Doing Comic Strips

What Are Comics?

Comics can take many different forms, but are, for the most part, paneled illustrations with little or no dialogue between exaggerated characters, frequently drawn in a cartoon fashion. Comics may be funny, sad, serious, or a mix of all three. Comic books took off during the 1930s, originally derived from their earlier counterparts: newspaper comic strips. This art form has always been popular amongst people of all ages, thanks to their straightforward format and visual appeal. As technology advances, many comic strips have made their way to the Internet, being accessed by thousands.

Why Use Comics for HIV/AIDS Education?

As comics are generally made up of simple, to-the-point storylines, the messages conveyed are easy to grasp, giving to comics the ability to be a fun mechanism for HIV and AIDS education. It can be fun designing characters and storylines, as well as coming up with witty captions and punch lines. The diversity of comics allows for them to spark the interest of a very large audience, something that is always beneficial when trying to inform the public about weighty issues.

Pros:

    ✓ Simple nature of comic strips allows for easy understanding of conveyed messages.
    ✓ Variability of style and genre allows for continuous innovations and creative twists.
    ✓ Easily created, require few materials.

Cons:

    x Depending on where a comic is displayed, it may or may not capture a large audience.
    x Comics may be seen as an overly simplified means of education, thus making it difficult to illustrate sensitive issues such as HIV and AIDS.
    x Where comics were once aimed at teenagers, they are now mostly targeted towards younger people

What Kinds of Comics Are There?

There are countless existing comic varieties, being distinct in their physical layouts as well as the storyline genres.

Physical Layouts

Comics may be printed on paper or aired on the Internet. Either way, they generally follow the same physical layouts:

  • Multi-Paneled Strip: Comic is made up of three or four sectioned boxes, containing the hand-drawn characters and the dialogue. The scenes are most often short and concise, with a punch line in the closing panel to bring the portrayed event to a close.
  • Single Panel Strip: As there is only one panel in this instance to depict an anecdote or occurrence, these rely heavily on visual effects, often using little or no dialogue. Caricatures are frequently used for single panels, for they can speak volumes without the use of words.
  • Comic Book: Includes several pages worth of comics, following either one plot or being broken into several short stories. Characters are usually consistent, and stories are generally more developed. There is often more emphasis put on dialogue in comic books.

Story Genres

  • Comical: Humor is plausibly the most popular genre of storyline for a comic strip. Through the use of jokes, gags, and clichés, comics are able to describe to the audience pieces of information in a light and amusing manner.
  • Action-Adventure: This genre is habitually saved for the longer plots, such as those carried out in comic books. Action-adventure usually has one main super hero, one main villain, and a dozen or so supporting characters.
  • Dramatic/Tragic: These genres invoke the emotions of the readers, using thought-provoking and profound language on top of visual aids.

*TIP* The genre should be chosen by how one wishes to affect the audience: does one hope to bring humor to the matter, or to inspire the readers? Mixing the genres is a great way to move the audience on different levels.

Making Comics

Getting Started and Moving Forward

There are a few things to keep in mind before going ahead with a comic creation. Who will be involved? Where will the comic creation take place? Who will see the finished comics? Such questions are important to address when hoping to attract attention to an HIV/AIDS awareness project.

Involvement

After deciding upon an art form, in this case, comic strips, for raising HIV and AIDS awareness, it is a good idea to develop a team for collaboration. To recruit youth participation, one may contact:

  • Local schools and universities
  • Community centers
  • Libraries
  • Museums and art galleries
  • Health clinics and shelters
  • Friends and family

Location

Once participation has been organized, knowing where the event will take place is crucial. Public areas, such as parks or downtown congregations are wonderful places for HIV/AIDS awareness projects to be carried out, for they will likely not only be seen by crowds of people, but may attract more involvement.

*REMEMBER* When working in a public place, be sure to have the appropriate permission from the proprietor of the desired setting.

Materials

Materials for making comic strips will vary depending on factors such as the desired size of the comic, the desired display place of the comic, etc… The very basic materials for crafting a comic strip consist of paper and a pencil, but here are some ideas for building a unique comic strip:

  • Using coloured pencils and markers will give the drawings more pizzazz, capturing the eyes of on-lookers.
  • Comics do not have to be a uniform size, and if one wishes to put a comic on display, using large sheets of paper will give the comic a mural-like effect.
  • Using simple computer programs (where access is available) such as Microsoft Paint, Photoshop, or even scanning hand-drawn images, will allow for comics to be posted on the Internet to be viewed by many.

Constructing the Comic

When producing the comic, be it by hand or computer, keep in mind that characters with whom the audience can identify will better communicate an idea. Identifiable characters may differ from one culture to the next; the style of drawing used to depict the character, the genre of the story, and format of the dialogue are a few things to keep in mind when introducing a comic to a community. Researching popular or traditional art styles in specific communities will give a good idea of what the audience will respond well towards.

Once the Comics Have Been Completed...

After the comics have been created, exposure is a good way to spread the knowledge gained from the exercise. Here are a few ideas of how comics may be exhibited to the public once they have been constructed. They may be…

  • Hung in schools, libraries, community centers, clinics, or shelters
  • Published in local newspapers, such as community newspapers or school/university newspapers
  • Displayed on murals or billboards
  • Posted on the Internet
  • Bound together to make reference books
Incorporating Multiple Art Methodologies
Blending various art forms can have a powerful impact on the project at hand, as well as enhance the final product. Some art forms that can be incorporated with comics include:

  • Drawing
  • Painting
  • Billboards and Murals
  • Narrative Writing

World Wide Web: Information on Existing HIV/AIDS Comic Strips

HIV + Me : Comics Online (n.d.) Retrieved May 2010, from
http://www.hivnme.com/hivnme.com/contents.html

Changing the World with Comic Strips (2007) Retrieved May 2010, from
www.owlkids.com/owl/CIDA/artwithheart/CIDA2_comics.pdf

AIDS Action (1987-2006) Retrieved July 2007, from
http://www.aidsaction.info/aa/aa40.html#page11

Brick Bats: UNICEF Children’s Rights Comic (n.d.) Retrieved July 2007, from
http://www.brickbats.co.uk/UNICEF.html

Ushikwapo Shikamana Comic Strip (1999-2002) Retrieved September 2009, from
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/114200/304

Sex, Etc. Comix (2009) Retrieved December 2009, from
http://www.sexetc.org/page/comix

Comic Strips and Social Change Bibliography

Hart, Christopher. (1998). Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications

Pellowski, Michael Morgan. (1995). The Art of Making Comic Books. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company

Whitaker, Steve. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Cartooning Techniques. Philadelphia: Running Press