Get Creative w/ a Comic Strip of Your Fav Character

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Create a four panel comic strip featuring your favorite character, planning panels, drawing scenes, writing dialogue, and practicing storytelling and sequential thinking skills.

Table of contents

Step-by-step guide to create a four-panel comic strip of your favorite character

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Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

How to Make Your Own Comic | Toontorial | @cartoonnetworkuk

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, colouring materials, black pen or marker, scrap paper

Step 1

Pick your favorite character to star in your comic.

Step 2

Write a one-sentence story idea about that character on your scrap paper.

Step 3

Write four short notes on scrap paper and label them Panel 1 Panel 2 Panel 3 Panel 4 to describe what happens in each scene.

Step 4

Use your ruler and pencil to draw four equal panels on your final paper.

Step 5

Lightly sketch the scenes for all four panels in pencil inside the boxes following your notes.

Step 6

Draw speech bubbles and write short dialogue or captions for each panel.

Step 7

Carefully trace your final pencil lines with a black pen or marker to ink the drawings.

Step 8

Wait until the ink is completely dry.

Step 9

Gently erase any remaining pencil marks.

Step 10

Colour your characters backgrounds and small details with your colouring materials.

Step 11

Add a title and write your name on your comic.

Step 12

Share your finished comic strip on DIY.org.

Help!?

What can I use if I don't have a ruler, black pen/marker, or colouring materials?

Use the straight edge of a book or a piece of cardboard to draw the four equal panels, ink your final pencil lines with a fine-tip ballpoint or gel pen if you don't have a black marker, and substitute crayons, colored pencils, or torn colored paper for colouring materials.

My panels looked uneven and my ink smudged—how can I fix that?

When drawing your four panels, guide the pencil with a book edge to keep lines straight, wait until the ink is completely dry before gently erasing pencil marks to prevent smudging, and if needed retrace any faded lines with the black pen.

How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?

For younger children make larger panels on the final paper, simplify the one-sentence story idea on scrap paper and use washable crayons for colouring, while older kids can write longer story notes, add more panels, and practice inking and detailed backgrounds.

What are some ways to personalize or extend my finished comic strip?

Add sound-effect lettering and decorative borders before colouring, create alternate Panel notes on scrap paper for different endings, compile several strips into a mini-comic, and share the final comic on DIY.org as instructed.

Watch videos on how to create a four-panel comic strip of your favorite character

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Kids Make Comics #7: Making Comic Panels

4 Videos

Facts about comic strips and visual storytelling

🖼️ Many classic newspaper comic strips use a 4-panel layout — perfect for a setup, twist, and punchline.

✏️ Bill Watterson hand-drew every Calvin and Hobbes strip and famously resisted most merchandising.

💬 Speech balloons have been used since the 19th century to show dialogue and help readers follow conversations.

🔁 Comics rely on 'closure' — your brain fills in the action between panels to make a continuous story.

🎯 Using different shot types (wide, medium, close-up) in panels helps guide the reader’s attention and emotion.

How do I create a four-panel comic strip of my favorite character?

Start by picking a favorite character and decide a simple four-panel story: setup, problem, reaction, punchline or resolution. Sketch tiny thumbnails to plan each panel’s action and camera angle. On your final paper, draw panel borders, pencil the scenes, add facial expressions and props, then ink and color. Write dialogue in clear speech bubbles and check that each panel logically leads to the next. Finish by revising pacing and wording.

What materials do I need to make a four-panel comic strip at home?

You'll need plain or heavy sketch paper (or a printed four-panel template), pencils, eraser, ruler, fine liners or black pens for inking, colored pencils or markers, and optional watercolor or digital tablet. Use sticky notes for thumbnail planning and reference images of the character. Low-cost alternatives: photocopy templates, use crayons instead of markers, and scan phone photos to share online. Keep safety scissors or kid-safe supplies for younger children.

What ages is making a four-panel comic strip suitable for?

This activity fits many ages. Preschoolers (4–6) enjoy drawing simple panels with adult help for planning and writing. Elementary kids (7–10) can design, draw, and write basic dialogue independently. Tweens and teens (11+) can develop complex storytelling, pacing, and character voice. Adapt expectations: use templates and stick-figure thumbnails for young children, and encourage scripting, perspectives, or digital tools for older kids.

What are the benefits of making four-panel comics, and are there safe variations?

Making four-panel comics builds sequencing skills, storytelling, vocabulary, fine motor control, and empathy as kids think through characters’ feelings. It boosts planning and editing confidence while encouraging creativity and humor. Safety: supervise markers and scissors and respect copyright—favor original characters or private fan art. Variations: try collaborative comics where each person draws a panel, silent comics with no dialogue, or digital strips using apps to add stickers and animati

Ready to create?

All Activities

Get Creative w/ a Comic Strip of Your Fav Character

Create a four panel comic strip featuring your favorite character, planning panels, drawing scenes, writing dialogue, and practicing storytelling and sequential thinking skills.

Table of contents

Step-by-step guide to create a four-panel comic strip of your favorite character

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

How to Make Your Own Comic | Toontorial | @cartoonnetworkuk

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, colouring materials, black pen or marker, scrap paper

Step 1

Pick your favorite character to star in your comic.

Step 2

Write a one-sentence story idea about that character on your scrap paper.

Step 3

Write four short notes on scrap paper and label them Panel 1 Panel 2 Panel 3 Panel 4 to describe what happens in each scene.

Step 4

Use your ruler and pencil to draw four equal panels on your final paper.

Step 5

Lightly sketch the scenes for all four panels in pencil inside the boxes following your notes.

Step 6

Draw speech bubbles and write short dialogue or captions for each panel.

Step 7

Carefully trace your final pencil lines with a black pen or marker to ink the drawings.

Step 8

Wait until the ink is completely dry.

Step 9

Gently erase any remaining pencil marks.

Step 10

Colour your characters backgrounds and small details with your colouring materials.

Step 11

Add a title and write your name on your comic.

Step 12

Share your finished comic strip on DIY.org.

Help!?

What can I use if I don't have a ruler, black pen/marker, or colouring materials?

My panels looked uneven and my ink smudged—how can I fix that?

How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?

What are some ways to personalize or extend my finished comic strip?

Watch videos on how to create a four-panel comic strip of your favorite character

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Kids Make Comics #7: Making Comic Panels

4 Videos

Facts about comic strips and visual storytelling

🖼️ Many classic newspaper comic strips use a 4-panel layout — perfect for a setup, twist, and punchline.

✏️ Bill Watterson hand-drew every Calvin and Hobbes strip and famously resisted most merchandising.

💬 Speech balloons have been used since the 19th century to show dialogue and help readers follow conversations.

🔁 Comics rely on 'closure' — your brain fills in the action between panels to make a continuous story.

🎯 Using different shot types (wide, medium, close-up) in panels helps guide the reader’s attention and emotion.