Your draft should include three/four pages, all the panels, characters (as stick-figures), bubbles (speeches and thoughts), narrative boxes and words.
Fill up the entire page, using properly-sized gutters and panels.
Place and size your characters, bubbles, and words very carefully.
This will allow you to assess your storytelling, test your use of comic book elements, and evaluate the balance between your words and images.
Dialog always STARTS ON THE LEFT,
and DON'T CROSS TAILS!
Bubbles should be read in traditional Z-fashion:
from left to right, and from top to bottom.
>>> NEXT REGULAR CLASS: APRIL 23 <<<
IN-CLASS PEER REVIEW OF YOUR STICK-FIGURE DRAFT
BRING YOUR PAPER DRAFTS & LAPTOPS
1) FINAL PROJECT: IF NEEDED, REVISE SECTIONS #1 TO 7 OF YOUR ONLINE WORKSHEET.
SECTIONS #8-9 & YOUR STICK FIGURE DRAFT ARE BOTH DUE ON APRIL 23 BEFORE CLASS.
Submit your draft to LEA as one single pdf file.
Your draft needs to be comic book size: one whole sheet of paper for each page.
The size of your panels and gutters need to be standard-sized, that is, the common size of panels and gutters found in comics; drafts with very wide gutters or very small panels will not be accepted and be considered late submissions.
Your draft needs to include all the words, bubbles and narrative boxes. Think carefully about the placement of your bubbles, not to confuse your reader.
The size of the bubbles and words needs also to be standard-sized; drafts with very small bubbles or small/unreadable words will not be accepted and be considered late.
5) STYLE & CHARACTER DESIGN: CHOOSE WHETHER YOU WILL RELY ON YOUR OWN DRAWING SKILLS, USE STORYBOARDTHAT.COM, OR GEMINI AI TO CREATE EACH INDIVIDUAL IMAGE (excluding the panels, bubbles, and text).
THEN, DESIGN EACH OF YOUR MAIN CHARACTERS:
Take care!
Next class: Thursday, April 16
Due date: April 20, 8AM or 12PM
You must first type your handwritten draft word for word. During this initial typing phase, you can only fix basic writing errors: spelling, punctuation, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., correcting he say to he says). You do not need to insert comments to identify these minor corrections.
AI Usage: You can give ChatGPT your draft (one photo at a time) and ask it to extract the handwritten text word-for-word, exactly as it is. Since your final copy must match your draft, verify ChatGPT’s transcription (every single word) to make sure it hasn’t misread your handwriting.
After completing the initial draft requirement, you should edit your text further, with or without AI assistance, under the following conditions:
It is crucial that all work submitted genuinely reflects your own ideas and writing style. Therefore:
Comic book stories aren't told in one continuous flow, like in a movie or a novel. Instead, they are fragmented, broken down into digestible chunks.
This fragmented state makes comic books so compelling because it allows readers to actively participate in the narrative by filling in the gaps between pages, lines, and panels.
from Story → Pages → Lines → to Panels
First, you need to divide your story into pages.
Each page in your comic should have its own one clear focus or topic. It should be engaging enough to stand as a mini-story on its own, with its own beginning and end, while still pushing the overarching narrative forward.
Second, you need to divide each page into (usually 4) lines.
Think of the lines as steps in the development of the mini-story told on each page. Ask yourself: How may steps do I need to tell that mini-story? 3? 4? Each line must have one clear focus or topic and be a complete story in itself. It's a sub-chapter within the page, guiding the reader through the story's rhythm and pace.
Finally, divide each line into 1-4 panels.
Think of the panels as steps in the development of the mini-story told in each line. Ask yourself: How may steps do I need to tell that mini-story? 1? 2? 3? 4? Just as every word in a poem has meaning, every panel in a comic book must have one clear focus. Whether it's a close-up of a character's face showing emotion or an action shot, each panel is a snapshot of a moment, contributing to the story's overall mood and progression.
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Do NOT download or submit the online document. Just open and edit the online copy.
Please note that late completion of sections will result in a 5%-per-day late fee. This assignment will represent 20% of your final grade.
>> GROUPS OF TWO:
Log in OFFICE 365 with your Champlain user ID and password.
Open Microsoft TEAMS (in the Microsoft apps).
Go to the CHAT window.
Find the conversation your teacher created for you and your partner.
Click on the link to access your group worksheet; if needed, refresh the page.
>> GROUPS OF ONE:
Log in OFFICE 365 with your Champlain user ID and password.
Open Microsoft TEAMS (in the apps).
In the upper-right corner, click on JOIN TEAM and use the code m88tg74 if you are in the 8AM section or the code 7knuaz2 if you are in the 12PM section.
Please wait for the teacher to approve your request; once it's approved, you'll be able to open the GRAPHIC NOVELS class team.
In ASSIGNMENTS, click on 'WORKSHEET.'
Open the document resource and begin to fill it up.
Do NOT turn in the assignment; your teacher has already access to it.
TAKE CARE.
NEXT CLASS: THURSDAY, APRIL 9
FIRST MANDATORY
IN-CLASS DRAFTING SESSION
IN-CLASS ESSAY DRAFTING: APRIL 9 & 13
An outline is a structured set of keywords or very short phrases (3-4 words) that provides a framework for your essay, like a skeleton structure. It cannot include complete sentences (except your thesis, topic sentence, and exact quotes from the interview or video on Nazism). In class, you will put flesh on this skeleton and turn these keywords into complete sentences.
Your outline and essay must align and engage with: (1) the individual notes you took as you completed the worksheet, (2) group and class discussions, (3) class notes, (4) the author's interview, and (5) the video on the Nazi ideology.
The use of other external sources or assistance is not permitted.
The language and voice of your outline must be your own. The presence of writing in your outline that does not align with your own voice due to its different style, vagueness, wordiness, or extreme sophistication or pretentiousness may result in a rejection of your final copy.
Integrate this very specific point at the right place into your outline (a direct "quote" may be a complete sentence). This point can help you confirm or develop one specific point in your analysis.
Include a parenthetical reference indicating the specific time, such as (1:34), or page number in the interview documents.
Begin to brainstorm a list of three personal anecdotes for your alternative story. Do NOT use AI to generate these initial ideas as this would go against the very essence of alternative comics; these three ideas must be based on real anecdotes in your life.
Make sure that (1) these ideas correspond to the alternative movement as discussed in class, and (2) they would not be too difficult to illustrate graphically. In other words, keep it simple, ordinary, with an emphasis on words, not actions or unique environments.
For your information, some of you will be using Storyboard That to illustrate your panels. You may also draw, use Google's AI Gemini, or take photos. Your pick!
Take care.
MANDATORY IN-CLASS DRAFTING OF 2ND ESSAY: April 6 & 13
1) RESEARCH DOCUMENT/MOODLE ACTIVITY: READ CLOSELY THE TWO EXCERPTS BELOW FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH ART SPIEGELMAN.
As you read, identify quotes you might use in your essay as you try to understand the significance of the animal heads.
CHOOSE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT QUOTE AND COMPLETE THE RELATED ACTIVITY ON MOODLE (in 'Activities').
Here are the two excerpts from the interview:
★ Spiegelman speaks about the animal metaphor.
★ Spiegelman speaks about the animal masks.
2) TEACHER FEEDBACK: READ CLOSELY YOUR TEACHER'S FEEDBACK ON YOUR FIRST ESSAY.
Your teacher should have uploaded (or will soon) his feedback on LEA in the 'Assignments' section.
Review this feedback carefully, paying attention to your strengths, and identify two or three specific goals you would like to work on in your next essay.
3) ESSAY GUIDELINES: READ THE ESSAY GUIDELINES CLOSELY.
Take care!
Question: What does it mean to find panels where the author directly or indirectly draws our attention to the limitations of his animal metaphor?
Answer: In Maus II, Art Spiegelman repeatedly comments on and attacks - directly and indirectly - his own animal metaphor... his own decision to draw human heads as cartoonish animal heads.
Pay attention to panels where the fake, non-realistic, or problematic nature of the animal heads is emphasized or exposed in some way.
Do you see panels where the organization of the human race into specific races/categories (represented as distinct animal species) breaks down or does not work?
What does Spiegelman gain and lose by using animals as metaphors for race, nationality, or ethnicity? Consider scenes where these metaphors appear inadequate or simplistic.
Do you notice real animals that contrast with the “fake” animal heads? Why does the author incorporate real animals into the story?
Can you identify panels where the animal heads are drawn differently? Look for small details. What is the meaning of these differences?
Are there specific scenes where the use of simplistic animal heads doesn’t work well, is problematic, or inappropriate? Look for instances where the animal heads or their simplicity clash with the experiences the characters are having.
1) READING: READ THE LAST 50 PAGES OF THE FAMOUS GRAPHIC NOVEL MAUS II BY ART SPIEGELMAN.
AS YOU READ, LOOK FOR SCENES/PANELS THAT CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND THE AUTHOR'S UNUSUAL DECISION TO DRAW ANIMAL HEADS.
EXAMINE WHY THE AUTHOR CHOSE:
- TO DRAW ANIMALS HEADS INSTEAD OF HUMAN HEADS
- TO DRAW THESE SPECIFIC ANIMAL SPECIES
- TO DRAW EACH ANIMAL FACE IN A SPECIFIC MANNER
- TO DRAW SOME HEADS AS HUMAN HEADS WEARING ANIMAL MASKS
FIND PANELS/SCENES WHERE THE AUTHOR, DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY,
- COMMENT ON HIS OWN ANIMAL METAPHOR
- DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO ITS STRENGTHS OR LIMITATIONS
TIP: Consider that the animal heads may be used to illustrate and comment on the Nazi ideology.
2) WORKSHEET: FINISH FILLING UP, INDIVIDUALLY, THE SECOND PART OF THIS WORKSHEET -- ON ART SPIEGELMAN'S USE OF ANIMAL HEADS.
COLLECT & RESPOND TO 15-20 SPECIFIC SCENES/PANELS FOR NEXT CLASS.
3) LEA SUBMISSION: SUBMIT TO LEA THE COMPLETED WORKSHEET.
Take care.
NEXT CLASS: MONDAY, MARCH 30
MANDATORY TO ATTEND: YOUR INDIVIDUAL COURSE PACK
TO COMPLETE ONE SHORT IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT
PLEASE BRING YOUR PAPER COPY OF MAUS II AS WELL
AS YOU WATCH: IDENTIFY 6-10 SIGNIFICANT SPECIFIC POINTS to help us understand the Nazi point of view. Focus strictly on points that help us understand the Nazi ideology and how Nazis generally perceived others, themselves, and the human race as a whole.ADD THESE POINTS TO THE FIRST PART OF THE WORKSHEET ON MAUS II, making sure to identify the specific time mark (#minutes #seconds) for each point in the video.
2) READING: READ THE FIRST 85 PAGES OF THE FAMOUS GRAPHIC NOVEL MAUS II BY ART SPIEGELMAN.
AS YOU READ, LOOK FOR SCENES/PANELS THAT CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND THE AUTHOR'S UNUSUAL DECISION TO DRAW ANIMAL HEADS.
EXAMINE WHY THE AUTHOR CHOSE:
- TO DRAW ANIMALS HEADS INSTEAD OF HUMAN HEADS
- TO DRAW THESE SPECIFIC ANIMAL SPECIES
- TO DRAW EACH ANIMAL FACE IN A SPECIFIC MANNER
- TO DRAW SOME HEADS AS HUMAN HEADS WEARING ANIMAL MASKS
FIND PANELS/SCENES WHERE THE AUTHOR, DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY,
- COMMENT ON HIS OWN ANIMAL METAPHOR
- DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO ITS STRENGTHS OR LIMITATIONS
TIP: Consider that the animal heads may be used to illustrate and comment on the Nazi ideology.
3) WORKSHEET: BEGIN TO FILL UP, INDIVIDUALLY, THE SECOND PART OF THIS SAME WORKSHEET -- ON ART SPIEGELMAN'S USE OF ANIMAL HEADS.
COLLECT & RESPOND TO AT LEAST 10 SPECIFIC SCENES/PANELS FOR NEXT CLASS.
Note: You will finish (and resubmit) this worksheet next week after reading the last 50 pages of the graphic novel. If you wish, you may read the full novel for next week and collect & respond to 15-20 specific panels/scenes (instead of just 10).
4) LEA SUBMISSION: SUBMIT THE WORKSHEET TO LEA.
Take care.
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