD market to the guy looking for a corvette.  But you need to remember, no matter how much you package a minivan to look like a corvette, it’s still a minivan. Changing the packaging may just make the one guy think that hey, maybe he would like a minivan TOO.

(Please note, by minivan and corvette in this example, I am not talking about comic quality. I just wanted two extremely different cars, owned by usually two very different kinds of people.)

Here’s a game for you, to see how well prospective tag-lines can work: NAME THE MOVIE!

“The World Isn’t Ending…We Are.”

“Why So Serious?”

“A Hero Is Unleashed.”

This article is getting longer than desired, and I don’t want to cram more information here. It’s better if these are shorter and to the point.  Animations and image placements in banners will be discussed tomorrow! And as always, my disclaimer: I don’t claim to be a professional or even moderately talented in any of these areas. This is food for thought, based on what successful comics (and or games and movies) already have been doing!  Take what you can use, and put your own spin on it.