WHY? Why is it wrong to have a comic rely on a secondary page? Would it be right that to understand a movie, you have to read a guide-book first? Or to understand a book, you have to read the glossary first? Of course not! The extras are dependent upon the story, not the story upon the extras. So, if people who read your comic can’t understand what’s going on without reading your “world” page, I would greatly encourage you to edit your comic or add the necessary pages to MAKE it understandable.

So, that point hammered into the ground, what should you have on your world page?  There are a couple types of world pages to have: the kind that explains everything (a Silmarrillion), the kind that gives a little more detail than is shown in the comic, and the kind that just repeats what was already in your comic. As per my usual tastes, I encourage a page in the middle of the spectrum.  The great, great majority of your readers won’t ever explore the page, but you should have extra information as well as repeat the information already presented in your comic for the people who ARE interested in the extras.

What specifically to have:

1. Always have a MAP! Different worlds, different centuries, different galaxies and planets, all lead to unfamiliar, easily-confused names. Your readers will want to know where A was in relation to B when C happened. There are many types of maps. Static maps, interactive maps, roll-over maps, etc. I myself am building a roll-over map. It’s not complete, but you can see it.
2. If pertinent, have a recap of any notable historic happenings that have set up the political arena/kingdoms/cities/wars of your comic. KEEP IT SHORT. Add an optional longer description if desired, preferably on a separate page, or using link anchors.
3. In the event that your characters have across different lands, peoples or cities, be sure to note each one, and have important points of each.  People LIKE to read about cultures, apocalypses, mysticism, beliefs, etc, so long as there is not TOO much information. Nothing makes people not want to read a webpage as seeing a GIANT BLOCK OF TEXT.  Again, have summaries first, and provide [linked] extra information if desired.
4. Have IMAGES. Not only will this break up the text, but it will also help readers recollect where the information belongs in the comic, and with what characters.
5. Have links. Link each section to corresponding sections of the comic. For example, if I had a section about an alien race named the Squidloids, I would link to their first appearance in the comic, as well as to any important story arcs with them. It’s smart to do this for geographic locations as well.
6. EDIT (This is why I love comments, because as a fantasy comic creator, there are some things I don’t think about!) Kat adds, “For scifi comics, I would also say that this is where to put explanations of your technology. NOT in the main comic! Ninety percent of your readers don’t care how the whizzbang goes whizz! This is for the ten percent pestering you about how if the glasses are a viewer, where’s the camera, and what kind of lift is there on your avie generators, and so on and so forth.”

Other things to think about adding:

1. For those people who like to create their own languages, have a section for it on the world page. Provide an alphabet, basic grammar, and a pronunciation guide.
2. Backstory. I am leery of advising anyone to add backstory, because often enough it’s not only unnecessary, but should be brought out in the comic. It can also function as a spoiler.  Relevant character history should be on the cast page, but more in-depth WORLD or CULTURE backstory MAY belong on the world page, at your discretion. Just remember never to rely on it, and if it’s important, to always introduce it in the comic itself.

Should you have a Wiki or a world page?

This depends on your audience. Often, the level of interest your readers show (and the volume of readers showing that interest) will let you know HOW MUCH to do. If you have a small, quiet, readership, there is no need for a wiki, and it won’t work unless you are willing to put up all the articles yourself. If you have a small, talkative audience, well then, that might deserve the work put into making a wiki. Until you have the numbers or the interest, the effort won’t be worth the outcome.

Many free wikis are available, hosted on your own site or elsewhere. Two that I know of are Luminotes and MediaWiki.

EDIT:

Life’s A Witch adds “don’t forget PBwiki.com,” and Aywren says “I also find Wikidot to be quite good!”

A short article today!