Name: Date:

Period:

How to Read a Comic

Comics is a motion picture that has NEITHER movement nor soundtrack.
Part 1: Notes
A. Words: There are three main types of words in comics. Write the name of each type of text in
the matching graphic.

Definition:_______________ Definition:_______________ Definition:_______________

________________________ ________________________ ________________________

B. Sound: Describe what sound the first picture shows.

______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
__

Describe what sound the second picture implies.

______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
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C. Pictures: List 4 of the things pictures can show.

a. ______________________________________
b. ______________________________________
c. ______________________________________
d. ______________________________________

D. Panels: Write down and explain three ways panels can show create/show meaning (according
to the video).
a. What do 9 panel pages help the reader focus on?
________________________________________________________________________________________
b. Why do authors merge panels in the 9 panel format to make one larger panel?
________________________________________________________________________________________
c. What does the 9 panel format affect the meaning of the story?
________________________________________________________________________________________
d. How does less structure in the panels on a page affect the meaning of the story?
________________________________________________________________________________________
e. What kind of structure would be best for showing a reader that the events in the story
are chaotic?
________________________________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Coraline
Read chapter 3 of Coraline and with a partner find examples of the comics format. Include the
quote or a description of the picture, a page number, and the information that element tells the
reader.
1. Speech bubble:
__________________________________________________________________________________
Pg. _____
2. Thought bubble:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Pg. _____
3. Text box:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Pg. _____
4. Find one onomatopoeia.
__________________________________________________________________________
Pg. _____
5. Find one panel that implies sound. Describe the picture and the sound it implies.
_____________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
__
Pg. _____
6. Find one picture that sticks out to you and describe what the picture shows (ex: emotion,
movement, etc.) in detail.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
___
Pg. _____
7. Find one page that sticks out to you. Describe how the panels are organized (how many and
how they are arranged) then explain why you think the panels are organized that way (ex: to
show order, chaos, time passing).
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
____
Pg. _____

Part 3: Analysis
Paragraph 1: Write a short paragraph (4-5 sentences) including the title of the novel, the
author, the fact that its a graphic novel, the main characters of the story and what the story is
about.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Paragraph 2: Write a paragraph explaining the format of the graphic novel. Pick 2 elements of
the graphic novels format and describe them. (This is basically putting answers from the section
above into a paragraph with an introduction and concluding sentence.)
________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Paragraph 3: Write a short paragraph explaining how well you think the graphic novel tells the
story. What is good about it and what could make it better.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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