Chapter 6 looks at the page as a unit in comics, both in the context of a book and as a stand-alone form. In this section you’ll find student examples of the homework.
In Chapter 5 we get into penciling comics. It’s the first of several chapters devoted at least in part to the myriad technical skills used in making comics. In this section you’ll find student examples of the homework.
Chapter 4 explores the concept of closure between panels that was proposed by Scott McCloud in his seminal book, Understanding Comics. In this section you’ll find student examples of the homework and a link to McCloud’s explanation of his comics game, 5 Card Nancy.
Chapter 3 explains the basics of the daily comic strip. Once you’re into multi-panel storytelling, there’s no turning back: you’re a cartoonist! In this section you’ll find versions of “The wrong planet” that you can print out and use if you’re working alone or in a small group. You’ll also find examples of the homework.
Chapter 2 uses gag cartoons to show how image and text interact in comics. In this section you’ll find student gag cartoons for you to print out and add funny captions to. You’ll also find examples of the homework as well as a link to a gag cartoon contest.
Chapter 1 introduces the basic terminology of comics and starts you off with a few activities designed to get you thinking about how drawings can tell stories.
15.1 Marathon cartooning As an in-class project, obviously you’d need to take the 3-hour (or 6-hour, if your class is long) option on the marathon cartooning project, but even so, it is well worth taking the class time to do it. Every time we teach the 3-hour comic, there are two or three students who Read More
14.1 Producing reproductions If you have a classroom set-up or a nearby computer lab where you can demonstrate scanning using a projector, you’re all set. Otherwise you’ll probably need to assign this as a reading/activity to be done at home or in a computer lab. Consider having students e-mail you tiffs of their scans. You Read More
13.1 The liquid line Supplement reading this section with a demo if possible, as well as more examples of brush art from your own collection. 13.2 Softening the black The point of this section is to underscore that brush (and pen for that matter) are not just used for line and solid black but for Read More
12.1 Creating a sense of place Right up front, we should say that we’re not advocating filling up every panel with exhaustive detail. We’re simply interested in encouraging students to research and/or think through their settings, and to give the project of creating a sense of place high priority, whatever that may mean in an Read More
