Comic Creation Sites and Uses

I'm constantly amazed that people exist who create wonderful, FREE websites that make it seem as if I am creatively inclined! I'd like to send them a hearty thank you for all their hard work.

This week I'm evaluating websites that allow the user to create their own comics. Each of them has a free version but subscriptions are available for 2 of the 3 in today's post.

MakeBeliefsComix

MakeBeliefsComix is a free computer website that also has a free app that can be downloaded to your iPad, ad-free, for $1.99. I found this website quite easy to use, but if you want loads of options, this is not the website for you. Since I myself am overwhelmed by options, I loved it! I thought it would be a fun way to teach students about onomotapeia and this is the comic I created using it:


There are plenty of playful character images to choose from, each with 3 or 4 poses to use, depending on the mood of the comic you're creating. The only downfall of this website is that there are advertisements on each page, which may be a problem when using them in the classroom, but the positives outweigh the negatives. Not only can students and teachers make their own comic strips, but there are literally hundreds of free printables to use with students as well, and what teacher doesn't love free? The categories include writing prompts, holidays, ESL, science, history, reading, and more. Click here to explore those printables.

ToonDoo

ToonDoo is a login website that allows you to make your own comics for free. You can create a free account that allows you access your creative capabilities and create comics with up to 4 panels for free, and also allows you to access comics created by other users. This is a site for adults and is not monitored for child-friendly content, so you may not be able to access it on your district's network. However, you can screenshot your comics and use them in presentations and slideshows. Also, ToonDoo users can publish their comics for others to redo for personal use, so if you want a head start, that's another option available.

For my comic I chose to create a reference interview. What do you think? Not bad, eh?

Pixton

Pixton is another online comic creator site. I found this one the most challenging to use, but it also has the most options available to the user. You can rotate the images, move their limbs, redesign their outfits, and much, much more. However, the manipulation of the characters and props within each frame is not terribly straightforward like it is with ToonDoo and MakeBeliefsComics. Now I don't know about you, but I like to use web tools that I can figure out on my own. So I found my experience with this one to be the least satisfactory. But if you are willing to read through the many help pages available on the website, you will find there are many uses for this program. Here is my modest comic that illustrates a reader's advisory interview. 

Something I didn't explore in depth are the many templates available for educators, but there are literally hundreds. This is an example of a character map template for Scout from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, so clearly, there are numerous applications for Pixton in the classroom. Can you imagine the level of engagement ou'd see in the classroom when teaching students character analysis in this manner?

Using Comic Creator Tools in the Classroom

So how can you use these sites in your own classroom? Below are a few ideas to get you started:

• Vocabulary-Evidence of Learning
• Literary Analysis
• Open House and Back-to-School Night
• PTA Presentations
• Character Education
• Writing Prompts
• Sequencing Lessons

So next time you sit down to create a standard slide show for a lesson or for meet the teacher night, try something new and insert a customized comic to bring your lesson to life!