Travel Kit:
A selection of comic pages from diverse works (Maus by Art Spiegelman, Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson, Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson), copies of selected pages (1 per student or pair), tape (for gallery walk), optional: digital tools for students who prefer working digitally.
Your Destination: Analyze panel layouts, art styles, and narrative techniques from a variety of comics and graphic novels. Pay attention to the stylistic differences of each artist and note what stands out to you.
On the Path:
Step 1: In this lesson, you will be exploring diverse storytelling styles and experimenting with new ways to create comics. Components like panel layout, art style, and narrative technique reflect the creator’s unique voice and cultural perspective. In Japan, comics are read right to left instead of left to right. Some artists use variable panel sizes to place emphasis on different scenes or moments in their story.
Step 2: Examine curated comic pages. See examples from books below under Resources. Choose a page that intrigues you or feels completely different from your own style. Review more more narrative techniques (https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/narrative-techniques-for-writers) for more ideas.
Step 3: Analyze the page you chose. What do you notice about the panel layout (the way a page is divided into separate sections) and structure (the hierarchical organization of these panels and how they and interact with each other within the layout)? How does the art style contribute to the mood or story? What narrative techniques (setting, backstory, flashback, flash-forward, foreshadowing) stand out?
Group Tour: Share your insights in small groups to discuss the variety of styles and storytelling methods.
Extend Your Journey: Re-create the panel layout of your chosen page, telling an original story in your style
Learn New Vocabulary: panel layout, narrative techniques, visual symbolism, perspective
Resources and Visual Aids: