Creating Engaging Comic Strips: Characters, Themes, Style, and Layout
How to Write a Comic Strip
Students who find reading a book difficult or daunting often respond well to making their own comic strips. They can also learn important vocabulary while doing so.
Words are communicated through captions, thought bubbles and speech balloons. Different types of outlines on speech bubbles can show emotion and sound effects can be added through onomatopoeia.
Characters
One of the key aspects to consider when writing a comic strip is your characters. Whether your character is a funny prankster or a lovable hero, it’s important to think about what traits your character will have and how he or she will interact with other characters in the comic.
Think about your character’s physical appearance. What are their eyes, hair color and skin tone? Are they wearing clothing? What are their expressions and how do they react to certain situations?
You can draw your own characters or riff off an existing character that you admire. If you’re a beginner to comic strip writing, it might be easier for you to start by drawing simple stick figures and then improvise as you go along. Consider if your character has any special abilities or is physically handicapped. For example, maybe a character has a disability that isn’t apparent to the reader but is important for the plot of your comic.
Theme
When reading comic strips, students learn about a variety of genres and plots. They may also learn a new word or gain a better understanding of a cultural topic. For example, a student may read a comic strip about the Boston Tea Party to help them understand a historical event.
Comic strips also provide opportunities for students to practice sequencing. They typically include a series of images that tell a story from beginning to end. This makes them a perfect choice for any activity that requires students to retell or sequence events.
In a traditional comic strip, words are communicated through captions and thought or speech bubbles. Captions usually come from a voice outside of the picture’s time frame, such as a narrator or character in the future. In some comics, however, the images do not follow a clear chronology, as is the case with Grace Robinson’s depiction of random museum scenes. This style works well when paired with humor.
Style
The style of a comic strip is determined by its characters and the story. Cartoonists often use a variety of drawing styles to convey different emotions and actions. For example, shouting or screaming is usually portrayed with a louder font size. Likewise, soft or quiet voices are represented with a smaller font size.
The dialogue in a comic strip is usually written inside text bubbles or caption boxes. Some comic strips also use thought bubbles to show what a character is thinking. These are usually cloud-like and have a tail that looks like trails of bubbles.
Comics can also feature different backgrounds to create an environment for the story. For example, a city skyline, a bar in a run-down area, a spaceship in a faraway galaxy, or a cave in ancient Rome can help immerse readers into the world of the comic strip.
Layout
The layout of a comic strip is important because it guides the viewer’s eye through the images. The most common layout is a grid of panels, but there are other ways to arrange them. Some comics have an irregular 2-row, 3-row, or 4-row layout that allows the reader to choose their own path through the action.
A panel’s shape is another factor that influences the reading experience. While squares and rectangles are common, a round, star shaped or wavy panel can add an interesting touch to the visual storytelling. The size of a panel can also affect the pace of the story. A long panel can make the action feel slow, while a small panel can give a sense of speed.
Some comic strips have text bubbles that indicate a character’s thoughts and dialogue. However, this can be confusing for the reader, especially if there are multiple characters on one page. This problem is known as “blockage” and can ruin the story if it isn’t carefully handled.
How to Write a Comic Strip Students who find reading a book difficult or daunting often respond well to making their own comic strips. They can also learn important vocabulary while doing so. Words are communicated through captions, thought bubbles and speech balloons. Different types of outlines on speech bubbles can show emotion and sound…
