Polishing a New Years Comic Strip

This is the finalisation stage of a five-day comic strip workshop called “The Funniest New Years Resolution Ever.” After polishing the work, participants celebrate!

Over the course of a five-day comic strip workshop called “The Funniest New Years Resolution Ever,” participants have been given enough information to

1. Draw a scene
2. Place comic characters in it

Read the articles How To Make A Comic Strip and Multi Variant Story Boarding.

Devise the short quip by using a storyboard as a planner.

• Sketch out what is going to happen lightly into the gridded storyboard with whisper lines
• Have extra copies of the storyboard so that you can try all sorts of combinations of the mapped out story

Here are some tips and tricks to help you finish the quip

1. Keep your storyboard short and simple. Have only three or four frames.
2. Make sure you have a short pithy punch line.
3. Speech bubbles can be added on the computer or even glued on to the comic from scraps of paper with handwriting on them - but – don’t have the characters say too much.
4. It might be appropriate to have a caption below each frame that spells out what is happening in the story.
5. It is OK to use collage to brighten up your comic and add interest.

When you are satisfied, create a proof copy and share it. Friends can give valuable feed back about how funny the gag is.

When you are satisfied,

• firm up the designs
• colour the final copy

Once the story board has been finalised

• frame the art work on black or coloured card
• encourage the group to participate in an Appreciative Inquiry which would focus on positive statements about the project
• make your plans for an exhibition and celebration of the effort
• decide whether to create a volume - a combined book - of the group effort
• share you work on the discussion boards