TIMELINE
INTRODUCTION
From newspapers to movie theaters, comics are everywhere. Your parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents grew up reading them! They are one of the oldest ways to tell a story and they are one of the newest forms of modern art. Does that sound a little confusing?
Don’t worry, in this book you’ll learn all about the history of this fun art form and unravel some of the mysteries of comics.
What are comics? There are many definitions for comics floating around. The most universal one is that comics are images in sequence that tell a story, with or without words. A cartoon is a comic published in a newspaper or magazine.
WORDS TO KNOW
comic: images in sequence that tell a story, with or without words.
image: a picture of something, either real or imagined.
sequence: the order in which something happens.
cartoon: a comic published in a newspaper or magazine.
Like stories, comics have rules and systems to help readers understand what is happening. Instead of sentences, you can use panels to help contain an idea or scene. Pages of comics work like paragraphs, while word balloons, thought clouds, and narration blocks give your characters a place to speak, think, or observe.
COMICS DON’T READ LIKE STORIES OR NOVELS AND CAN BE CONFUSING IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE RULES AND SYSTEMS.
Modern comics use panels to frame each section. These panels are arranged in a sequence, or order, from beginning to end. The first panel starts the story, giving basics such as who is in the strip and where the story is taking place. The middle panel or panels follows and moves the story along. The final panel ends the story and usually has something funny or exciting happen in it!
WORDS TO KNOW
panel: a square or other shape that frames a single scene in a comic strip.
word balloon: a rounded outline with a point toward a character that encloses the character’s speech.
thought cloud: a shape similar to a word balloon that encloses a character’s thought.
narration block: a block of text that contains the voice of the writer or of a character talking about what is happening.
character: someone in a story.
Comics are only as good as their characters. When you think of comics, do you imagine superheroes? The history of comics is full of different types of characters, from masked crusaders to funny animals. You can even turn yourself into a compelling comic character!
What makes a character interesting? Keep reading to learn how to make your own characters using some of the best techniques in comics!
Comics didn’t just appear overnight with today’s rules and systems. They developed into the comics we know now through years of experimentation. Advances in printing, duplication technology, and computers have also been important to the evolution of comics.
Comics are fun and anyone can make them. As you read this book, you’ll learn the basics of drawing, how to tell a story using comics, and how to make your very own comic book. You will even learn how to make a web comic that anyone in the world can read.
WORDS TO KNOW
technology: scientific or mechanical tools, methods, and systems used to solve a problem or do work.
TRY THIS! Using stick figures, fill in the comic strip below. Make your characters speak, think, and observe in the right spaces.
