WEEK 5 _ Composition Notebook Menu + Context for "Draw me a Story"

Homework for Monday, Sept. 29:

- Bring your completed 4-Panel Comic Strip and Brunetti Simple One-page Comic to class for our first critique.

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DRAW ME A STORY (coming soon)

Our WEEK 5 Menu contains some preparatory work for an upcoming assignment called "Draw me a Story."

FIRST, You need to select a commonly known fairy/folk tale that you will adapt in a 12-panel (2-page) silent comic.

Your story selection makes a big difference in how successful you can be in adapting the story with such a strict panel limitation. So do a little research and choose wisely.

Examples of stories that have translated well for this exercise in the past include:

- Hansel and Gretel

- Little Red Riding Hood

- The Ugly Duckling

- The Swan Maiden (Scandinavian tradition)

- The Three Little Pigs

- Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Examples of stories that translated poorly for this exercise in the past include:

- Puss in Boots

- Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

- Pinocchio 

- Peter Pan

(Basically any story that has a feature-length Disney version is gonna be nearly impossible to tell as a 12-panel comic...)

SO. Do a little research and think carefully before choosing the story you want to adapt. Then do the three prep. steps listed on the Menu in your Comp. Notebook: 

1.) Read and complete a Review Frame (1-page)

2.) Beat List (1-page)

3.) Thumbnail 12-panel narrative (2-page spread)

Week 4 _ Wednesday, 9/17/25

Today we discussed the 7 types of panel transitions in comics and did a little exercise by Ivan Brunetti. Then we reviewed your Daily Diary as Batman submissions.

For homework this weekend I'd like you to:

A.) Complete the reading "How to Read Nancy." You can find it in Canvas > Files > Readings. 

Note: The weekly readings are good opportunities to continue populating your Composition Book. You are encouraged to take notes and make drawings as an accompaniment to simply "reading" the pdfs. Writing and drawing in response to the reading allows for a different kind of understanding and copying drawings by other artists is a great way to build your own sensibilities and visual language.

B.) Complete Week 4 Menu in your Composition Notebooks. (Next scoring check is Weds. 9/24)

For Monday, Sept. 22 = come prepared with 

• your 11 x 14" bristol board pad

WEEK 4 _ Reading

Please complete the reading: Developing a Comic Strip by Charles Schulz (creator of Peanuts).
You can find the pdf in CANVAS > FILES > READINGS

Read this before class on Wednesday, 9/17. (It's only three pages...)

Week 3 _ Batman Diary Assignment

WEEK 3 Menu

(you can find this scan and a plaintext version in CANVAS > FILES > HANDOUTS)

Composition Book 

This week your Daily Diary entries have a new format and prompt = Draw yourself as Batman

You can draw yourself with Batman's attitude or he can have your attitude about the day.

Consider alternating your format between the two suggested above.

sample diary entry for a single day

 

WEEK 2 _ Short week :(

Yesterday we RISO-printed our Dino-Unicorn Comics in the form of Instant Books. They came out great!

1.) At the end of class I discussed the Composition Notebook a little more and issued the Week 2 Menu >>>

There's a scanned copy of this and a plain text version in CANVAS > FILES > HANDOUTS > WEEK 2.

2.) I'd also like you to complete the Week 2 Reading _ Word and Image. It's brief and prepares you for the lessons and exercises next week. You can find the PDF in Canvas>Files.