Comics workshop description
Grassroots comics workshop in seven stages.
Drawings by Leif Packalen, World Comics Finland
Stage one
The participants are introduced to the medium of wallposter comics and shown samples produced by groups similar to their own. Some simple drawing exercises follow, to prove one can create comics even with quite limited drawing skills.
This is followed by a discussion about the themes to be addressed, and some consideration of what campaigning with comics can hope to achieve. The participants are now ready to create stories – a storyline and principal characters – that convey their point of view. The stories are read out aloud, commented on by the resource team and discussed by the group.
Stage two
The stories are broken into four parts and the participants make a visual script (storyboard) in which the pictures and texts are sketched out. The resource team goes through the storyboards and check them for readability – relationship of text to picture, order of reading, clarity of content and so on. It is important that the resource team does not influence the content of the story too much, but rather concentrates on its readability. When the storyboard is ready the artwork can begin.
Stage three
First, the participants need to make a pencil draft which is checked before inking. Each participant receives individual instruction in the inking process, because this is a critical step. Participants should feel confident with the inking pens.
Stage four
When the inking is dry, the pencil lines are erased and the artwork is finished and possible mistakes are corrected. The wallposters are now ready for copying either at the workshop or at a photocopying shop.
Stage five
The comics are put up on a wall and the resource persons and the participants give their feedback. This is an important session and enough time should be reserved for it.
Stage six
Distribution in the community and feedback. The workshop participants go out in the community and paste up the comics on places where it is allowed, and the participants will then ask people what they think about the stories. The feedback is valuable for the activists to understand how people look at their comics.
Stage seven
Evaluation by the participants to the organisers of the workshop. The evaluation is important for the organisers to understand how the participants learned the grassroots comics method and how, in the future, to improve the workshop procedures.
Last, but not least – the group photograph!
