This document provides information about developing ideas for comics and graphic novels. It includes descriptions of different types of comics such as comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, digital comics, and motion comics. Guidelines are provided for tasks such as choosing an item to transform into a character, developing character concepts, mind mapping story ideas, and designing characters using basic shapes. Groups will participate in idea brainstorming exercises to expand on initial concepts for their comic or graphic novel.

1. Creative warm up
You have 5 mins to choose an personal item
from your bag and turn it into a character
• Explain your character
• Give your item a personality
• Human characteristics
• How does your character move
• What relationships does it have?

2. Comics and Graphic novels
Creative thinking and analysis

3. Today’s aim:
come up with ideas.

5. Types of comic book and graphic
novels

6. Comic strips
• A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in
panels
• Usually short at a page or less
• display brief humor or form a story, often with text in
balloons and captions.
• Strips are written and drawn by a comics
artist or cartoonist.
• As the name implies, comic strips can be humorous.
• Traditionally printed in black and white in newspapers
• Daily strips are smaller
• Sunday strips are larger like this one

7. Comics• 64 to 96 pages
• Thinner and printed like a magazine with
matte (not shiny) low quality paper
• Held together with staples
• Magazine with volumes and issue
numbers (periodical)
• A comic book may contain a single story, 2
stories, or as many as 3 or 4 stories
between its pages, which may or may not
all have the same characters.
• Lower cost (£3.00)

8. Graphic Novels
• A graphic novel is a book made up of comics content.
• Graphic novels are larger in content with 60- 500 pages
• Often bound like books rather than magazine style
• Higher quality glossy paper
• Usually contain a single story with the same cast
• Single publication
• Higher priced (£10)

9. Digital comics
• Comics or Graphic novels which
you can read using a digital
device.
• You can read digital comics on a
tablet, smartphone, or PC using
a variety of comic book
readers, some of which include
their own integrated stores.

10. Motion comics
• A motion comic (or animated comic) is a form
of comics combining elements of print comic
books and animation.
• Individual panels are expanded into a full shot
while sound effects, voice acting, and animation
are added to the original artwork.
• Motion comics are often released as short series
covering a story arc of a long running series or
animating a single film of a graphic novel.
• Comics are converted episodes

11. Comic strips
• A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in
panels
• Usually short at a page or less
• display brief humor or form a story, often with text in
balloons and captions.
• Strips are written and drawn by a comics
artist or cartoonist.
• As the name implies, comic strips can be humorous.
• Traditionally printed in black and white in newspapers
• Daily strips are smaller
• Sunday strips are larger like this one

12. Comics• 64 to 96 pages
• Thinner and printed like a magazine with
matte (not shiny) low quality paper
• Held together with staples
• Magazine with volumes and issue
numbers (periodical)
• A comic book may contain a single story, 2
stories, or as many as 3 or 4 stories
between its pages, which may or may not
all have the same characters.
• Lower cost (£3.00)

13. Graphic Novels
• A graphic novel is a book made up of comics content.
• Graphic novels are larger in content with 60- 500 pages
• Often bound like books rather than magazine style
• Higher quality glossy paper
• Usually contain a single story with the same cast
• Single publication
• Higher priced (£10)

14. Digital comics
• Comics or Graphic novels which
you can read using a digital
device.
• You can read digital comics on a
tablet, smartphone, or PC using
a variety of comic book
readers, some of which include
their own integrated stores.

15. Motion comics
• A motion comic (or animated comic) is a form
of comics combining elements of print comic
books and animation.
• Individual panels are expanded into a full shot
while sound effects, voice acting, and animation
are added to the original artwork.
• Motion comics are often released as short series
covering a story arc of a long running series or
animating a single film of a graphic novel.
• Comics are converted episodes

16. What are panels?
• How do we read them?
• Why are they different sizes?
• Are they different shapes?
• What affect does it have on
the pace of the graphic
novel?

17. How is Text used?
• Sound effects
• Speech
• Titles
• Expressions and
emotion

18. How is the story told?
• Visually
• With written text
• Emotions
• Characters

19. How is colour used?
• For mood
• to create atmosphere
• For contrast between light
and dark
• In comparison to other
comics
• For continuity throughout
• To identify objects and
characters

20. What do you think about the art?
• What is it? What is it about?
What is happening?
• Is it a realistic depiction?
• Have any parts been
exaggerated or distorted? If so,
why?
• How does it tell the story?
• What is the medium of the
work? (paint, pen, pencil)
• What is the shading like?

21. TASK: Individually write about the different types of
graphic novel and comic book and
Use examples that we have discussed
• Comic books
• Graphic novels
• Comic strips
• Motion comics
• Digital comics
• panelling,
• text,
• storyline,
• colour
• visual storytelling
• The art style

22. You should tackle your ideas like you
tackle a problem….
Creating Ideas and concepts is about thinking of ways to make what seems impossible,
possible.

23. What is a Concept?
It is a story
A concept is a story told with
two major parts:
- Content (what story you
want to tell)
- Form (how you want to tell
it)
In design and animation,
everything is a concept.
Everything tells a story.

24. TASK: generate ideas
• Mind map ideas for your comic book/ graphic
novel
• Fill out the story outline

25. Concept Designing

26. Concepts

27. TASK
Design a character using one of these shapes.

29. Brain writing (extending ideas not
criticising)
• In your groups come up with
3 ideas each (describe or
sketch)
• When I say you will pass your
concepts to the right and that
person will add, modify or
extend your ideas.
• After a few rounds we will
discuss ideas

30. Mind map out ideas for your comic/
graphic novel
• Come up with ideas for a
comic book or graphic
novel
• Think about:
- Characters
- Type of comic/ graphic
novel
- Story
- Setting
- Styles (dark, humour,
etc)