Create Visually Impressive Projects That Will Make Your Teachers Weep

Laura Trapp, Rossiter School Librarian [email protected]

Create visually impressive projects that will make your teachers weep in awe of your coolness! Make your own graphic novels and comics!

The Basics: Menu Bar Pull down menus organized by topic Tool Bar Clickable icons Page Edit Area Main work area Resource Area Libraries(panels, templates, folders) Details (lets you customize the element you are working with) Element Well Balloons, captions, lettering Page Organizer View a small image of each page, reorganize if you wish

Let’s take a quick look at Comic Life Help! In the menu bar, choose Help – Comic Life Help Most of the answers you need while you are working in Comic Life can be found in this section.

Quick Start Practice: 1. Choose a template: Drag it from the Libraries box onto the Page Edit Area. 2. Choose your images: Navigate within the Libraries Resource Area. a. If you don’t have any images with you, you can try the “Capture” button to take some photos with your web cam. b. You can grab some pictures from the Internet. c. Double click on your image to choose style attributes and filters for your photos! 3. Add Balloons and Captions. 4. Add a title using the Lettering Element. 5. Save your creation! Let’s try a School Assignment: A Book Report!

1. In Comic Life, go to File – New Comic. Choose a template (drag it over to the Page Edit area). 2. Now use the internet to go to your school’s library catalog: destiny.hsd1.org - click on your school. 3. Find a book you’ve read that you like. If you’re stuck for a good one, find an “oldie but goodie” like Green Eggs and Ham or Where the Wild Things Are. 4. Right click on the picture of the book cover and choose “Copy.” 5. Back in Comic Life, pick a spot for your book cover. Right click and choose “Paste.” 6. Capture a picture of yourself to put in one of the panels. 7. In each of your other panels, tell (and show) something about the book. Here are some ideas: Author, Characters, Setting, Problem, Best Part, How the book made you feel. Use balloons, captions, and lettering creatively as you show and tell these details. 8. Add the finishing touches by using the lettering to add a title and your name, change the style on the images, etc. 9. Save your creation! If you are willing to let me share your creations with some teachers in the later Comic Life session, please let me know and I will put them on my flash drive! Blogging and evaluation… Please answer this question on today’s blog: What types of school assignments would you like to do in Comic Life?