A title's relevance?

[Endhil]

Greetings fellow tappers! .... tapsters.. taperinos... tapologyists... (Think we'll go with tappers)

So, I was about to watch Silence of the Lambs, and thinking about my story/comic, and I was thinking about it's title. And I had a thought, how important is the title in relation to the story?
Should I call my comic "Apple Cores", even though it has nothing to do with apples or their cores. Should I call it "Exciting Fantasy Adventure" (note. I wont be calling it either of these)

But how important is it? and for more well known examples;
Bleach has nothing to with bleach or bleaching. Where as How to Train Your Dragon, pretty much says it in the name.

What does everyone think?
"It's super important brofish!"
"Meh, whatever sounds good"
"Someone said there were apples?"

(I know there's been similar topics, but this is more relevance and what should I? / Help me name...

[Kayke]

I would say I'm on the "Whatever Sounds Good" part of the spectrum.

I don't think a Comic's title needs to be about what's going on in the comic so long as it's an interesting name. Like I love 'Octopus Pie' but that name doesn't really describe what happens in the comic. At the same time I also like 'Cat and Girl'... which is a comic about a cat and a girl named Cat and Girl hahah

I think both titles are interesting and catchy and not too complicated, which is important. I know a few good comics that have confusing names and a lot of times I forget what they're called or don't know how to say the name when want to tell someone else about it. Make your title something that's easy to say and type!

[MissMagicGirl]

I thought long and hard about the name of my comic. I think the name is important since it is one of these things that will grab new readers attention. When they look through comics while browsing the only have a title and a picture to go on when they decide what to read.

I wanted my own title to be relevant to my comic. Thats how I ended up with Magic Advisor. I thought about some other more random and funny names first like "Magic Panic" but decided against it when I discovered it was already a hair dye named that LOL

I do like both titles that are relevant to the story like "How to train your dragon". But really weird titles that does not say much about the story but sounds good works for me to. I don't think one is better then the other as long as the title sounds good and intriguing ^^

[joannekwan]

I don't think it really matters as long as it's not too long and is memorable. I personally wouldn't exceed 5 words.

[alaingrey]

I think a title is really important because it's the first impression that anyone gets of your comic. If the title is insignificant or random it can confuse people and people who aren't really part of your audience will click it and then instantly leave. If for nothing else, that's a good reason to have a relevant title.

I used to write a sci fi story and got a fair amount of interest, and I think I have the title to thank. It was titled of a scientific/philosophical concept, so the kind of readers I wanted were likely to click on it and take interest. Now I think I have a comic that kind of suffers for its title. It Googles well (unlike a lot of one word generic comic titles which are impossible to find) but it also gives off a kind of angsty teen vibe, that while relevant to my story probably drives a lot of potential readers off in the other direction.

I know the kind of titles that turn me away are anything with a lot of punctuation (things with unneccessary : or / ) or as mentioned above anything with more than 5 words.

Part of my job is making titles, and my biggest suggestion is something easy to hashtag, easy to google, and relevant to the core concept for maximum traffic.

[VermillionWorks]

I think a title is really important because it's the first impression that anyone gets of your comic. If the title is insignificant or random it can confuse people and people who aren't really part of your audience will click it and then instantly leave. If for nothing else, that's a good reason to have a relevant title.

This. Honestly I think people underestimate the power of a title sometimes. I'm not saying one should drive themself mad thinking of a good one, but next to maybe an icon/ad pic of your comic, the title is the first thing readers often see and they CAN make people curious.

I often like metaphorical titles or titles that just kinda tie into the story just enough to work well. I think a good example is with the anime Fruits Basket. I always liked how that title came from a little story told by the main character, and said little story represented the theme of the series very well.

I personally try to avoid picking a title that just "sounds cool" these days, especially when the name doesn't really tie-in with the story at all. I like it when there's at least a small meaning behind it, but that's just my opinion though. Sometimes you also just have to go with your gut when you think a title just works. =P

[zetina]

A title is important because that's your work's name. It's how you call it. Should be convenient and unique enough that people don't have to go "which one?". I feel like it should be relevant to the story somehow but it can be relevant not just in what the words say, but the tone of it. A silly mish-mash of words makes it seem that the story is a comedy about wacky characters. Even "Bleach" is - if i remember right, Kubo Tite chose it for no real--- uhm.. i mean cuz it's an English word and it sounded cool... and it's kinda what the manga is like. it showcases characters being "cool".

So! Yeah!
the title should click and feel like "yes, this is my story" when you say it--- by which i mean, like... when someone says your name, they picture you. and so! you should like it! as long as you like your title and like saying it, it's all good! you might have put a lot of meaning into it subconsciously even when you think it's unrelated.

[TheArgoNinja]

Likewise. Whatever sounds cool to me. I also tend to name the title after the character's name. Which is why Demoni is called so since it's the last name of the main character, Krator Demoni. I guess got lucky that it sounds cool too hehe.

[Nicki6082]

Personally I think either or would be ok it depends on how direct you want to be at first I guess. I kind of like somewhat unrelated titles because it creates a sense of intrigue and a sense of deeper meaning that can possibly generate an interest in your readers.

[shazzbaa]

I do think titles are important, but,

Bleach has nothing to with bleach or bleaching. Where as How to Train Your Dragon, pretty much says it in the name.

I don't think this is the important part! Whether or not the title specifically relates to the content of the story is kinda irrelevant to whether or not it's a good title. I think the tone is super important though?

Like for a kinda out-there example, if you title your comic The Epic Fantasy of Epicness: Most Epic EVAR!!! the feel of that title is something kinda goofy that's gonna laugh at itself. So if you have a parody, or comic full of silly fantasy jokes, it fits okay, even if your fantasy characters never actually go on an adventure. The content might not match, but the tone does.
On the other hand, if you try to have an actual, seriously epic adventure with a struggling hero and a dark, growing evil, that title is gonna hurt you a lot. People who want a real serious adventure will assume a series titled "Epic Fantasy of Epicness" isn't for them, and people who think that title sounds interesting are less likely to be there for a serious story. Even though your story is literally an epic fantasy, that title doesn't fit at ALL, because the tone is wrong.

I think it's usually a lot more subtle than that -- it's hard to put your finger on what makes one title sound way too goofy and another sound exactly the right amount of goofy, for example, so I think after you've made sure it's not too complicated and googles okay, you just gotta go with what feels right for your story!

[spadesart]

Well I've got a comic called SPIRE which doesn't really relate to the characters a whole lot but it's the name of the thing they're looking for (star spire). I'm also really bad at titles so I'm not sure how good my advice will be but I feel like it should be at least a little related to it either directly or metaphorically?

[lukas3]

I think a relevant title would be better. Maybe have your title be the name of the main character like 'Naruto'. Another suggestion would be the name of the place like 'Narnia' or what the character is ('The Hobbit', 'The Last Airbender')

However. having a non-relevant titile is also okay. If you think of something super catchy or cool, feel free to use that as your title.

My personal opinion is to use the name of what the character is like. Just like in my 'Retired!' series.
Retired!

[keii4ii]

Two rules:

1. Make sure your title isn't too similar to something else that exists out there, especially anything trademarked. You don't want SEO nightmares, or worse, lawyers knocking on your door.

2. As @shazzbaa said, the title needs to communicate the right vibe. My comic's title is relevant (it's named after a very important location in the story), but it conveys the wrong vibe. A lot of people think it's a fun epic adventure comic... (it's not!) and the title is really not helping. Don't make the mistake I made!

[Heck]

Naming a book or comic is a little different from naming a movie. While a movie has and advertising team who showcases trailers and pays popular critics for reviews, the only way you're able to draw in potential readers (on tapastic) is by the name and/or the icon art. So in this way, the title is more important. (I would personally rank it by Icon Art, then Title, then Description.) So it is not so much that the title makes sense, but that the title draws in a reader's interest to some degree. For instance, if I was making a comic which was Finding Nemo except with bears (which I'm seriously considering now guys >->) I may choose a title like "Finding Bears" because it's funny, and it helps draw the reader's attention. A name like "Forest Park Adventure" may sound just as whimsical, but I guarantee "Finding Bears" would gain more attention by title alone, even if it is the exact same story. It also helps to know the theme of your comic. A serious war story fits a strong, bold name, while a silly story fits a comedic name. A serious story about... I don't know, wild bears, may be called something like "Cold-Blooded Claws", while a silly story about bears may be called "UnBEARable". It helps your readers figure out out what kind of story you have before even clicking on it.

[heterodont]

IMO I like comics with titles that have some sort of relevancy to the story, but aren't straight up something like the MC's name or something. For example, Trying Human has an intriguing title and it's an actual name off an in-story item - but I can also infer some sort of metaphorical meaning from it based off the characters and what happens in the comic. It Adds Layers and frankly, I like it when stories do that kind of thing. If it's just the MC's name its fine, but I, as a reader, really love making inferences and it makes me inclined to continue reading something!

[Pyomatic]

I find that titles are a bit of an 'easy to learn, hard to master' topic. I mean, personally I don't think you can have an absolutely terrible title, apart from if its just plain downright copying something or is overly specific and not related (eg something called 'bob's adventures in space for kids' when you've got a dark horror drama about a guy called steve)

Buuut a good title should have a number of components, and the most you manage to fit in the better! ( just want to say these are my personal opinions and there's no one way to make a good title, these are just what I find work best).

• Short and snappy usually catches people's attention best, so as people have said before keep it under five words, but if you're serious about building readership for your comic keep it easily googlable.
• try and establish the tone of your comic in your title (other people have talked about this, and have given better examples than I could). In a way, imagery is also related to this. If we take the two examples you've posted, Bleach is short and sharp, the 'ch' is hard, and imo bleach makes me think of something strong. Although it doesn't really relate to much, just the word itself sounds hard and kinda works for an action anime. Meanwhile, 'How to train your Dragon' sounds like an instructional manual. It's slightly comedic with the juxtaposition of dragons, associated with fire and strength and all that good stuff, with a 'how to'. See how it manages to appear softer and more comedic (and kid friendly) than Bleach? of course I may just be reading too much into it.
• Personally, I think an effective way to title your comic is if you have an important object/person/theme/event. You could go down the route of being 'vague' which can make your reader curious initially and check it out, but those vague titles, once you find out why they're chosen don't have much substance to them (Frozen and Tangled jump to mind, once you know one has long hair and the other has ice magic, the titles don't have much substance. You can make an argument frozen represents Elsa 'frozen in fear' or Rapunzel being tangled in an adventure... idk I find it a bit of a stretch imo). If your title is named after this object/person/theme/event, then when it appears in the comic your reader immediately knows it is important and gets more invested. It adds extra emphasis to that point and can help your story telling. It may be a personal choice, but I think it works better in the long run.

Of course you don't need to adhere to every single one of these suggestions, if you want to choose a word that sounds cool for your title then go for it! But for me it's always fun to come up with a title that you've thought long and hard about, that has significance, and is meaningful to me because its the perfect way to sum up my comic in the shortest way possible.

[Endhil]

Thanks everyone for all your comments, suggestions and opinions !!
I would like to reply to everyone, buuuut honestly I'm too lazy : P

Maybe one day... or after I eat..

[nickricci]

I find that I derive more value from a written work if the title does indeed have some relation to the material within. I absolutely love those "aha!" moments, when the titles' meaning reveals itself within the context of the story.

[Tanisha]

Bleach has nothing to with bleach or bleaching.

Actually the creator said in an interview that Bleach was the name of an album of his favorite band and how the shinigamis cleanse the souls I believe. So it's something you wouldn't know without thinking about it///

But yeah, titles don't really matter too much to me as long I can pronounce them xD I personally like punny titles though cuz puns are seriously my thing! xDD

[SirGutsalot]

So my comic is set in space and it can be a bit weird and dark at times, so it had to be Galaxy something.
Then because I always love a bit of alliteration, I thought Galaxy Guts. A weird concept, but it sort of made sense. But at the end of the day I like a comic name that just sounds good.