Comics

"First it was the fascinating comic book art that caught my attention, ... Later, I began to read the stories, then the art and the stories came together, and it was magic." - Bill Phillip
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Comics can be powerful learning tools. The mix of art, dialogue, character expressions, and frames engages learners and is brain-friendly. Comics break down a story’s plot and text into bite-sized chunks. Each frame has a visual of the action, which is much easier for the brain to process than reading a large amount of text. Additionally, comics are an effective way to introduce your learners to digital storytelling. Many of the comic creation tools are easy to use and allow learners to choose from a library of characters, props, scenes, and templates. Your learners will be able to quickly create a story, view it, and share it. Creating comics engages students and encourages them to explore vocabulary, summarize information, and contextualize what they learn in a creative way. Download the slides and bookmark the following tips and resources. 

Ideas and Resources

Learn with Comics
  • KidTown Comics- Comics for education and STEM.
  • Word Origins– Learn about different phrases and idioms with this comic.
  • HowToons– Instructional comics for learning. Learn how to do things.
  • Zen Pencils– Comics about famous people, quotes, and fables.
  • Grammarman Comics– Learn grammar with the videos and comics.
  • Kids Comics– Search engine to find safe comics for learning.
  • Comixology– Free comics to download on your Kindle, ereader or read online.
  • Comics English- Comic strips and lesson plans to teach grammar and English learners.
  • Unflattening– Research from Nick Sousanis in comic form.
  • Wrong Hands- Simple comic strips with a focus on language.
Activities
​Get learners to create their own comics!
  • Retell a historical event
  • Write dialogues
  • Summarize readings
  • Create the setting and situation appropriate for idioms and phrases
  • Post an interview
  • Explore societal issues
  • Explore the language in jokes
  • Explore political issues
  • Introduce themselves to their peers
  • Show how to accomplish a goal
  • Explore the meaning behind quotes
  • Give visual instructions
  • Highlight the rules
  • Create a context for math word problems
  • Tell the news
  • Explore various definitions of a word
  • Visualize research
Comic Creators
  • ​Make Beliefs Comix– Web tool and iPad app. Create two, three and four panel comics in multiple languages. Also find 350+ free printables for teachers.
  • Storybird- Simple way for students to create a comic in 20 minutes or less about a cartoon blue bird. Choose which bird artwork you like then students simply fill out the dialogue in the different panels.
  • ToonDoo – The site allows students to share their comics, comment on other comics, and even save and edit a copy of a comic.
  • Pixton– on the web and an iOS and Android app to create comics. Has a library of characters, frames, and backgrounds.
  • Book Creator– iOS and Chrome app to create digital books, including comic books.
  • Witty Comics- Great for political cartoons. Simple and easy to use. No registration required.
  • Phrase It– Add speech bubbles to pictures.
  • StoryBoardThat– Create comics or storyboards.
  • Read Write Think Comic Creator- Created for education. Online interactive that ties in learning objectives. 
  • Write Comics– Simple comic creation tool.
  • Garfield– You can create comic strips or books with Garfield characters.
  • Lomics (iOS/Android)- Create comic videos and cartoons. 

Bookmarks