Comic Construction Programs for all Grade Levels

Elementary K-4

The Comic Construction Program for the elementary grades features an assembly style lecture introducing students to the basic structure and elements of the comics medium.

The stage show features our creators in construction outfits and teaches the various stages of production required to create comics and graphic novels from basic scripting, thumb-nailing, finished artwork, and lettering, coloring, and graphic design.

The performance reinforces the need for planning and rough drafting, reinforcing the construction theme metaphors. Students will assist the creators in constructing a cartoon character in a participatory exercise.

The show runs for approximately one hour, including a question and answer session. The assembly visit is then followed by classroom size breakout sessions where students are led to create their own cartoon characters and strips in a workshop setting.

Materials: Pencil, Paper, Coloring Implements.
Duration: One hour-long assembly followed by 50 minute workshops.

Middle Grades 5-8

Over the years, the Middle Grades have proven to be the most popular hosts for the Comic Construction Program. 

The Language Arts component is driven home especially strongly in this program as students are led in the creation of a comics page using classical plot structure and storytelling. The workshops reinforce the concepts of setting, character motivations, conflict, rising action, climax, and resolution.

Art instruction includes the concepts of exaggeration, building drawings using simple shapes, and lessons on facial expressions.

Students create stories from start to finish, including creating a protagonist and antagonist for the narrative.

The stories are fleshed out with dialog, sound effects, and narrative captioning. 

The workshops are generally conducted in two one-hour sessions on successive days, or a single two-hour block workshop.

Materials: Pencil, Paper
Duration: Two one-hour workshops or a single two-hour workshop.

High School

The High School level for Comic Construction allows you the most flexibility to custom tailor our skills and services to you individual student and classroom needs.

In addition to the writing and drawing aspects of the program, students at the high school level are ready to break out beyond the basics and into the deeper of understanding of the medium as well as the more technical aspects of creating comics. 

The program can cover any number of topics from storytelling, to advanced inking techniques, computer rendering, lettering etc...

We have had great success in a mentor/student environment at the high school level and from time to time will offer internships to highly interested and motivated students.

Since the program is very specialized at the high school level, we do not have a set time period or materials list. If you are interested in bringing the Comic Construction High School program to your school, please contact Matt for New England bookings at 860.305.6621 or mryan@freelunchcomics.com and Steve for Maryland/DC bookings at 860-810-4927 or skanaras@freelunchcomics.com.