"Once upon a time...a princess tried to make a comic..."
She just couldn't do it; so, she enlisted the help of the Magic Cartooning Elf. He thinks he can help her make comics. He starts with the old adage...KISS. Start simple and build from there. It won't take long for kids to catch on to the fun, and to see themselves as cartoonist extraordinaire!
James Sturm is the director of the Center for Cartoon Studies and here he works with two former students to create a how-to book about creating stories in comic form. They don't really show kids how to draw. Rather, they demonstrate the more common and accepted qualities of the comic book. They show how to use panels, speech balloons, varied lettering and they do it in story form. A knight is on a journey to find a dragon who loves to chew bubble gum. Of course, we can't forget the magic elf...he is the instrument to success for the knight who turns to cartooning as a diversion. The art is simple enough for me to try, which is saying something quite dramatic. It's great fun, and the teaching moves right along with spirit and humor.
If you have someone interested in trying a hand at creating a graphic story, this would be a jumping off point for them. There is much to observe and try. Many of the conventions of the comic book are made obvious and will build on a reader's knowledge when trying a hand at their own story.
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