Comics Challenges – Comics Club

Comics Challenge: Can you make a noisy ‘silent comic’?

This challenge is all about making as much noise as possible, as silently as possible! Impossible?

A noisy 'silent comic' by Fern Hinton — This brilliant silent but noisy comic was created by Fern Hinton, an MA student on UEA’s comics studies programme. You can follow her on twitter at @HintonFern

A ‘silent comic’ is a special name given to a comic without any words, either as captions or in speech bubbles. Famous silent comics include The Snowman by Raymond Briggs and The Arrival by Shaun Tan. However, all comics can make noise. Sometimes this is done through the use of sound effects – CRASH! BANG! WALLOP! Another way is through the clever use of drawings to show how sounds are being made. In the comic by Fern Hinton above, her drawings make a very noisy story. What sounds can you hear?

Why not try giving this a go yourself? What is the noisiest comic you can draw? What about a rocket launching, or a pack of wolves howling at the moon? Or maybe an annoying baby crying? Or all three at the same time! What might happen next….?

For more ideas about noisy comics, we’ve got some great activities about sound effects. Why not try the June Comics Challenge: SOUND FX COMICS!

Comics Challenge: Make your own ‘how to draw…’!

This challenge was created by Alice, an honouree member of Kingswood Comicals.

Lots of books or websites show you how to draw in easy steps. For example, we have got some great step-by-step activities on this website.

For this challenge, why not try to create your own? It can help you to think really carefully about the characters or objects you draw and the shapes you need to create them.

First you will need to draw six boxes, or use one of the blank comics pages here: https://comicsclub.blog/blank-comics-pages/

Then you will need to think really carefully about what you are going to draw. Will it be a character or object? You might want to draw the whole thing first of a piece of spare paper to help you to think about the shapes and steps you need to draw them.

Draw a little piece of the character or object in each box, and then add a bit more in the next box until you have finished the character by the last box. Write step-by-step instructions so that someone else can copy what you did.

Can you give your finished ‘how to draw’ to some one else? See if they can copy your character or object!

Here is some we made in our comics club!

Comics Challenge: Words and Pictures

This drawing and writing game is a good way of finding out how different words and pictures can join together to form a comics panel. It’s based on an exercise from “Cartooning, Philosophy and Practice”.

Words and pictures instructions

Here are some examples of my word and image combinations:

Words and pictures examples

Download the worksheets:

Words and pictures instructions

Words and pictures Sheet One

Words and pictures Sheet Two

You can find more worksheets here and more online resources here.

Comics Challenge: Kawaii Rainbows

Recently you might have seen rainbows popping up in windows around where you live. Children (and adults!) have been drawing and painting rainbows to spread some cheer in the streets and to support the National Health Service (NHS). Why not make a super smiley rainbow in a Manga Kawaii style? Kawaii means cute in Japanese.

All you need is some bright colours to draw, paint or collage a rainbow. Then use black paint or a pen to add two cute eyes and a cheery smile! Below are some we’ve made and others we have seen on our local street. Why not share a photo of one you’ve made with us? You can show us at @ComicsClubBLOG

Online Resources

We’ve noticed new comic-making resources and activities appearing online in recent days, so we’re starting to keep a list of online resources here.

Make sure you don’t miss out on The Phoenix Comic’s #phoenixQclub or the great activities provided by Dundee Comic Creative Space’s Digital Comic Club.

DCC Cover

Head over to our Online Resources section to find out more. And don’t forget, you can download comic templates here and find all our Comics Challenges here.

Comics Challenge: Concertina Comic

A concertina or accordion book is made from a long piece of paper that is folded backwards and forward like a spring.

Your challenge is to make a concertina comic.

You can use this template to make three short comics: Concertina comic

If you want to make a longer comic, just stick two or more strips of paper together.

Once you’ve finished drawing your comic, you can make a case for it: Concertina comic cases

Cut on the black lines, fold on the dotted lines, then glue or tape the tabs.

Please share pictures of your concertina comics with us @ComicsClubBLOG

Comics Challenge: Cartoon Creatures

If you are making a comic set in an alternative world, then creating original creatures can help to make your world more convincing and could offer new ideas for stories and adventures.

The Hilda comics (and cartoons) created by Luke Pearson are full of strange and wonderful creatures, such as the Woffs.

The Usagi Yojimbo comics by Stan Sakai are peopled by anthropomorphic characters, including swordsrabbit Miyamoto Usagi. Instead of the animals found in our world, Usagi’s world is full of dinosaur-like lizards or ‘tokage’.

Related image

What kind of world will you set your story in – an alien planet, a fantasy forest, an underwater realm…? Once you have decided, make a Wildlife Spotter’s Guide to some of the most common, or most interesting, wildlife in your world.

Here’s one I made:

Cartoon Creatures Cog Town

Now it’s your turn:

Cartoon Creatures template

Download a a PDF of the sheet here: Wildlife Spotter’s Guide.

Please share your drawings and comics with us!

Comics Challenge: Discount Superpowers

This brilliant Comics Challenge has been devised by Seth from QES Comics Club. Thanks so much to Seth and librarian Gemma Sosnowsky for sharing this with Comics Club Blog.

Challenge and shop

You are walking through town and you find a Superpower shop. You have no money.

Luckily they are having a clearance on the discount bin (all the discount powers are free).

What do you choose? (Must be a rubbish power – no super-strength, speed or flight.)

We’d love to see your bargain bin superpowers! Do get in touch with us if you’d like to be featured on Challenge Accepted or you can share your comics with us on twitter @ComicsClubBLOG.

Autumn Comics Challenge

This comics challenge involves making comics and comic characters using the Autumn landscape.

The challenge is to collect some Autumn leaves and use them to make new comic characters and stories. You can photograph the leaves, then print out the photos and doodle on them, like I did, or you can use the leaves to make collage comics, and then photograph or scan the finished comics.

Leafy Characters

Leaves, sticks and seeds can also be used to create landscapes, settings, buildings and vehicles for your comics.

We’d love to see your club’s Autumn themed comics, so please get in touch if you’d like to share them on the blog, or share them with us on twitter @ComicsClubBLOG

Here are some worksheets to get you started with your Autumn comics challenge!

Leafy Characters

Leafy Landscape comic

More leaves

Comics Challenge: Make a Comic Shop!

This challenge was inspired by one of Jess Bradley‘s brilliant sketch book projects.

Jess has made her own miniature bookshop:

Bookshop 01

Your challenge is to work alongside other comic club members to make a comic shop.

The mini-comics you make could be tiny copies of your favourite comics, they could be comics you’ve written, or they could be brand new titles you’ve just made up.

You can create your comic shop in a sketchbook, or you could make a small model comic shop in a cardboard box.

Once the shop is stocked with comics, have a grand opening and read each other’s tiny stories.

Many thanks to Jess Bradley for sharing her ideas and photos with us!