GettingGraphicwiththePastGraphicHistoriesandtheUsesofComicsin

Education

Canada’sHistoryWebinarMay17,2016

KaraSievewright &RobinFolvikGraphicHistoryCollective

Ethan Heitner, artist

Weareagroupofactivists,artists,writers,andresearcherspassionateaboutcomics,history,andsocialchange.

WhoistheGraphicHistoryCollective?

SamBradd,MEdGraphicRecorder,

Illustrator JuliaSmith,PhDAuthor,Researcher

SeanCarleton,PhDAuthor,Researcher,

Illustrator RobinFolvikResearcher,Writer

Collective Members

KaraSievewright,MFAIllustrator,Designer,

andWriter

Collaborators

Weworkwithhistorians,artists,unions,activists,artist-rungalleries,progressivepresses,museums,academics,andwritersonprojects,comics,events,andbooks.

GraphicHistoryCollective’sBooks

MayDay:AGraphicHistoryofProtest (BetweentheLines,2012)DrawntoChange:GraphicHistoriesofWorking-ClassStruggle (BetweentheLines,2016)

ComicsfromDrawntoChange:GraphicHistoriesofWorking-ClassStruggle

“Workingon theWater,FightingontheLand: Indigenous Labour onBurrard Inlet”byTaniaWillardandtheGHC

“AnEntirelyDifferentKindofLabourUnion:TheService,Office,andRetailWorkers’UnionofCanada”byEthanHeitnerandtheGHC

“KwentongBayan:LabourofLove”byJoSiMalayaAlcampoandAltheaBalmes

BillWilliamsonByKaraSievewrightfromDrawntoChange

ComicProcess:ResearchingandWriting

1. Research 2. Transcribing 3. ScriptWriting

ComicProcess:VisualResearch

ComicProcess:Drawing

1. ThumbnailsorStoryboards2. Pencils- usecolouredpencilthatcan

beeasilyeraseddigitally3. Inking4. Scanning5. Photoshop - cleanupandfix

mistakes

Even though it’s not perfect, it still helps think about the story in a different way!

Illustrate! Educate! Organize! Installation at the Cumberland Museum & Archives

WarmUpDrawingActivities

Creaturedrawing

1. Firstpersonusespaintormarkersto

createarandommarkon thepage

2. Secondpersonusesadifferentmarkertocreateacreature

Portraitdrawing

Sketchthepersonnexttoyou:

1. In1minute

2. 30seconds

3. 5secondsWhathappens?

StorytellingActivities

Activity:TheWrongTreasure*

Materials:Postitnotes andpencils

Step1Breakoffintogroups offive.Assigneachpersonanumber 1- 5

Step2Writethestoryontheboard:1. Anexplorer islookingfortreasureintheocean2. Theygotothebottom oftheocean3. Theypickupatreasure atthebottom ofthesea4. Theyreturn hometolotsofexcitement5. Butthen theyrealizetheygotthewrongthing

Step3Eachperson isgoingtodrawtheir number lineofthestoryin3– 5panels.Onepanelperapost-itnote.

Step4Eachgroup isgoingtosticktheir panelstothewallorlaythemonthetableinorder.Takealookateveryone’sstories.Lookathowdifferent peopletoldthesamestory.Ignorevisualdifferences.

*Alsocalled TheWrongPlanet,fromDrawingWordsandWriting Pictures,JessicaAbelandMattMadden

Step5Gobacktoyourgroup, together decidewhereyouneedtoaddmorepanelstomakethestorybetter.Doyouneedtostretch outtheactionorcreate bridgesbetweensections.Thinkingabout pacing.

Step6Lookatyourstorynow.Arethere panelsyoucantakeout?Aretherefunnypartsthatyoucanmakefunnier.

Step7Lookaroundateveryone’sstories.Reviewthemtogether. Talkabouthowthestorieswork.

1.CreatingComics:ComicJam

Activity:Createanimprovisedcollaborativecomic

1. Everyonegetsapagewith9panelsonit.2. Usuallyyoustartwithapromptlike:

● Iusedto…(like,believe,dosomething)● Thiscanbefictionalornon-fictional

1. Everyonestartstheircomicinthefirstpanelusingthepromptandthenpassesittothepersonontheirleft.

2. Eachpanelgets4minutes.3. Attheendyoucangothroughthestories.

2.CreatingComics:Onepageautobiographicalcomics

3.CreatingComics:MinicomicsActivity:Createaonepagecomicthatcanbefolded intoasmallbook

Comicsaremeanttobereproducedwhetherinprintoronline,andtheyaremeanttobesharedandread.Thisactivityallowsstudentstocreateacomicundercreativecontrainsts(sixpanelsplusfrontandbackcover)usingatemplate.Thefinishedcomiccanbeeasilyphotocopiedtocreatemultiplecopies.

4.CreatingComics:GraphicHistory

Activity:Createahistorical comic1. Studentsdoarchivalresearchorinterviewelders

2. Writeastoryscriptbasedonresearch

3. Createastoryboard

4. Createthevisualseitherthroughdrawing,usingfoundor

historicalphotographs,digitallyoreventhroughsimple

stickfigures

Skills:Reading, researching, writing, story creation, digital skillsSubjects:

English (or other language), Art, History, Computers

Display on comics prepared for the April 1954 Senate Subcommittee Hearings into Juvenile Delinquency. At the hearing there was a special focus on comic books(TIME Magazine)

Prepared by Provincial Advisory Board on Objectionable Publications

“KwentongBayan:LabourofLove”byJoSiMalayaAlcampoandAltheaBalmes

“TheBattleofBallantynePier:AnInjury toOneisanInjurytoAll”DavidLester

“WorkingontheWater,FightingontheLand:IndigenousLabouronBurrardInlet”byTaniaWillardandtheGHC

“WorkingontheWater,FightingontheLand:IndigenousLabouronBurrardInlet”byTaniaWillardandtheGHC

“CoalMountain” byNicoleMarieBurton

GettingGraphicwiththePastGraphicHistoriesandtheUsesofComicsin

Education

Canada’sHistoryWebinarMay17,2016

KaraSievewright&RobinFolvikGraphicHistoryCollective

Ethan Heitner, artist