So this is how it all worked out. The composition wouldn't work with the ape entirely in frame so I flipped it and used the distort filter in illustrator to warp the ape's reflection slightly. The text goes on the large pale blue area on the left.

I didn't plan it like this, but sometimes you just have to change things to make them work.

I think the point is that you shouldn't get too hung up on a drawing or image trying to force it to work. When we were in college one of our intructors used to correct our animation drawings with a big fat red marker. He'd always tell us (as he slashed through your drawings) not to get precious with them. He had a point but he was still a bastard.