Whitechapel - What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-24T11:52:13-07:00

I'm about to start putting together a site for a new webcomic that I am writing. As the medium dictates the media, my artist and I have been thinking hard about what it means to create a comic designed for the web.

As much as I like to reinvent wheels, I know that I'm not the first person to think about this. Scott McCloud has done some interesting stuff with flash, and Daniel Lieske's "The Wormworld Saga" is a beautiful example of a scrollable comic.

Are there other good examples out there? I'd love to see them!

-braindump-
*The information capacity of a monitor is much less than that of paper - at least when we are talking about still images. The monitor also is typically a horizontal format, meaning that webcomics that are not designed to be printed are often done in a similar aspect ratio. Those that are designed to be printed can almost never show the full "page" at once.

*Browsers are good at scrolling, so it makes sense to constrain your panels and pages in a way that no page/panel is larger than a "typical" browser window, but scroll through it.

*Print comics translated to digital are typically presented in a highly skeuomorphic format that needs zoom controls to register detail on most monitors, taking away from full page flow.

*Having a page that you can link to, and your readers can link to is important for any longer form project. Pagination also helps generate advertising revenue, if you are displaying ads on your site. How do you let your readers navigate through years worth of content easily? Especially if they "forget" about your comic for a few months.

*Community chatter/comments can be helpful for engaging with readers, but can also take up valuable screen space that can be better used for art! Also: time consuming to moderate.

*What do you do with social media? Facebook "like", twitter..ers.
/braindump

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-24T12:47:40-07:00

Wormworld is very good in terms of its layout-- I remember Daniel (the author/artist) talking about it pre-release on another board, and I wasn't quite sure how it was all going to work-- as soon as I saw the completed version, well-- it clicked brilliantly for me.

To me, the biggest function that a webcomic should strive for is Reader Intuition-- no reader should ever have to THINK about how to advance a page-- or get to your "character bios"-- or whatever other widget/bonus stuff you have...Navigation has to be completely thoughtless-- or you'll lose them.

The Flash-based stuff drove me nuts (Re: Zuda) where upon loading a comic, I was presented with instructions on how to read the comic (page up and down/left right arrows)-- oddly, the one thing Zuda really never hyped was the "Full Screen" option-- which, as a former Zudite, was my preferred presentation of the comic I did there.

Personally, I think that CONTENT trumps PRESENTATION-- that if you have an engaging story with great art, folks will read your comic no matter what stylistic container you decide to use-- In fact, I tend to think a reletivly bare-bones approach is the way to go-- Look at FreakAngels-- minimal bells and whistles-- and a quick load time. Just a quick glance and I know how to advance the page.

One of the more popular webcomics around, The Phoenix Requiem is much the same. Click on the page to advance-- that's about all there is to it.

That said, I have seen some neat nav stuff out there--

When you load up Turbo Defiant Kimecan, you're faced with my loathed instructions again-- but they make it work within the boundaries of the page. Using it instead as a panel advance.

You can't talk about Nav/Presentation without bringing up Nawlz, which I love-- but-- admittedly, makes you WORK to advance the story. Nawlz is just so goddamn beautiful that I think most readers are willing to put in the time.

ReMind, which has been mentioned here in the past, takes an interesting approach by making itself a Blog first, and a comic second-- Jason Brubaker dubs his comic: "The Making of a Graphic Novel"-- so many of the page updates are supplemented with informative articles on how to self publish a GN-- it works for him, because the webcomic basically works as an advert for his hardcover edition. In a way, his readership is more invested in him as an artist than the story itself-- (not to say they don't come for the Comic-- but they also cheer his successes along the way)

Finally, you're more than welcome to check out mine, Spy6teen-- It has taken a lot of tweeking (including killing the original layout a few months in), and even 37 weeks in, I'm still tinkering around with the layout and functionality/Navigation-- (Part of which is due to the fact that I'm a Comicpress Luddite)
My big thing with the Spy6teen site was to make it feel uncluttered-- which is why I didn't junk it up with a 3 column layout-- instead, focusing the comic on the left side of the screen, with a sidebar running on the right.
What's funny is that it was only within the last few weeks that I made the header clickable-- after I received some reader feedback when I removed the "Home" button.
"Latest Page" and The "Jump To" buttons are all fairly recent as well -- In fact, I'm actually really happy with the Jump To buttons, as I think the images better showcase what we are as a Story-- less "superhero" and more "Alias/High School Spy"-- New Banner also helped with that as well..I think that was a lesson learned: That when a new reader visits your site, they should instantly be aware of the TONE of the comic, before even reading the page. Just something to think about...

Personally, I'd avoid Chatter/Community rooms and your own Forum upon launch-- they'll really just collect dust-- focus instead on your comments section, and build your readership by replying meaningfully to each one you get. Eventually, your commentators will all start talking to each other.
Lastly, I more or less feel that Social Media is a MUST-- you mentioned readers "forgetting" to check your site on update day-- Twitter/Facebook etc, helps remind them. Also, it's really useful in terms of networking with other webcomic authors to build relationships/help each other out.

I guess the biggest thing I'd say on the topic is to stop thinking about the form and just start working on putting it out there-- You'll find your format as you go along, and you can "beta test" as you build your audience-- trust me, they're willing to suffer through some stupid mistakes you make-- and they're REALLY valuable for input on what's working and what isn't-- in fact, sometimes they'll tell you stuff you might not want to hear!

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-24T14:53:29-07:00

Awesome, thanks for the links!

I totally agree that content is more important than presentation, and it's always good to have a reminder that the comic is why the reader is there, not the shiny buttons.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-26T17:00:01-07:00

I just posted in a similar thread.

Freak Angels is my favorite webcomic format for this style of graphic novelly webcomics.

Honorable mention would go to my friend Liz Suburbia who does Sacred Heart. Her site was designed by our friend Kevin Czapiewski.

On that note, I always liked the format of Steve Wolfhard's Cat Rackham, but he never updates the site, unfortunately. It's very simple. Each story is complete in a scroll format, accessible from the front menu of buttons. A lot of times I want to throw my pretension out the window and make a site as simple as this. It's so unassuming as a website. It asks nothing of its viewers. It's beautiful.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-26T19:24:48-07:00

been looking at a lot of sites lately too ( as I attempt one of my own ) and it seems that the simple blog style layouts are always the best. Freakangels is really nice in the window but I think the limits the use of splash and double page spreads, which reminds me ...

HAS ANYONE EVER SEEN A GOOD DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD PRESENTED ONLINE/ IN A WEBCOMIC?

I kind of hate the ghetto coupon clip art look of wordpress websites but the fancy ones simply don't work. It took me three tries just to get into Nawiz and when I did, it froze & I gave up. I have this problem with most sites involving flash, stylish layouts or fancy animation. The simple websites let the reader access the comics no matter how crappy their computer is and they let the reader read rather than concentrate on navigating a labrynth.

(maybe why Warren uses good old fashion wordpress ?)

EDIT: @ buhbuhcuh- just "watched" the Scott Mcloud. I'm feel like I'm going to puke from motion sickness. The comic/art is cool but the panel movements make feel ill ( like staring at a moving spiral for too long)

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-27T10:43:40-07:00

@darrylayo - thanks for the links. I do like the simple designs, they let the reader concentrate on the comic.

@Hey Apathy - Haha, yeah, it's good that he is experimenting, but those particular experiments did not feel very successful. I kind of feel the same way about comic readers that animate between panels.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-28T00:11:58-07:00

@HeyApathy: I think that the double-page spread is specifically a storytelling tool to use in print comics. If you are presenting an original webcomic, then you don't use double-page spreads. And that's that. If you happen to be putting up work that was originally in print, then...eh, do the uncomfortable things and make the page clickable to a larger version (or something?)

Just the mechanics of the screen--it'll never get bigger. The double-page spread works because of the mechanics of magazines and books. You have the sheets intended to be read individually but they are folded together. So you are able to play with the fact that they happen to form a double-wide shape. The screen does not do that.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-28T02:01:37-07:00

@darrylayo- yeah it seems to be that way. The online presentation of comics ( and fine artworks) really changes the way we make work. It does seem odd to me that a number of sites seem to have a lot of unused space on either side of the screen and that a two-page spread fits perfect on a computer screen if it weren't for all the toolbars stuff using up the top 2-3 inches, yet there seems to be no solution. ( and yes I made a graphic novel consisting entirely of two page spreads just because my illustration/print publication professor told me it was not technically feasible)

I also noticed page to page storytelling can get disrupted; the screen just doesn't lead our eyes around the same way as a book. An extreme example would be Sandman issue 10 page 10 when the panels turn horizontal forcing the reader to rotate the book sideways during a particular dream ( seen it in Cerebus too ). There are much more subtle techniques like this, all lost in the online translations.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-28T08:32:02-07:00

@heyapathy:

I am working on a new webcomic. I'm really excited! The design theory behind it is to make pages for the web, primarily. If I ever make a print version, it would be ugly and awkward. But that's okay because I think the primary market (web in this case) will be better served.

WE SHALL SEE.

I am excited to hear about your two page spread graphic novel. Like Miller's 300.

If you webcomic it up, you might be able to use comicpress/WordPress and arrange your theme as the "comic strip" layout. It may still come out small (I cannot say) but I believe that this format will orient your spreads above the columns that constitute the rest of the website.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-28T13:19:35-07:00

(maybe why Warren uses good old fashion wordpress ?)

I seem to remember Warren talking about that when FA first started-- and I've heard it echoed a few times with design guys as well, basically when you're starting up a new site/project/techy thing, your best bet is to make sure that it'll run on the Lowest Common Denominator. Basically that someone with a x86 machine, with a 56k dialup modem should still be able to access and read your content...slow as it might be, they COULD do it.

I'm running Spy6teen on the Wordpress/Comicpress platform-- yeah, it's cumbersome, not exactly the most user-friendly layout ever created, and there's a bit of "vanilla" to it-- but, once you start digging in, there are a number of tweeks you can do to get it looking like it's it own thing.
The biggest thing for me is it's "plainness," oddly enough-- the fact that new readers are able to pop onto whatever page they happen to land on, and are already orientated to the site.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-28T13:32:03-07:00

I also noticed page to page storytelling can get disrupted; the screen just doesn't lead our eyes around the same way as a book. An extreme example would be Sandman issue 10 page 10 when the panels turn horizontal forcing the reader to rotate the book sideways during a particular dream ( seen it in Cerebus too ). There are much more subtle techniques like this, all lost in the online translations.

I know exactly what you're talking about there-- Bendis used that in-- Torso? I think...probably in Jinx as well-- little tricky/showy narrative device, but when used tastefully, it's really effective.

Funny, I just thought about the frustration of reading a scene like that on an Ipad...as you tried to "turn" the "book" the screen would constantly orientate to landscape/portrait mode.
Just got a mental image of a comic book reader pulling their hair out trying to catch a few words before the page flipped...makes me laugh.

Huh...yup, that'll be a lost technique...

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-28T16:25:19-07:00

@ Tim Simmons - Spy6teen looks great online. simple, bold and very readable. I noticed you basically stuck to the widescreen format so that all the panels fit nicely on the screen. This is a sweet presentation (within the limitations of said issues, full page- double page and unusual spreads need not apply!).

@darrylayo thought I'd google up that wicked 300 art to see how it was displayed online. 15 pages deep in the search engine and I found ... well nothing. Damn I was hoping someone already solved the issue. also let us know when you're design is up as we all love to see developments and new takes on the dreaded webcomic format. ( I'll post a link for mine when it's properly uploaded fer sure!)

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-29T01:09:39-07:00

I absolutely adore Top Shelf's reader and I'd love it for my own site. Simple and fast.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-29T09:22:04-07:00

@ William George
The Top Shelf reader is really nice. I like how the header slides up, leaving just the comic. The navigation is well thought out as well. I'm a bit torn on the dynamic image reload - it's really nice to cut out the load times (and probably the server cost) of reloading the whole page, but there is no good way to link to a specific page except the first one. Still, good inspiration.

@ Hey Apathy
You should check that reader out - you mentioned the wasted inches on the top of the screen, hiding that header while you read is a slick solution.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-29T11:03:12-07:00

@buhbuhcuh- hiding that header while you read is a slick solution. - maybe but it goes back to that catering to the biggest audience idea and any extra-instructions are going to hinder the comic reader's experience. In the future I'd like to see websites taking over the full screen when you enter them as the norm, that would be kind of cool.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-29T16:49:02-07:00

Spy6teen looks great online. simple, bold and very readable. I noticed you basically stuck to the widescreen format so that all the panels fit nicely on the screen. This is a sweet presentation (within the limitations of said issues, full page- double page and unusual spreads need not apply!).

Thanks very much! Yeah, it's been a lot of experimentation in terms of the presentation over the 40-some-odd weeks we've been up. Yeah, I've been trying to find a solution to double-page spreads-- but, if we can't, it's fine-- just a limitation of the format. We do have a fullpage splash coming up in the next few weeks, which I think will sort of be the new "double page" if you will.
Truthfully, in terms of print comics, I've never been a huge fan of the Double Page Splash anyhow-- rarely do you see it used for anything more than a bunch of heroes posing. (Although, that said: The 3-page spread that Kubert did in Astonishing Spiderman/Wolverine was REALLY impressive)--

I absolutely adore Top Shelf's reader and I'd love it for my own site. Simple and fast.
I just took a look at that-- that's pretty impressive! What is that, Java? Man, I'd love to figure out how to do those transparent page transitions! Really nice-- no real lag/load time either!

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-30T10:16:21-07:00

I tweaked ComicPress to allow for occasional pagespreads. You can see it at work between this page and the next (which isn't a double page but a strip, but the principal is the same). My page spreads aren't exactly twice as big as the single pages, but there's no reason why that wouldn't work.

I've described the tweak as I was developing it in the ComicPress forum. (I'm Dreadfulgate there, btw.)

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-30T10:43:02-07:00

I haven't used ComicPress, but one trick for getting a two-page spread would be to make it come up in a DHTML window (like this, or this, where the window's draggable). Those are both Wordpress sites.

Your reader would just need to click on an image, like in those two examples. The Javascript I'm using is based on this.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-30T11:24:48-07:00

@ Vaeling - that's pretty good and simple. thanks

@Bradley W. Schenck - this looks wild art/design and all! You're images look amazing (again art & design presentation).

I see some problems with the extra clicks (making the image larger) in a panel to panel traditional comicbook. It's sort of a storytelling impact thing- you turn the page and ... BLAM! vs you turn the page, adjust you eyes to the small details, scroll over the image, click on it, then blam.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-30T12:01:43-07:00

Yes, I can sure see what you mean. It's possible to have that DHTML window load when the page loads, too. That would be more seamless for the reader.

I really only mentioned it because it's one way to make an image with a different aspect ratio come up without mangling the site template; it's still a nod to something you can do better in print than in a web version.

Though now that I think about it, for a webcomic it might be sort of neat to have that load up on the page load. You wouldn't want that dark "veil" overlay, and you probably wouldn't care about making it draggable. But there could be something useful in there. One way or another you'd want the site's navigation to stay usable, though - and in some cases that would mean a click to close the big image... or on the other (which may be the third) hand, you could duplicate those nav buttons in the layout of the DHTML window, too.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-30T16:10:21-07:00

Variables has a navigatable Black Veil all over. I don't know if they have page spreads - only< just found the comic myself in the Webcomics Week thread - , but they'd get away with it.

Of course, you'd need Javascript, so you'd have to compromise on the lowest common denominator thing.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-30T22:43:18-07:00

@ vaehling- my computer doesn't like javescript or flash much but the variables worked ok, their pages are too small

o.k. check this (mess) out in full screen, I think the art looks best life sized...

now imagine instead of the Neanderthal use pause button instructions in a video, it was a slideshow with the fullscreen option & a nav bar ( back/beginning/next). Could this be done with wordpress or html, am I dreaming?

EDIT- don't really know much about html/java/flash but I want the thing to work as well as youtube does

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-31T06:12:42-07:00

Either in this thread or the other one Scott Beiser pointed out that solutions like the "Variables" one play hell with your ad metrics; the (web) page is only being loaded once, regardless of how many (comic) pages the reader looks at, and in this case the ads are also pretty well obscured during reading. If it were an ad-less site, well and good, but since it's an ad supported site that seems like a problem.

Still, using that trick only for rare double-page spreads (which I think is what we were talking about) could still work.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-31T09:27:25-07:00

But that'd bring us back to the problem of disrupting the reading experience, wouldn't it? Unless the effect auto-loads with the page, which some browsers will have issues with because of the javascript thing, which brings us back to that problem.

I like my own workaround better and better...

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-03-31T09:45:48-07:00

I think when you're talking about workarounds everyone's going to like their own trade-offs best anyhow. But Javascript is more an issue of browser settings, rather than browsers. My sites usually see less than 5% of users with Javascript disabled.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-01T14:24:18-07:00

WOW @ the right number, wormwood saga.
I personally loved the zoom-in navigation of the former.

I've had this idea since i started my recent art director gig - comics on youtube.
Not like marvel motion comics, but more a series of panels presented to music, proper timing... like fully xecuted animatics.
maybe a bit of animation thrown in.
The benefit here would be youtube traffic, properly tapped.
does something like this exist?

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-05T09:55:52-07:00

I think the double-page spread issue is an important one. While not necessary for online or digital viewing, it sure can be fun. The development of smaller tablets complicates this though, because the screens are so darn small. For myself, I couldn't give the double page spread up.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-05T11:43:55-07:00

Not like marvel motion comics, but more a series of panels presented to music, proper timing... like fully xecuted animatics.
maybe a bit of animation thrown in.
The benefit here would be youtube traffic, properly tapped.
does something like this exist?

Dean Haspiel pulled off the closest thing that I've seen to a "working" model for motion comics-- without losing the "comics" part of it and just making it "crappy animation" (which, is pretty much what I see with the majority of "big motion comic releases"-- if they even still happen)--

You can check it out here:
http://vimeo.com/16505667

Even that, as one of the best I've seen, doesn't totally sell me on motion comics though.

I did recently have an idea on motion IN comics though-- thinking of it more as Motion Panels. Small writeup on my blog-- (it's easier to link than retype and pop in the examples)-- given the comments I got, I don't think anyone else is as sold as I am.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-05T13:30:54-07:00

Girl Genius (and Studio Foglio in general) is a good design.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-06T12:00:51-07:00

Kind of noticed that single page splashes and cover art don't work either. (was so fixated on the double page I didn't realize the problem is worse than I thought.)

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-06T13:58:30-07:00

Print comics translated to digital are typically presented in a highly skeuomorphic format that needs zoom controls to register detail on most monitors, taking away from full page flow.

Keep in mind that, while monitors are wider than they are tall, many users (esp. the more savvy users that consume webcomics) keep multiple, non-maximized browsers/applications open at a time. Imagine two apps side by side on the screen, and you'll realize these windows are not so different from standard comic proportions.

But your comments on zoom controls still apply. The way I dealt with this in City of Sand was to create an entirely fluid layout. The user can zoom the comic dynamically just by resizing the browser window. It feels very intuitive (if not exactly discoverable).

And for those who would rather bear the cross of scrolling in exchange for full-resolution images, there's still a "full screen" mode that gets out of your way and lets you enjoy the comic. All with no Flash (so it looks good on mobile)!

Check out http://city.ofsand.com

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-06T14:30:06-07:00

@ jemmons a "full screen" mode that gets out of your way and lets you enjoy the

that's not really a full screen mode, you had my hopes up! I do like you're scrolling side bar and fades between pages ( no flash? that's pretty good everything worked smoothly)

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-10T03:41:06-07:00

I like City of Sand's 'full screen' mode (as full-screen-ness goes, it's good enough for me). But the site seems pretty heavy on the javascript, because wth Noscript on, I can't even get to the full screen. Also, it all loads in one page (same url) which makes it hard to bookmark a page if you can't read it all in one session.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-10T13:27:09-07:00

And for those who would rather bear the cross of scrolling in exchange for full-resolution images, there's still a "full screen" mode that gets out of your way and lets you enjoy the comic. All with no Flash (so it looks good on mobile)!

That is pretty nice!
The one suggestion I'd make, from a UI perspective, is to move your left/right buttons down to the bottom of your page. As I scroll down, my mouse pointer ends up on the lower half of your comic page-- which requires me to go "up and to the right" to advance the page.
It's really minor, but if the page arrows were at the bottom of the page, I'd probably "think" about the nav less, because I'm already moving "down"--

Again, that's a really minor nitpick-- but something you may want to consider if you're still playing around with your full screen layout.
Other than that, stellar work!

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-11T19:31:05-07:00

I'm sorry, I don't agree with the folks trying to adapt screen options for double-page spreads. Folded paper (magazine, book) is a different medium than computer viewer. If the work is intended for the screen, it should be written for the screen. There are inherent limitations to any choice of medium, but I think it's a wrongheaded approach to try to defeat those limitations rather than working harmoniously with the medium's constraints.

For instance, there are differences between stage acting and screen acting. I wouldn't argue that one is better than the other. I think it would be a dangerous lost cause to attempt to release a film that had a hundred different cuts to imitate the subtle differences in nightly performances of stage actors. As an example.

When putting comics on the screen, you have to accept that the reader's viewing device isn't going to change shape or double in size the way a magazine does when you open up a spread.

I don't believe that I will ever want to see a webcomic that contains a two-page spread because it will either be presented in the same space as the normal pages at half the size (click? No, the surprise is dead; I've already seen the spread and at an emotionally insignificant size) or it will break the site's format (scroll? Nope, I'll click the "x" button).

If a comic was originally presented in print and I'm just viewing it on the web (I suppose it's happened), that's one thing. Perils of translation.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-12T02:00:39-07:00

I like the basic simplicity of Mike Norton's Battlepug.
It keeps the focus on the comic itself.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-12T12:04:41-07:00

Battlepug is really nice( what colours and screen presence!), but the basic simplicity requires both horizintal and vertical scrolls which I found instantly distracting.

Freakangels only scrolls down and not very far which keeps it really tight for the reader/user. I think the minimal scroll is really important in all web designs (?).

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-13T06:55:43-07:00

There was a small survey about that a couple of years ago that made its way around the webcomics community. Users turned out to be okay with scrolling, as long as it's only in one direction - down or sideways. (Preferrably down, because that's faster.) I can relate to that.

'fraid I didn't keep that link, though.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-13T10:47:10-07:00

@ Vaehling- sounds like sound advice. Not only do I think the down is faster, it seems to be more organized and simply easier on the brain.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-13T11:33:47-07:00

If the work is intended for the screen, it should be written for the screen.

But what if the work is intended for both? I get up to 200 pageviews each time I start a new short comic online, and the highest number I ever hit was 880 views, but the most copies I ever sold of anything was 7. As such, posting things online is simply a way of reaching a larger readership, some of which hopefully will pick up the print edition.

For instance, there are differences between stage acting and screen acting. I wouldn't argue that one is better than the other. I think it would be a dangerous lost cause to attempt to release a film that had a hundred different cuts to imitate the subtle differences in nightly performances of stage actors. As an example.

Subtle differences in nighly performances = subtle differences in printed copies. At least to me. So, the comparison is lost to me. Whereas other tools offered by the theatre (specific way of acting, using symbolic sets rather than actual occasion, performing entire acts or stages in one go rather than shooting in pieces) have been adapted for cinema again and again, often with a lot of success.

Now this is totally off-topic, but when I wasa kid we used to have over here a series of theatrical performances produced for television. It was a way of fairly cheaply staging classical plays. Result? I saw a huge load of theatrical classics on the small screen (numbering at least ten times higher than the amount of my visits to an actual theatre).

Back to the topic.

Scrolling sideways doesn't work if you have two tiers. Having to scroll right, then left and then right again = fail.
A website that scrolls only when you mousedrag a scrollbar but not when you use the scrollwheel = fail.
A website that scrolls with the scrollwheel but not with the keyboard = also fail (although a lesser one because only weirdos like me like to scroll with cursor keys, haha)

Things that work (according to my own observations):
- Scrolling down (and only down). You do it on every single website (forum, blog, tumblr, youtube comments, etc.)
- Navigation buttons below the page (so you dn't have to scroll up after every page... although putting them both below and above allows for easier skipping of pages).
- Some kind of chapter/page dropdown menu for easier jumping to a desired spot.
- Clicking the page sends you to the next page (very useful and faster than using navigation buttons).
- cursor navigation: right, next page. left, previous page (VERY useful if you scroll with the keyboard. Often used on scanlation sites.)

Personally, as someone with a fairly small monitor and resolution (17inch, 1024x768) I'm less annoyed by the need of scrolling than by tiny text. If I can't read the text from a 50cm distance (that's about 20 inches), I'm not going to ruin my back by hunching over the screen, sorry.

On the other hand, once we all have fucking huge high resolution widescreen monsters in our houses, displaying a double spread on something like that will be easy.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-04-17T11:28:25-07:00

Aurora: nearly all webcomics are "intended" for print as a secondary market. But the point is: if you are creating new work that is going to be viewed primarily on the screen, do not use storytelling techniques that only work in print; those techniques will fail.

Webcomic creators need to concern themselves first with how their work satisfies the first readers--the people who may read their work online. Because if they don't satisfy those readers, there will be no print collections.

I would say that if one has his or her heart set--I mean dead set--on using tools like double-page spreads, then the real issue is that they should be trying to finance a self-published print-only book. People still do this too, and with Kickstarter, it's become more and more likely for independent creators to set forth and fund their projects.

What is the best website design you have seen for a webcomic?

2011-06-06T10:14:17-07:00

Let me put this one out there: Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant

DISCLAIMER: It's mine, I made it, feel free to regard this as shameless. Flay me as necessary. Also? apologies for resurrecting a thread from months ago.

But I'll weigh in on the format issues. In this case, I started the project intending it for print. For a variety of reasons, I discovered it would be more sensible to put it on teh inter-nets. So I needed a way to display the 2-page spreads, and here we are. I acknowledge the weaknesses - primarily that the images need to be so large (to preserve text readability) that it may be a more awkward experience for a reader with a smaller viewport. I still would like the book to exist on paper - I prefer it to reading from the screen - but I also want to remove the barriers of cost and availability between a reader and this comic.

I am all for comics that are specifically web-created and thus web-exclusive. Use the medium to it's best advantage. Like this. If I were to come up with a concept that exploited the strengths you get from the digital medium, hey - why not? Let's make that.

But as long as a maker wants to end up with a dead-tree version, you'll have to acknowledge that format's limitations at some point.

@darrylayo - I'm having trouble thinking of techniques that would work only in print, but not online. Perhaps the 2-page spread, if one's site isn't built for it. What am I missing?