This was recommended as a good discussion by angry_black_guy in the Best Panels topic-

How do you feel about signatures in forums around the internet? What makes you click?

For me it's good design, use of lettering and fonts and good representation of their comicking style. I'm also a sucker for wit in a sig.

One thing I've really come to hate is a misrepresentation of style, color or amount of detail in the art. I think that if you have a black and white comic and that's what you do best you should be able to draw people in with it. Liriel's Bad Blood was a great example of this.

I click on funny banners and interesting teasers. Teasers can really get me, especially if the style looks interesting and the person posting seems cool too (or has unique or witty insights).

I don't like any overly busy banners or if it takes a while to figure out what it is (and not in a fun teaser way). And if it's just a text signature with a link, I rarely ever check it out, unless there is a really interesting post or something.

Hum. Usually it's the art style that makes me click on things, if it looks like something I'd enjoy. Needless to say I don't normally click on all-text banners, and I'm usually not patient enough to sit and wait for it to finish if the banner is animated. I also hate it if the comic is done in a completely different style than the signature. I feel.. cheated, somehow.

lol!

Although in the forums, if a person seems to be interesting and has well thought out or funny posts, I'll usually check their comic out anyway to see if it's something I'd like.

Yay, someone else made this topic for me.

Well, my main question here is: do you think of your audience when making a signature? Your signature is obviously reaching out to SOMEONE but the question is who? The inspiration for this topic was a comment by mlai about FAL's signature for Hello NANO saying that she'd never click on it if he didn't post an actual panel from it. I clicked on it because I liked the design but if he had made a signature in the same style as his comic, I wouldn't have cared. Ironic... but my mind is weird like that.

Signatures that get me are generally plain or unattractive because I instantly associate that with someone who doesn't have enough time to make a sig so they end up having a great comic. Simple white text in a black box is enough to get me to click on it but another thing I like is subtlety. Juno, I remember clicking on your sig the first time I saw it because it was a pair of glowing eyes. I sat wondering "lol, what's behind those eyes?" and I subconciously clicked on it without even realizing. I remember clicking on silentkitty's sig a few months back because of the face on the left. I attribute the "third eye" as a satanic symbol and the "purgatory" in the title instantly made me think of something spiritual; I love spiritual/religious stories as well as demons so I just INSTANTLY clicked! If silentkitty's signature contained a picture of her main character or something, I would have just said "ugh furries" and would never read it or end up fav'ing it.

Honestly, my favorite sig's are clever ones or ones that expand on the underlying theme of a comic rather than an actual thumbnail or crop of the comic itself. For example, I made a new signature for Early Game Monster. I was originally thinking about just cropping a panel and adding some brightly colored text, but my comic is inspired by old cliche RPG's like Ultima and Wizardry so I made my signature using the Commodore64's limited palette.

I'm 100% certain that most people looking at it will instantly dismiss it as "lol sprite comic" but to me and anyone else who thinks like me I'm hoping they'll say "Huh, I like old 8-bit RPGs, this looks like a tribute to one of them!CLICK" It's probably not going to be a popular signature because of it, but it represents me and my style so I like it.

junoblairb
Liriel's Bad Blood was a great example of this.

*sigh*...it's such a shame she quit with webcomicking.

Anyway yeah....it's as simple as saying the art for me. Particularly the style and/or character draws me in.

SarahN

junoblairb
Liriel's Bad Blood was a great example of this.

*sigh*...it's such a shame she quit with webcomicking.

You're right there :(

Anyway, I agree with everything about the art. It's art that draws me in and I expect it to be in the same style as the comic.. If it's not... Well, I prefer that it is.

I click on sigs with art that interests me. Much like Ozone, I really hope the art matches the sig. Sometimes I get a little put off when I click on a really nice full-color sig and find the comic itself isn't full-color. But if the art's strong enough I give it a read. It really is the art that catches my eye.

As far as designing my sig, I wanted to try and get the title very legible, reflect the content as much as I could, and get my art in there so people could see the art. Since I use art directly from portions of the comic, what you see is what you get.

I don't know if my sig works all that great. It might be a tad too busy. But I'm too busy to change it right now. I've got pages to finish!

ozoneocean

SarahN

junoblairb
Liriel's Bad Blood was a great example of this.

*sigh*...it's such a shame she quit with webcomicking.

You're right there :(

Concur'd

I honestly have no idea what makes me click on a banner... it's boredom usually. I'm kinda like a cat... if I'm bored and it's shiny *click* :/

Seriously though, I have no clue, otherwise I'd actually be doing it... lol.

This might seem weird, but for me it's about cool logos more than anything else. If I see an intriguing name, with a neat font, an interesting combination of colors and some additional effects - click! My favorite logos are The Unitary Authority of Ersatz and Cosmic Dash. I made my sig a logo, too. Doesn't even compare to the above mentioned, it's very simple, but I like the ambiguity of the title (and both meanings are valid in this context).

I also like sigs with fluffy pets in them lol!

A signature has to be well made and awesome looking. An interesting font and drawing style also catch my eye. I would use my actual signatures for mine, but they break the size rules.

A signature that's funny is also just fine with me.

SarahN

junoblairb
Liriel's Bad Blood was a great example of this.

*sigh*...it's such a shame she quit with webcomicking.

Whut??!!? OH SNAP!!

I make my banners to tease readers into my comics.... So they're coloured and animated.

The animation is designed so you don't have to see all the frames. Should I add even more frames to it? I did have fun drawing future main characters who won't even appear for another 50 pages... Oh they'll be so delicious... any similarity to vampires is coincidental.

Banners which make me click are:
1. Not sprites.
2. Not boys' love.
3. Not Marvel-type (sorry).
4. Excellent art/design.
5. Hints at an interesting story.

I feel sold out when I get to the comic/manga and the lineart isn't as good as the banner's. Whether or not it's colour doesn't matter.

I usually click everybody's signature. No discretion from me.

In no particular order:

1) when there is a hot girl
2) when there is demonstration of good art
3) when there is discretion... such as posting only letters or a plain looking title.
4) animation

because of this thread I changed my sig...lets see if anything happens.

That's it, I need a banner in my signature....

I never click on sigs. I just go to their profile and make my decision from there but as for my sig... I didn't really put much effort. I should, but eh.

I click on signatures all the time.

Usually if I like the art style I'll click. I generally avoid anime-ish banners unless there is something unique about them.

Also if there is an interesting quote or punchline, I'll click.

I also do not click text links.

Text banners I will click if the title and font interest me enough, but not nearly as much as I will if there is a picture.



All this has me wondering if George's banner works as intended... (I have two art mediums in the strip, marker and digital and it depends how I am feeling on a certain day whether the comic is done in a particular medium)

TheMidge28
because of this thread I changed my sig...lets see if anything happens.

Huh. What was it before?

Heh, I guess that's pretty telling. So it's a good thing you changed it... from whatever it was.

mlai

TheMidge28
because of this thread I changed my sig...lets see if anything happens.

Huh. What was it before?

Heh, I guess that's pretty telling. So it's a good thing you changed it... from whatever it was.

I forgot your opinion represented the majority of the DD. ;)

I forgot I needed to make a poll before telling you that I can't remember your last banner. ;/

Edit: Btw, you should add the title on the banner, either small the way Star-Xed Destiny does it, or in red bold right across it. Picture + words is always more effective, especially for that retro poster style.

this reminds me to change my banner ^_^

This topic is making me think about changing my signature to showing my character's feet or just some crazy random part of his body like his chest or fingernails.

I don't know why I think like this...

You should steal Marine's avatar. Just to piss him off.

Art. Good art. That's it. No time for anything else.

~B

I try to click on a few banners every time I visit the DD forum. Good artwork plays a big part in which banners I click.

This subject is making me want to change my banner. This one has been on here too long.

fern
I never click on sigs. I just go to their profile and make my decision from there but as for my sig... I didn't really put much effort. I should, but eh.

I'm with fern on this one. I usually click on profiles and rummage through their comics.

got agree I have never been a big sig clicker no matter how stunning it is. I mostly read the comics I find through searching and the recommendations of friends. Also I read the comics of my commenters as well...but doesn't everyone?

TheMidge28
I mostly read the comics I find through searching and the recommendations of friends....but doesn't everyone?

Uh nope.

I was just thinking to myself the other day that I should start surfing thru Profile Recommends as an alternate way of finding good comics, which for some stupid reason I never did.

I don't like to look at flashy, and banners with a lot of text in them. I prefer to look at banners that shows how the comic art looks like, and maybe a quote or something.

crazyninny
I don't like to look at flashy, and banners with a lot of text in them. I prefer to look at banners that shows how the comic art looks like, and maybe a quote or something.

Yeah, that's pretty much my attitude. I just need a little bit of pretty art from the comic, and I'll click it.

One thing I won't click, though, is if it's a banner with just the comic's name or the logo. I mean, that doesn't tell me anything. People gloss over banner ads all day long. They have to be at least a little bit interesting.