RAD THREAD: A 6th grade girl in my How To Make Comics class blew my socks off yesterday with her comic. The exercise was to make a one-page comic off this loose script:
"A little girl flies her ship past Saturn. Later she approaches the Earth."
Let's look at why she's amazing
"A little girl flies her ship past Saturn. Later she approaches the Earth."
Let's look at why she's amazing
(The exercise was part of a discussion about how comics are often collaborative and what that means for personal creativity. The next exercise was to illustrated a much tighter script written by someone else that defined panel-by-panel what would go on the page.)
In any case though, let's look at where she takes this: little girl on Earth imagines she's flying around Saturn; she finishes her imagination play and goes thru her normal routine; gets into bed and returns to her dream of space. Totally awesome reframing of the received script.
But some details: 1) notice how she changes panel borders based on where the girl is. On earth = double border; in imagination/dream = single border. And then check out the final panel where the double border breaks halfway to indicate the transition into dream!
We'd talked about panels and borders and how they can tell story a few weeks ago. And Scott McCloud's panel transitions too. She's pretty clearly added these ideas to her toolset (if she didn't have them already) and has no problem employing them as needed.
Also, look at this Amazon box. She's observant enough in regular life to remember the arrow smile, even if she hasn't yet connected it to the A and Z in AmaZon (Amazon sells everything from a-to-z), which is fine because most people wouldn't have that detail at the ready either.
Also, small details: ponytail for the entirety, takes it out for bed. A throwaway detail that grounds this comic.
Also, as she drifts off: Saturn out her window (showing dream is already bleeding in) and in the in-panel match cut, we get earth as her dream self sleeps on Saturn.
Also, as she drifts off: Saturn out her window (showing dream is already bleeding in) and in the in-panel match cut, we get earth as her dream self sleeps on Saturn.
Speaking of match cuts, she has two on this page, both indicating transition to and from dream/imagination.
That the second pair is actually in a single panel is just colossal.
That the second pair is actually in a single panel is just colossal.
I so so so deeply hope she keep making comics because if she does, she's going to blow us away. I'm sure of it.
Also, here's a 3rd grader's adaptation of the same script. Look at that space boat! #messyearth
Her comic prioritizes vertical reading first, then left-to-right. Like a an OEL 4-koma, but it's only 2 instead.
Her comic prioritizes vertical reading first, then left-to-right. Like a an OEL 4-koma, but it's only 2 instead.
