Full-Page Comic Strip

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students will learn how to plan, write, and draw a full-page comic strip. A comic strip is a sequence of drawings framed in panels that tell a story. Traditionally found in newspapers and magazines, comic strips have evolved into webcomics, becoming highly popular online. Students will gain hands-on experience with the essential elements of comic creation, including picture panels, speech balloons, and sound effects, to understand the art of storytelling through comics.

Lesson Objectives

Discuss favorite comic book series and create original stories.
Learn about character development and design.
Understand key elements of a comic, such as picture panels, speech balloons, and sound effects.
Gain a deeper understanding of the comic book creation process.

Anna Comic Strip by Richard Lee

Discussion Questions

Do you read comics? What are some of your favorite comic book series?
Who are some of your favorite comic book characters, and why do you like them?
Did you know that Spider-Man, Hulk, Superman, and Iron Man were originally comic book characters? Can you name other movies or TV series based on comics?
What are picture panels, speech balloons, and sound effects in relation to comics?

Character Development

Well-developed characters are essential for guiding your story. Many iconic characters in TV, movies, and video games stem from hours of thoughtful design and development.

Character Inspiration

Is there someone you know in real life who would make an interesting character?
Do you have a favorite character from a cartoon, video game, movie, or book?
What does that character look like? What is their dominant color?
Why do you like this character? How does the character make you feel?

Questions to Develop Your Character

Is your character male or female?
What kind of clothing do they wear?
Do they have long, curly hair or short hair?
Is your character cheerful, sad, quiet, calm, or grumpy?
What are the colors of their clothing, eyes, and hair?
What name would you like to give your character?

Materials

Sketchpad
Pencil & Eraser
Variety of Black Pens
Color Markers
Pencil Crayons
Folded A3 sized paper template
*Have several sheets pre-folded for the students.

What to Do

Brainstorm the Plot: Think of a story featuring the characters you’ve designed.
Page Layout: Draw a 3 cm boarder around your paper and draw the layout of the panels of your comic using a *folded A3 sized paper template provided for you. You may adjust the panel layout and experiment with different arrangements.
Tell the Story: Develop your characters through action and dialogue in the panels. Let them “act” naturally within the story.
Refine Pencil Lines: Clean up your sketches, ensuring space for dialogue balloons.
Inking: Outline your drawings with black pens and markers.
Color Your Work: Add color to the panels using markers, paints, or pencil crayons.
Final Illustration: Complete the final version of your comic with all the details.

*This is a long lesson and may take up to 4 sessions to complete.

The process from pencils, inking to colors.

Are You Stuck?

If you’re having trouble starting, don’t overthink it—just begin drawing. Let your characters come to life as you sketch, and the story will start unfolding naturally.

Calvin and Hobbes Comic Strip

Terminology

Sequential Art: Art that uses images in sequence to tell a story or convey information (e.g., comic books, storyboards).
Picture Panel: A square or rectangle containing an illustration, representing a single moment in the story.
Speech Bubble: An oval shaped bubble containing dialogue, representing a character's speech.
Plot: The main idea or storyline of the comic.
Scene: The setting where an incident or event takes place.
Inking: Tracing pencil lines with black pens to finalize the drawing.
Lettering: Writing out text for speech balloons, sound effects, or narration.
Thought Bubble: A cloud-shaped bubble showing what a character is thinking.
Captions: Boxes with words that describe the scene or narrate the story.
Gutter: The empty space between comic panels.
Sound Effects: Bold, colorful words that show noises (e.g., "BOOM!" or "ZAP!").

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