Comic Strip WebQuest

A cartoonist is someone who has to draw the same thing every day without repeating himself.
	Charles M. Schulz

Comic strips are a unique art form. They combine artistic skill and storytelling for a glimpse at an amusing and insightful world.

This is a journey through some fun resources for creating cartoons. We'll see the work of cartoon greats such as: Jim Davis—Garfield, Gary Harbo—Bart and His Circle of Friends, Chuck Jones—Looney Toons, Gary Larson—The Far Side, Fred Lasswell—Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, Charles M. Schulz—Peanuts © UFS, Inc., and Phil & Lisa Vischer and Mike Nawrocki—VeggieTales.

When finished, you will have completed your own comic strip using this WebQuest as a guideline.
(In case you've never heard of a WebQuest, see what founder Bernie Dodge has to say about it.)

This project requires three people to work together to create the cartoon. The first person is the Cast Director. To create the cast, the Cast Director must determine who the characters are and how they interact. The second person is the Story Editor. The Cast Director relays the information about the cast to the Story Editor who creates a story line for the comic strip to follow. The third person is the Layout Engineer. The Cast Director and the Story Editor explain their ideas to the Layout Engineer who puts it all on paper drawing the characters, the setting, and the dialog.

To help get the creative juices flowing, you can work together on these roles.

Toon into these great books to help you get started.

Jones, Chuck. Chuck Reducks: Drawing from the Fun Side of Life. New York: Warner Books, 1996.

Larson, Gary. The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit. Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel, 1989.

Schulz, Charles M. Funny Pictures: Cartooning with Charles M. Schulz. New York: Harper Collins, 1996.

Trimboli, Giovanni. Charles M. Schulz: 40 Years—Life and Art. New York: Pharos Books, 1990.

The first step of creating a comic strip is developing the characters. Meet the gang created by Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts © UFS, Inc..

The cartoon subjects do not have to be people. Phil Vischer, founder of VeggieTales, works in vegetables because when he began animating "he didn't have the...equipment necessary to produce computer-animated characters with arms and legs."

Once you have developed your characters and their relationships, explain your ideas to the Story Editor and the Layout Engineer.

Now that the cast is set, next comes the story. Here is an entire strip entitled Queasy Rider by Big Idea Productions starring VeggieTales' own Junior Asparagus.

Read Chapter 5 of the book Funny Pictures to see how Charles M. Schulz suggested developing story lines.

After the story line is complete, tell the story to the Layout Engineer in great detail.

Finally, the comic strip is ready to be drawn. To see how to create a character one-line-at-a-time, go to Draw and Color with Uncle Fred®.

You can also draw using basic shapes (circles, triangles, squares, etc.). See Learn How To Draw with Gary Harbo for a step-by-step guide.

Cartoon characters have different profiles and emotions just like people. Take a look at the Looney Library for Kids Coloring Pages.

For tips on developing backgrounds and props, see Chapter 2 of Charles M. Schulz' boo
Now you're ready to draw the cartoon.

To evaluate your cartoon, check out this rubric. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this WebQuest in pursuit of your own comic strip. Cartooning is serious business, but it is also a fun way to express yourself. Thanks for tooning in!

Home | Rubric | Credits

Comic Strip WebQuest created by Edie Aldridge under the tutelage of Jackie Carrigan.
School of Library and Information Science
Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis
Indiana, USA
Created 20.Mar.1999 Updated 5.Apr.2004

http://edie.home.insightbb.com/toons/