Comics and Critical Thinking Ontario Teachers Federation Its

Comics and Critical Thinking Ontario Teacher’s Federation It’s About Time – Critical Thinking and Technology 2009 -2010 Ministry of Education – Teacher Learning and Leadership Program 2010 -2011 Sally B. Mac. Donald Teacher-Librarian Sunnybrae Public School

Visual Components of a Comic PANELS

A Panel: one still image usually encased in a border or gutter. Uses of Panels • • • Used to indicate the passage of time To indicate space To enhance the action in the story Tall panels indicate height Long panels indicate distance

Panels There are four specialized panels An inset – a panel contained within another panel A bleed panel – the art extends off the side of the page on one side or the other. A splash- a large or full page panel. A double-page spread- a giant splash covering two facing pages. (Bennett, Anina)

Panel Examples Tobin, Paul Snider, Jesse Blaze Both of these pages show panels that are irregular. Note the vertical panel showing height. Ferrari, Alessandro How do these panels add to the action?

Inset Panels These are two examples of inset panels - a panel contained within another panel Tobin, Paul Barbera, Hanna How does the inset contribute to the comic? Tobin, Paul

Inset Panels • An inset panel indicates an action that is happening at the same time or simultaneously as the action in the main panel.

Bleed Panels A bleed panel is when the art extends off the side of the page on one side or the other. Fisch, Sholly Barbera, Hanna Why do you think the cartoonist decided to bleed these panels?

Bleed Panels • Bleed panels are when the artwork runs right off of the page – they do not have a gutter. • This technique is used to represent unlimited space • A bleed panel can also represent time

A Splash AS plas hp a la ane rge l: or f ull p age p ane l. What is the purpose of a splash? Why would the cartoonist use a splash panel? Ivan Velez

Splash Panel • A splash panel is a full page panel • A splash panel is used as an introduction to a story – it introduces the setting, a time frame and some of the characters.

Works Cited • Barbera, Hanna, and Ivan Velez. "Chills and Spills! Scooby-Doo!" Comic Strip. Ed. Harvey Richards. Vol. #152. New York: DC Comics, 2010. Print. • Bennett, Anina. "Visual Language: Writing for Comics. " Bigredhair. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. <http: //www. bigredhair. com/work/comics>. • Bledsoe, Glen. Comic Life. Computer Software. Comiclife. com. Web. 11 Jan. 2010. <http: //www. comiclife. com/education>. • Ferrari, Alessandro. "Walt Disney Comics. " Comic Strip. Ed. Aaron Sparrow. Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. Vol. #702. Los Angeles: Boom Kids, 2009. Print.

Works Cited Continued • Fisch, Sholly. "Batman The Brave and The Bold. " Comic Strip. Ed. Michael Siglan. Mixed Signals. Vol. 13. New York: DC Comics, 2010. Print. • Mc. Cloud, Scott. "Cartoon. " World Book Student. World Book Inc. Web. 11 Jan. 2010. <http: //www. worldbookonline. com/student/printarticle? id=ar 097660& st-editorial+comics>. • Mc. Cloud, Scott. "Comics. " World Book Student. World Book Online. Web. 11 Jan. 2010. <http: //www. worldbookonline. com/student/printarticle? id=ar 125620& st=comics>. • Norton, B. (2003). The Motivating Power of Comic Books: Insight from Archie Comic Readers. The Reading Teacher, 57, 140– 147.

Works Cited Continued • Snider, Jesse Blaze. "Toy Story: The Return of Buzz Lightyear Part 2. " Comic Strip. Ed. Aaron Sparrow. Disney Pixar. Vol. 1. Los Angeles: Boom Kids, 2009. Print. • Tobin, Paul. "Marvel Adventures The Avengers. " Comic Strip. Ed. Nathan Cosby. Vol. 36. New York: Marvel Inc, 2009. Print. • Waid, Mark, and Landry Walker. "The Incredibles. " Comic Strip. Ed. Aaron Sparrow. Disney Pixar. Vol. 4. Los Angeles: Boom Kids, 2009. Print. • Danuta Woloszynowicz- “Comic Life- A Tool to Motivate Struggling Readers and Writers”. SMCDSB Curriculum/Technology Consultant 2009 •