history comic strip assignment

The Center for Cartoon Studies

Teaching comics.

This page both archives teaching content from National Association of Comics Art Educators, along with dozens of additional teaching comics resources for all ages developed by The Center for Cartoon Studies community.  In recent years the comics medium has flourished, generating much interest from the literary, art, and educational communities. This site will continue to expand with more content as it is developed. Recommended grades, along with Common Core subjects are noted on several resources.

For more information or suggestions, contact [email protected]

Teaching Resources

• Individual Exercises • Complete Lesson Plans • Study Guides and Handouts • Complete Syllabi • Books and Magazines

• Individual Exercises

This section contains a list of short exercises. This material has been contributed by various cartoonists and educators. All items are available in printer-friendly adobe .PDF format.

• The Wrong Planet: Timing, Closure and Editing contributed by Paul Hluchan • Design Vs. Drawing contributed by James Sturm • It’s Easy as Changing the Film contributed by Patrick Welch • Editing contributed by James Sturm • Show Time Passing contributed anonymously • Basic Storytelling… Lights, Camera, Action! contributed by Patrick Welch • Intro to Lettering contributed anonymously • Intro to Inking contributed anonymously • Describing the Complex World contributed by Patrick Welch • Silent Gag Cartoon Exercise contributed anonymously • Poetry and Comics contributed by James Sturm • Comic Strip: Character/Place/Situation contributed anonymously • The Irony of Humor contributed anonymously • Autobiography Do’s and Don’ts contributed anonymously • Think Before You Ink contributed by James Sturm • Scenes as Building Blocks contributed by Tom Hart • 20 Questions for Characters contributed anonymously • Intro to Caricature contributed anonymously • Character Exploration Initial Writing Exercises contributed by Tom Hart • Form and Chaos contributed anonymously • A Definition of Comics contributed by James Sturm • Closure Exercise contributed anonymously [ closure_handout ] • Expressive Lettering and Balloons contributed anonymously [ lettering_template ] • Iconographic Language in Comics contributed anonymously • Cartoon Characters Doodled from Memory contributed by Ivan Brunetti • Practicing Text-Image Relationships contributed by Christian Hill

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Complete Lesson Plans

This section contains a list of lesson plans. This material has been contributed by various cartoonists and educators. All items are available in printer-friendly adobe .PDF format.  Each lesson plan has, listed after its title, a grade range for which the exercise is most appropriate. Many lesson plans, though, can be modified to suit older or younger classes as needed.

• Little Orphane Annie: Leapin’ Through the Depression contributed by Joanna Boyd Richards [ sample Annie strips .pdf 2.4MB]
• Teaching Literary Devices with Comics contributed by Nancy Frey and Doug Fisher [ sample narrative .pdf 2MB]
• The Serious Business of Graphic Novels contributed by A. David Lewis [ slideshow .ppt 8.5MB]
• Creating and Self-Publishing Your Minicomics contributed by Mac McCool
• Study Guides and Handouts

This section contains study guides which are geared toward English/literature classes as well as a studio environment. Also available here are handouts useful for class discussion. Several of the study guides contain reading questions designed to facilitate the teaching of prominent comics works.  All items are available in printer-friendly adobe .PDF format.

Study Guides: • The Complete Peanuts Volume I by Charles M. Schulz contributed by Art Baxter • Buddy in Seattle by Peter Bagge contributed by Ben Towle • Above and Below by James Sturm contributed anonymously • Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories by Jaime Hernandez contributed by Art Baxter • Jimbo in Purgatory by Gary Panter contributed by Joel Priddy • You Can’t Get There From Here by Jason contributed by Christian Hill • Flies on the Ceiling by Los Bros Hernandez contributed by Rocco Versaci • My Troubles with Women by Robert Crumb contributed by Rocco Versaci • Ghost World by Dan Clowes contributed by Rocco Versaci • Daddy’s Girl by Debbie Drechsler contributed by Rocco Versaci • Sandman: Fables and Reflections by Neil Gaiman contributed by Rocco Versaci • Palestine by Joe Sacco contributed by Rocco Versaci • Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon contributed by Rocco Versaci • Maus by Art Spiegleman contributed anonymously

Handouts: • The Creation of a Page contributed by Tom Hart • Three-Act Story Structure contributed anonymously • Women in Comics: An Introductory Guide contributed by Trina Robbins • Critique Talking Points contributed anonymously • Usagi Yojimbo: Step by Step contributed by Stan Sakai • Mix and Match Rows: Comics Handouts for Younger Students contributed by Ben Towle • Comics Terminology contributed anonymously • How To Read Nancy contributed by Mark Newgarden and Paul Karasik

• Complete Syllabi

In this section you will find a number of complete course syllabi, most if which are intended for teaching at the undergraduate level. The syllabi are divided into sections for studio classes and non-studio classes and have been contributed by instructors from institutions such as Yale, The Savannah College of Art and Design, The University of Florida, and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as others.

• Comics As Literature contributed by Rocco Versaci
• Comics and Animation contributed anonymously
• Comics in American Culture contributed by Professor Touponce
• Media in Cultural Context: Comics, Cartoons and Graphic Storytelling contributed anonymously
• Survey of Sequential Art contributed anonymously
• Writing About Comics contributed anonymously
• Writing Scripts for Comics contributed by Mark Kneece
• Introduction to Comics Art: Gateway to Visual Storytelling contributed anonymously
• Reading Comics as Literature contributed by Isaac Cates
• Studies in Literature and Culture: The Graphic Novel contributed anonymously
• Comics Studio Class contributed anonymously
• Explore Chicago: The Art of Chris Ware contributed anonymously
• An Aesthetic History of Comics contributed by Dan Nadel
• History of Comic-Book Art contributed by Andrei Molotiu
• Image, Text, and Story: An Exploration of Graphic Novels contributed by Rachel Williams
• Books and Magazines

The reference material here consists of books and magazines which may be useful to educators teaching classes in comics or cartooning. Most of the items listed are instructional in nature, but a few are critical or analytical texts relating to the cartooing artform; Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics is probably the most well known of these. Several items listed are currently out of print, but reasonably priced copies can usually be located via bookfinder.com .

The Arbor House Book of Cartooning by Mort Greenberg ISBN 0-87795-399-6 New Yorker cartoonist Greenberg shares his knowledge in this comprehensive volume. There seem to be thousands of these “how-to cartoon” books. This (along with Polly Keener’s book) is one of the better ones.

The Art of Comic Book Inkin g by Gary Martin ASIN: 1569712581 Pretty good introduction to inking tools and concepts. Especially good at identifying methods of implying shade and weight on a human figure. A number of variations on the same pencils by differing comic book inking pros offer a good look at many ways a page can be successfully inked.

The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri ISBN: 0-671-21332-6 A seminal 20th century book on playwriting, and the introduction to the “dramatic statement” inherent in any play. The book is very instructive in looking at the elements of your story and examining which are contributing to the greater theme, and which are not. Like David Mamet’s book, it has little room for other opinions of how drama is constructed but certainly presents its own thesis clearly and completely.

Cartooning by Polly Keener ISBN: 0131179128 Although geared towards gag cartooning and comic strips, this book offers a great deal of information from generating ideas to tools and techniques. Covers a lot of the same ground as The Arbor House Book .

Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner ISBN: 0961472812 Taken from Amazon.com reader reviews: “Written years before Scott McCloud’s “Understanding Comics,” Will Eisner expounds upon how comics are a visual, reading experience using both words and pictures. He instructs the reader in how words and pictures can be used together to tell a story. The author must lead the reader with visual clues to each sequential image. Mood, emotion, even time can be expressed visually in a comic. Camera angles, panel borders, typefaces, all play a part in the effectiveness of a story.”

Comix 2000 by L’ Association Editors Essential cross section (2000 pages) of silent comics from across the globe. Countless examples of innovative silent storytelling.

The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics by Klaus Janson ISBN: 0-8230-1028-7 Klaus Janson’s book is a distillation of all his techniques and theories. A great book divided into 3 parts: drawing, storytelling and pencilling. Drawing focuses mostly on human anatomy. In Storytelling, he discusses the art of panel juxtaposition, including a nuanced look at juxtaposing unrelated images. He also offers an extensive and detailed look at panel arrangement, including composition both on the page and within the panel. The pencilling section offers a look at Janson’s process on an entire short story, from script to finishes. Overall intelligent, humble, and masterful.

Drawing Comics Lab: 52 Exercises on Characters, Panels, Storytelling, Publishing & Professional Practices (Lab Series) ISBN: 9781592538126 This easy-to-follow book is designed for the beginning or aspiring cartoonist; both children and adults will find the techniques to be engaging and highly accessible.Featured artists include:- James Stu

DRAW! Magazine Quarterly , published by: TwoMorrows Publishing PO Box 2129 Upper Darby, PA 19082 This weighty magazine features numerous useful columns each issue. Past columns have included an extensive look at inking by Klaus Janson, a look at character design by Genndy Tartakovsky (creator of Cartoon Network’s Samauri Jack ), an article on observation and set design by Batman set designer Paul Rivoche, and figure drawing by Brett Blevins.

Graphic Storytelling by Will Eisner ISBN: 0961472820 From the publisher: “A companion to Comics & Sequential Art , this book takes the principles examined in that title and applies them to the process of graphic storytelling. Eisner shows comic artists, filmmakers and graphic designers how to craft stories in a visual medium. They’ll also learn why mastering the basics of storytelling is far more important than the hollow flash and dazzle seen in lesser work. Readers will learn everything from the fine points of graphic storytelling to the big picture of the comics medium, including how to: * Use art that enhances your story, rather than obscuring it * Wield images like narrative tools * Write and illustrate effective dialogue * Develop ideas that can be turned into dynamic stories. These lessons and more are illustrated with storytelling samples from Eisner himself along with other comic book favorites, including Art Spiegelman, Robert Crumb, Milton Caniff and Al Capp. “

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell ISBN: 0691017840 Seminal and definitive look at world mythology and the “shared stories” therein. From African mythology, to Norse, to American Indian, the elements of myths are often similar. Campbell outlines these and as such, furthers Jung’s mapping of humanity’s unconscious hopes, desires and fears.

On Directing Film by David Mamet ISBN: 0140127224 There is no better description (told in essay form and also transcribed dialogues with his students) of how to proceed from an idea to a no-nonsense visual, dramatic rendition of that idea. The book is a perfect expression of its goal to outline the thinking steps involved in planning out a scene or series of scenes. For Mamet, all the expression lies in the script and in the SHOT LIST. Even his use of actors (as people who just get up, hit their marks and say their lines and shut up) is extreme. Nonetheless, he is completely self-assured of his points of view, and in learning his method of outlining a scene before beginning the filming or drawing, I can’t imagine a better explanation.

Perspective for Comic Book Artists by David Chelsea ISBN 0-8230-0567-4 Both an introduction and comprehensive course in perspective tailored specifically for Comic Book artists (and told in comics form.) People who don’t know perspective will finally learn what they’ve been doing right. Even those that think they know perspective will probably walk away with their heads spinning and full of new insights. Exhaustive and somewhat confusing if you don’t want to do the math.

Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics by Bill Blackbeard ISBN 0-87474-172-6 Essential introduction to the comic strips of the early 20th century.

Story by Robert McKee ISBN 0-06-039168-5 One of the world’s premiere screenwriting teachers dissects and defines the elements of a story. Sort of the Understanding Comics for screenwriters.

Syllabus by Lynda Barry ISBN 1-77046-161-2 Barry teaches a method of writing that focuses on the relationship between the hand, the brain, and spontaneous images, both written and visual. It has been embraced by people across North America—prison inmates, postal workers, university students, high-school teachers, and hairdressers—for opening pathways to creativity.

Wishes, Lies, and Dreams: Teaching Children to Write Poetry by Kenneth Koch ISBN 0-05-080530-7 A classic in its field, this book is a vivid account of a poet’s experience teaching Manhattan schoolchildren to write verse. The book provides great ideas for creating assignments that excite students and get the creative juices flowing.

The Writer’s Journey: Dramatic Structure for Storytellers by Christopher Volger ISBN: 0941188701 Overview of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” ideas and their use in Hollywood storytelling. Though simplistic, it is surprisingly useful if used correctly, meaning not as formulae, but as dramatic tools. Outlines a series of 12 steps in many stories — exemplified by Wizard of Oz but also evident in Titanic and surprisingly, even Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. All in all a good job of cracking open the traditional story structure and peeking inside.

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg ISBN 0-87773-375-9 Lots of exercises to get writers going. Exercises, like the Kenneth Koch book, can be easily translated for a comic artist.

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard ISBN 0-06-016156-6 A great writer writing about the creative process. Dillard offers bits of technical information but more importantly she lays out a realistic perspective on the trials and challenges of making art and the dedication needed to persevere.

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud ISBN: 006097625X Comprehensive examination of the mechanics of the art form; from mapping of iconographic imagery to an new nomenclature for transitions between comic panels (and a mapping of those as well.) Great overview and introduction to the intellectual tools involved in creating comics.

Your Career in Comics by Lee Nordling ISBN 0-8362-0748-3 If you want to make it as a comic strip artist, then this is the book for you. Nording looks at cartooning from three perspectives: the cartoonist’s, the newspaper editor’s, and the syndicate editor’s. He interviews dozens of professionals providing both a broad-based view of the art form and the nitty gritty of fashioning a solid comic strip.

• Promoting a Comics Curriculum

One of the primary the goals of NACAE was to assist educational institutions and individual educators interested in establishing a comics art curriculum.  The materials below are collected from various sources and outline some of the advantages of implementing sequential art/comics art classes and curricula.

• A Case For Comics contributed by James Sturm
• Seika University’s Department of Comic Art contributed by Matt Thorn
• How Comic Books Can Change the Way Our Students See Literature: One Teacher’s Perspective contributed by Rocco Versaci
• Comics in the Classroom contributed by James Sturm
• Interview with Michael Bitz of The Comic Book Project contributed by Christian Hill

Using These Materials

Q: How am I allowed to use the material on this page?

A: Unless otherwise noted, materials on this page are free to use, reproduce, and distribute as long as they are being used for non-commercial educational purposes. Please follow these guidelines when using these materials:

• You may not use any materials contained on this site for commercial purposes
• You must attribute the work as described below
• If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one.
• To properly attribute content copied, distributed or displayed from this site, include the following information: Copyright © [name of originating author] via NACAE

Connect with Us

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A free self-directed eCourse to improve your cartooning skills. Online, Start Anytime !

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BIPOC Cartoonist Fund Accepting Donations

CCS wants your old comics! These comics and many more were donated to support CCS's BIPOC Cartoonist Fund. If you're interested in making a comic book or cash donation  drop us a line . 

FREE COMICS

Cartooning in an anxious age.

Cartooning In An Anxious Age (pdf) is a free comic by Cara Bean on the act of drawing, which focuses your attention and intimately connects you with the generative act of creation. It’s an inspiring read.

Let's Talk About It: A Graphic Guide to Mental Health

Created for middle and high school students, Let’s Talk About It: A Graphic Guide To Mental Health is a lively and educational comic book that destigmatizes the conversation around mental health.

A 32-page comic on how our government works

Using the power of comics to teach teens about the way our government works This Is What Democracy Looks Like, A Graphic Guide To Governance is a 32-page comic book created by The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS). This short comic guide helps to bring democracy back to the hands of the people by explaining what democracy actually means and how the whole thing works. This guide will be a great jumping-off point to learn about our government.

• Lesson Plans

The Applied Cartooning Manifesto

Download a free copy of The World is Made of Cheese, The Applied Cartooning Manifesto.

© The Center for Cartoon Studies PO BOX 125, White River Junction, Vermont 05001 [email protected] 802.295.3319

Digital History Lab

Teaching and learning history with digital resources, telling history through comics and graphic novels.

One of the things we’ve talked about a lot in our class is how historiography (the study of how history is written) can help us understand why certain stories get told and certain ones don’t get told—or wait for a much longer time to be written and disseminated.

Implicit in this conversation has been the idea of popularity and of audience. The imagined or projected audience—plus their interests and frames of reference—can often mean the difference between a book having a 500 copy run and relative obscurity, versus a 100,000 copy printing that gets marketed widely… and maybe even becomes a film or television show.

For this exercise I’d like you to think about the historiographical difference between a history being locked inside a book that relatively fewer people read versus being made into a more widely-consumed format like a graphic novel. How does each format change the story being told and serve the audience (or different audiences)? What does the study of how history is written have to teach us about making a traditional text into a graphic novel or comic? Why might this format shift might be very important not only for how the story is told, but how that history actually effects broader changes in how people understand the world around them?

For the comics assignment, try to come up with a one-page or even one-panel interpretation of one point or insight from a book we’ve read. You don’t have to be good at drawing and if you want you can even describe the layout of the comic instead of drawing it. You are also welcome to use stick figures, or a mix of photo collage and text, to try to convey your point. Check out some examples students did from a similar assignment here. You are welcome to do this on paper or using software—there are some apps online that provide comics templates and tools that you might find helpful (search for “comic maker” or “comic strip maker”).

Some possible examples to get you started:

How would you represent the crux of the generational conflict between the father and son from Think Black in a one-pane comic? How would you boil down the most important insight about this conflict into text short enough to fit in two speech bubbles (one for each person) or in one caption?

How might you draw or trace a picture of Hazel Carby, or her father, and then use that image to create a cartoon that shows the racism inherent in the question “where are you from?” Could you make a one-page, 2 to 6 pane comic about this? Or describe how you would do this, and how you would like for it to look, even if you can’t draw it yourself? Think about how the drawing itself could convey certain messages even before you add text. Could you convey your point with pictures only? Pretend you have an artist who will draw it for you as long as you describe it in specific enough detail.

How could you use a camera or photocopier on a few of the many images in Programmed Inequality to create a one-page, 3 to 6 pane comic where you didn’t have to do any drawing? Could you represent the book’s main argument or would it be better to focus on one incident or insight from the book that you found interesting? You could write your own text or cut and paste text from the book, or both.

How would you use Her Neighbor’s Wife to make a comic that comments on LGBTQ history and historiography? Could you create a short (maybe 3-pane) comic that highlights who is missing from mainstream LGBTQ histories that focus on political activism?

This assignment is now optional due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a flexible due date of April 6 through 10th. If you do choose to do it, pass it in by sending it to me by e-mail.

Note: One of the pieces you read for this week, Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis , started as a graphic novel and then was adapted into an animated film. Listen to this interview with the author about that process: “There are many other realities that you do not see” –Marjane Satrapi

Comics produced by class members:

Below is a 4-page comic based on Programmed Inequality, and the oral history of Steve Shirley that you listened to, drawn and written by class member Bridget Hapner (click on each image to see it larger):

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Historic Event Comic Strip Assignment US HISTORY.

Published by Dominick Dalton Modified over 8 years ago

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Presentation on theme: "Historic Event Comic Strip Assignment US HISTORY."— Presentation transcript:

History Project WWII Rise of Dictators in Germany, Italy and Japan Germany, Italy, and Japan were called the Axis of Power. They rose to power.

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Brave In The Attempt

A site dedicated to advocating for all learners through innovation and adventure

Using Comics to Teach History

In the wake of new york comic con , i am examining the use of comics in education. you can see the whole series ..

Previously I discussed the number of ways you can begin  Educating Through Graphic Novels and the benefits for bringing them into your classroom. For example, Manga Classics  have versions of Huckleberry Finn and Great Expectations or you can even turn to Manga Shakespeare  to give new world flavor to the old world bard. If you’re looking for more STEM focus you can delve into The Manga Guide to Calculus  or  Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation . It is guaranteed to make those heavy topics more accessible. Some of the best comics though tell us of our history through compelling narrative and visuals. In fact, there’s no need to hide your comics inside your textbooks any longer as the comics themselves can be valuable for teaching civics and social studies as well as be historical artifacts themselves.

There are so many other wonderful historical comics to choose from across eras. Comics can be used as historic artifacts or as first-hand accounts of a historical narrative. Some interesting ones even give us a new perspective.

As I’ve said previously there’s the more dramatic  Frank Miller’s 300 about the Spartans’ heroic stand at Thermopylae. There is also Art Spiegelman’s, Maus which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992 for it’s creative and raw depiction of the Holocaust with Jews as mice and Germans and Poles as cats and pigs. Here are some more in addition to those.

• The Complete Persepolis  by Marjane Satrapi – Learn about the author’s life growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. There are stories of national political upheaval linked with personal struggles and family separation.
• The Photographer:  Into W ar-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders by Emmanuel Guibert – This is a mix of photographs and artwork documenting the trip of a French photographer to establish a field hospital in Afghanistan and the dangerous travails he met along the way.
• American History Ink by McGraw-Hill Education – This historical comic series covers a variety of topics including the Underground Railroad, the civil rights movement, women’s suffrage, internment camps, and more.
• Rebels: a Well-Regulated Militia by Brian Wood – The war for independence rages and the American colonists must battle to forge a new nation.
• Pistolfist: Revolutionary Warrior by Earls, Flanery, & Guinaldo – The fictional brother of Crispus Attucks is seeking to avenge his family against the British. Several historical figures like Benjamin Franklin and Benedict Arnold play key roles.
• Alan’s War: The Memories of G.I. Alan Cope  by Emmanuel Guibert – This tells the graphic story of a young soldier who looked to serve his country in WWII and how that decision would change him.
• Hiroshima: The Autobiography of Barefoot Gen by Richard Minear and Nakazawa Keiji – This autobiography tells the true-life story of a manga artist who was born in Hiroshima in 1939 at age 6 watched most of his family and neighbors die from the aftermath of America’s first atomic strike.
• Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow   by James Sturm, Rich Tommaso – Another Negro League player turned sharecropper tells the story of the great pitcher Satchel Paige in the context of his world at the time.
• The 9/11 Report by Sid Jacobson, Ernie Colón – This is simply a graphic adaption of the information contained in the congressional September 11th report.
• The Big Lie by Rick Veitch – If you’re looking for a different perspective into the 9/11 attacks, this story will take you on a more convoluted journey that explores possible conspiracies surrounding the event.

Students could read multiple accounts of an event and think critically about which provides more reliable information. They can reference If you’re looking for historical comics for a certain era check out the history comics wiki  or the Historical Comics site. You can also find more by checking out Comics in Education .

“Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.” ― Dr. Seuss

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Published by Sean Arnold

I am a NYC District 75 special educator and STEM coach. View all posts by Sean Arnold

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• Visual Arts
• Drawing & Painting

Creating Comic Strips How can you weave together words and pictures in a comic strip to create a nonfiction story?

In this 3-5 lesson, students will examine comic strips as a form of fiction and nonfiction communication. Students will create original comic strips to convey mathematical concepts.

Get Printable Version   Copy to Google Drive

Lesson Content

• Preparation
• Instruction

Learning Objectives

Students will: 

• Analyze the evolution of comic strips using the familiar Peanuts comic strips and other comic strips.
• Explore comic strips from the perspective of a story (setting, characters, plot).
• Evaluate comic strips by looking at words, pictures, and how they work together.
• Create an original comic strip to convey mathematical information.
• Share original comic strips with younger students as a reference tool.

Standards Alignment

National Core Arts Standards National Core Arts Standards

VA:Cr1.2.3a Apply knowledge of available resources, tools, and technologies to investigate personal ideas through the art-making process.

VA:Cr1.2.4a Collaboratively set goals and create artwork that is meaningful and has purpose to the makers.

VA:Cr1.2.5a Identify and demonstrate diverse methods of artistic investigation to choose an approach for beginning a work of art.

Common Core State Standards Common Core State Standards

ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.A.2 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l).1 Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem.

MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.1 Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Record measurement equivalents in a two-column table.

MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.A.1 Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.

Recommended Student Materials

Editable Documents : Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.

• Comic Strip Template  
• Snoopy in Space
• Peanuts Motion Comics: Independence Day
• Early Peanuts Comics Strips
• Make Beliefs Comix
• Digital Storyboard Maker

Additional Materials

• Pencils, fine-tip markers or pens

Teacher Background  

Teachers should review the lesson and standards. Math standards are suggested but not limited to the ones listed. Visit CCSS Math Standards for more information. Review the book, Comic Strips: Create Your Own Comic Strips from Start to Finish by Art Roche. Select a video from the  Peanuts Collection or Snoopy Collection (example:  Peanuts Independence Day ). Exploring the following resources is also helpful prior to teaching the lesson: Early Peanuts Comics Strips (1950-1968), age-appropriate comic strips , an example Math Comic Strip , the history   of comic strips, and parts of a story.

Student Prerequisites  

Students should be familiar with grade-level math and parts of a story (setting, characters, plot).

Accessibility Notes

Adapt math materials as needed and allow extra time for task completion.

• Show a Peanuts comic strip video, such as Snoopy in Space or Peanuts Motion Comics: Independence Da y . 
• Prompt a class discussion with the following questions: Is this fiction or nonfiction? (It is creative nonfiction, using fictional characters to share factual information.) Who is familiar with the Peanuts characters? What other Peanuts shows have you seen? What story elements do you recognize? What is the goal of the production? What art technique is used to produce this video?

Build  

• Explore the evolution of Early Peanuts Comics (1950-1968). Ask students: What similarities and differences do you notice about the comic strips? How many frames are used in each strip? What role does color play in creating these comic strips? Who created these comic strips? (Introduce the creator, Charles Schultz, to the class.)
• Discuss the history of comic strips. Share that comic strips have been used as a communications tool for over 100 years and the first successful daily comic strip was Mutt and Jeff , which started in 1907. Comic strips are used to tell a story. They have three main parts of a story: s etting,  characters, and plot . Comic strips use words and pictures equally. Comic strips use a series of frames to show story movement.
• Explore age-appropriate comic strips . Have students work either independently, in groups, or as a class to explore other comic strips. Examine each comic strip for parts of a story, the use of words and pictures, and the number of frames used.
• Discuss the use of comic strips to convey factual information. Ask students: What factual information was shared in the comic strips or video we watched? What other factual information can be shared using a comic strip? Why would a comic strip creator want to share nonfiction information in this format?
• Create original comic strips using the Comic Strip Template or digital comic strips with sites like Make Beliefs Comix , Pixton , or Digital Storyboard Maker . Have each student create a 4-frame comic strip to convey a math concept. Model a math concept, then assign a math concept (learned or reinforced in the student’s previous grade) to each student. Using the three parts of a story, have each student create a comic strip to share the math concept. Have the student first work in pencil (drawing lightly). Review each comic strip draft for accuracy. Once approved, ask the student to “ink” the strip using a permanent fine tip marker. Erase any remaining pencil marks. Each student should title (top line) and sign (bottom line) the strip.
• Create a “Math by Comic Strip” book. Compile all comic strips into a single book. (You may want to create two books: one to share and one to keep as a classroom.)

Reflect  

• Share the “Math by Comic Strip” book with students in the previous grade. Have each student present their comic strip to another student or the class. 
• Assess students’ knowledge with one of the following writing or discussion prompts: What were students able to learn about math from reading your comic strip? How did your words and pictures work together to create a math story? What story elements were present in your comic strip? Who would the audience for your book be?
• Compare and contrast a classic novel and a classic graphic, such as Tales from the Brothers Grimm and Treasure Island , or a nonfiction graphic novels, such as Greek and Roman Mythology .

Original Writer

Carol Parenzan

JoDee Scissors

October 29, 2021

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• Introduction

A definition of terms

The origins of the comic strip.

• The 19th century
• The United States
• Institutionalization
• The fact-based comic: historical, didactic, political, narrative
• The autobiographical graphic novel
• Comics in Latin America
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comic strip

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• Table Of Contents

comic strip , series of adjacent drawn images, usually arranged horizontally, that are designed to be read as a narrative or a chronological sequence. The story is usually original in this form. Words may be introduced within or near each image, or they may be dispensed with altogether. If words functionally dominate the image, it then becomes merely illustration to a text. The comic strip is essentially a mass medium , printed in a magazine , a newspaper , or a book . The definition of comic strip as essentially containing text inscribed within “balloons” inside the picture frame aspires to a certain orthodoxy in the United States , but it is unworkable and would exclude most strips created before about 1900 and many since. The term graphic novel is now established for the longer and more novel-like coherent story, and the term sequential art is also in use.

A comic book is a bound collection of strips, each of which typically tells a single story or a gag (joke) in a few panels or else a segment of a continuous story. Most of the more popular newspaper comic strips eventually are collected over a varying period of time and published in book form.

Only in the English language is the word comic used in connection with these strips. Although now firmly established, it is misleading, for the early (pre-19th-century) strip was seldom comic either in form or in content, and many contemporary strips are in no sense primarily humorous. The terms comics and comic strip became established about 1900 in the United States, when all strips were indeed comic. The French term is bande dessinée (i.e., “drawn strip,” or BD for short). The older German term is Bildergeschichte (“picture story”) or Bilderstreifen (“picture strip”), but the Germans now tend to employ the English word, as do speakers of many other languages. The Italian term for this art form is fumetto (literally, “little puff of smoke,” after the balloon within which most modern strips enclose verbal dialogue). In Spanish both the comic strip and book are called historieta .

The comic strip, defined as a mass medium, cannot reasonably be said to have existed before the invention of printing. In the early period there were two principal forms: a series of small images printed on a single piece of paper (narrative strip proper) and a series composed of several sheets of paper, with one image per page, which when displayed on the wall of a house formed a narrative frieze or picture story.

From the outset two basic groups of themes emerged: political morality and private morality. Surviving pre-1550 strips, most of which are German woodcuts, deal with such subjects as the lives of saints (subdivided in the manner of late medieval painted altarpieces , which were a decisive factor on the compartmentalized layout of broadsheets), accounts of contemporary miracles, mockery of worldly love, and politically inspired accusations against the Jews.

The Reformation and the ensuing wars of religion through the 17th century, particularly in Protestant Germany and the Netherlands, gave rise to many propagandistic and patriotic strips based on contemporary political events. In the course of the 17th century, the narrative strip, hitherto an ill-defined and irregular phenomenon, became stabilized and typically took the form of an allegorical graphic centrepiece surrounded by narrative border strips. Although often crude in style, these strips managed to render accounts of political intrigue and moving descriptions of military terror; the best known in the latter category is the exquisitely executed and carefully cadenced narrative of the Thirty Years’ War by Jacques Callot . Little known, but as powerful in their way, are Romeyn de Hooghe ’s indictments of Huguenot persecution under Louis XIV . Romeyn, the first named artist to devote himself consistently to the narrative strip, also left colourful, forceful, and elaborate graphic accounts of the accession of William III to power in the Netherlands and England. English engravers, inspired by the Dutch example and led by Francis Barlow, retailed the complex political events of the period (e.g., the Popish Plot of 1678) in the form of playing cards , which were often sold in uncut broadsheets.

The earliest strips concerning private morality are German and recount atrocious forms of murder and their public punishment, the emphasis shifting from the latter (in the 16th century) to the former (in the 18th century). The crime strip eventually developed into the more or less exaggerated and romanticized life of the famous brigand, which is the precursor of the early 20th-century detective strip.

Narratives based on a wider spectrum of immoral and criminal behaviour took as their point of departure illustrations for the parable of the prodigal son, woodcut versions of which, independent of the biblical text, were first produced by Cornelis Anthonisz of Amsterdam. The riotous living of the prodigal, enriched with elements from illustrations for the seven deadly sins ( see deadly sin ) and the Ten Commandments , was distilled in various Italian lives of harlots and rakes, the most comprehensive and drastic of which are mid-17th-century Venetian. A generation later the Bolognese artist G.M. Mitelli was giving his narrative and seminarrative satires almost caricatural moral emphasis. German artists in the 17th century specialized in satirically exposing the tyranny of shrewish wives and proposing violent remedies. The Dutch at this time produced expressly for children some frankly farcical strips of primitive design. By the mid-18th century the Russians too were making satirical strips.

The various social and moral themes that had been crudely treated in different countries and at different times were the raw material for the English artist William Hogarth , who raised the broadsheet picture story to an aesthetic level that has rarely been surpassed. With a social insight both broad and deep, an unrivaled sense of satirical counterpoint and topicality of reference, and exceptional physiognomic finesse , Hogarth dealt with types from all classes of society. His narrative richness is entirely visual, for he dispensed with all the broadsheet paraphernalia of caption-balloon-legend-commentary, permitting only such inscriptions as could be introduced naturalistically into the scene. Hogarth’s moral attitude was also new: he depicted the follies and the punishment of his protagonists with a measure of sympathy, reserving the full fire of his satire for those who exploit these unfortunates. Among Hogarth’s many followers, two stand out: the German Daniel Chodowiecki , who reduced the Hogarthian picture story to fit within the compass of almanac illustrations, and the Englishman James Northcote , who tried to combine Hogarthian realism with a Neoclassical sentimentality ( Diligence and Dissipation , 1796).

It was the introduction into the broadsheet of the essentially comic mechanism of caricature that established the “comic strip” as basically comic in both form and content. The major exponents of the caricatural strip during the great age of English caricature (about 1800) were minor artists such as Henry Bunbury, George Woodward, and, notably, Richard Newton, who in his brief career combined elements of Hogarthian satire with the grotesque exaggerations of Thomas Rowlandson and James Gillray . Economy of line, instantaneity of comic effect, and visual and verbal wit now became the hallmark of the strip. With the story concentrated on a single page, backgrounds and narrative incident were minimized in favour of striking facial expressions and silhouetted poses.

An Introduction to Julius Caesar Using Multiple-Perspective Universal Theme Analysis

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Students begin by evaluating the universal theme of betrayal from multiple perspectives. After reading time period scenarios as well as reflecting on personal experiences, students use critical thinking skills to explore and identify interventions for each the betrayal scenario, including their personal examples.  Students research Roman history, the setting of Shakespeare's drama, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar .  Applying this research, students write their own critical perspective of a scenario depicting plausible betrayal scenes from Roman times.  As the culminating project and assessment, students create comic strips with the student interactive Comic Creator.

Featured Resources

• Scenarios Guides and PowerPoint : Use the guides to investigate the feelings of betrayal in different places and time periods and the PowerPoint to project each scenario to the entire class during discussion.
• Comic Strip Assignment Checklist : Use this handout to explain the assignment and highlight the process for the completing the assignment.
• Comic Strip Assignment Rubric : Use this rubric to score the comic strip example and guide students when creating their comic strips.
• Comic Strip Example : Use this example to score the grading rubric with the students.

From Theory to Practice

In their article, “Reading From Different Interpretative Stances: In Search of a Critical Perspective,” Leland, Ociepka, and Kuonen (2012) report a study that they conducted in which eighth grade American students were introduced to several critical perspectives while reading short stories (430).  Speaking of the results, Leland, Ociepka, and Kuonen (2012) report, “The data we collected provides evidence that the activity of reading from different stances encouraged students to engage in flexible thinking and to see multiple perspectives” (436).  Morgan and York (2009) support this concept by explaining that “To grow in understanding, students need to consider the views of the people whose stories are told and explore those views in the context of the world as seen through the eyes of those people” (307).  Therefore, through the exploration of stories that include many different perspectives, students use critical thinking skills to empathize with people and characters who may seem very different from them (Morgan and York 308).  Specifically, Morgan and York (2009) describe specific strategies as a means for role playing to introduce multiple perspectives. DelliCarpini and Gulla (2006) describe the value of inviting students to add their perspectives to the mix of perspectives in the classroom. DelliCarpini and Gulla (2006) explain, “All students can benefit from the opportunities that our story-sharing approach provides, and they can begin to understand how their unique stories add perspective to events and see the connections between their background experiences, world events, and the classroom” (49). Because “engagement with multiple perspectives under the skilled guidance of a teacher is potentially transformative,” in this lesson, students explore multiple perspectives to address critical thinking skills involved in understanding universal themes (Morgan and York 307).  The Tragedy of Julius Caesar takes place in 44 B.C.; therefore, students initially may find the lives of Julius Caesar and his contemporaries irrelevant to their lives in the 21st century.  However, using multiple perspectives to investigate the universal theme of betrayal, students gain a sense of empathy for the characters experiencing betrayal and familiarity with their feelings.  An additional value of this lesson is that students use otherwise hard to address critical thinking skills to develop an appreciation for differences in cultures and understanding of universal themes, while also finding relevancy in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar .

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

Materials and Technology

• Computers with internet access and printing capabilities
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• LCD projector
• Copies of certain printouts
• Writing instruments
• Scenarios Guide
• Multiple-Perspectives PowerPoint
• Comic Strip Planning Sheet
• Comic Strip Assignment Rubric
• Comic Strip Assignment Checklist
• Comic Strip Example
• Presentation Reflection Sheet

This website provides detailed information about Ancient Roman history.  The teacher accesses this website and its many links before the lesson to become familiar with Ancient Rome.  The students use this website to research detailed information about Ancient Rome to be applied to their projects.

This website contains accurate, detailed information about Roman history and culture so that the teacher is prepared to assist students during their research and comic strip development.  Additionally, free, reproducible resources about Roman history and culture are available from this site for the teacher’s use.

Students use this website to investigate the many avenues of Roman history and apply that knowledge to create an original scenario of betrayal that would be consistent with Roman times. This website is interactive and contains information that is general enough so as not to overwhelm the students for this activity but also provides enough detail to stimulate critical thinking.

Preparation

• Review the Ancient Roman History Website before the lesson to research Ancient Rome in order to facilitate the research project.  This website contains detailed information about Roman culture, religion, and people.
• Visit the Roman History Interactive Website before the lesson to become familiar with Roman history in order to facilitate the research project. This website contains accurate, detailed information and free reproducible resources.
• Access the Comic Creator to become familiar with this interactive website in order to assist the students during the lesson.
• Copy an even number of each scenario guide .  There are three guides, and each student only gets one guide.  Be prepared to distribute the guides so that in a class of 30 students approximately 10 students have each scenario.
• View and become familiar with the Multiple-Perspectives PowerPoint .
• Copy the Comic Strip Planning Sheet , Comic Strip Assignment Rubric , Comic Strip Assignment Checklist , Comic Strip Example , and Presentation Reflection Sheet for each student.

Student Objectives

Students will:

• draw conclusions about the function of universal themes in different scenarios.
• examine the connection between multiple perspectives and universal themes when reading different perspectives.
• create a six-panel comic strip depicting a betrayal scene from Roman perspectives.
• present a comic strip justifying their betrayal scenes from Roman perspectives.

Session One

What inventions could be used for each scenario? What are the resulting outcomes from these interventions? How would these interventions improve the situations for the characters? Why is it important to analyze situations and interventions from your own life experiences? How could these reflections help you and/or characters in the future?

• Ask students to freewrite about a time in their lives when they felt betrayed.
• Discuss the responses as a class noting feelings associated with the betrayal and interventions that could have prevented the betrayal.
• Distribute the Scenarios Guide making sure that every third student has a different scenario.
• Instruct students to read their scenarios silently and complete Part I of the Scenarios Guide .
• Ask for a volunteer to read the 21st century scenario and project it on the board using the Multiple-Perspectives PowerPoint for the rest of the class to follow along.
• Discuss Part I for the 21st century scenario from the Scenarios Guide .
• Repeat steps five and six for the 20th century scenario and 19th century scenario.
• Group students according to their scenarios creating three groups.
• Instruct students to brainstorm and record at least three inventions that could have prevented the betrayal in their scenario.
• Reconvene as a class to discuss the interventions for each scenario.
• Project the definition of a universal theme and solicit examples from the class.
• Ask students to revisit their freewrite to develop three interventions that could have prevented the betrayal.

Session Two

• Ask students to create their own modern-day betrayal scenario that has not already been discussed.
• Elicit discussion about betrayal in today’s society.
• Handout the Comic Strip Assignment Checklist , Comic Strip Assignment Rubric , Comic Strip Planning Sheet , and the Comic Strip Example .
• Review the assignment with the students.
• Give students time to assess the Comic Strip Example .
• Review their findings being sure to highlight the inadequacies, such as the failure to include a Planning Sheet , captions, six panels, and enough detail to fully understand the example of betrayal.
• Discuss how this comic strip could be improved, such as adding three more panels, details, captions, callouts, and props.
• Divide class into small groups.
• Give each group a computer with Internet access.
• Give the students the remainder of the period to research Roman history and complete the Comic Strip Planning Sheet .

Session Three

• Ask students to list five new facts they learned about Roman history.
• Discuss these facts as a class.
• Give students the period to complete the comic strip using the Comic Creator .
• Instruct the students to print out the comic.
• Instruct students to review for their comic strip presentation when complete.

Session Four

• Give students ample time to review their comic strips and presentation plans.
• Handout the Presentation Reflection Sheet and instruct students to complete it for each group presentation.
• Instruct students to present their comic strips one group at time.
• After each presentation, elicit feelings of betrayal and intervention ideas for each comic scenario.
• Instruct students to complete the Presentation Reflection Sheet for their own presentation and turn it in when completed.
• At the end of the lesson, review universal themes and multiple perspectives with a series of open-ended questions, such as:

How did we see the universal theme of betrayal from several perspectives? What characteristics make betrayal a universal theme? What other types of universal themes do we see in our lives? How are universal themes helpful to us? How is it helpful to think about different perspectives?

• After completing this activity, analyze universal themes from other stories read throughout the year.
• After reading The Tragedy of Julius Caesar , students should analyze the multiple perspectives of different characters in the play.  A related ReadWriteThink lesson that could supplement this lesson is What Did George Post Today? Learning About People of the American Revolution Through Facebook . For this assignment, students could create Facebook-like pages for characters in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar .  This type of role play with the characters could broaden the students understanding of critical perspectives and universal themes.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Assess the Comic Strip Planning Sheet to ensure that the students’ comic strips demonstrated thoughtful analysis and preparation.
• Assess students or groups using the Comic Strip Assignment Rubric .
• Review the Presentation Reflection Sheet to informally assess the students’ understanding of universal themes and multiple perspectives.
• Professional Library
• Calendar Activities
• Lesson Plans
• Student Interactives

The Comic Creator invites students to compose their own comic strips for a variety of contexts (prewriting, pre- and postreading activities, response to literature, and so on).

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What's so funny about women in comic art?

Upon learning that the world spins on its axis, Irma Peterson—the title character of the comic strip My Friend Irma —reacts with shock, exclaiming "Golly, no wonder I'm dizzy!!!" while her boss looks on in dismay.

As the comic strip above illustrates, stereotypical depictions of women were a mainstay of comics (or the “funnies”) in the mid-1900s. The industry was founded and dominated by male artists and editors. Whenever these comic creators needed a ready source of subject matter, they would reach into their collection of stories about women, and in representing them reflect their own and societally perceived beliefs about feminine inferiorities or peculiarities. Roughly 300 comic works were printed periodically in 1,000 newspapers nationwide during the mid-1960s. Both then and now, more men than women read comics, so it can be said that men both created and published comics for other men.

Generally, comic artists appear to have portrayed the women in their lives that they knew best: their mothers, their wives, and their daughters. Male artists depicted women as empty-headed, obsessed with dating, and excessively emotional. Other strips depicted women being demanding and impatient, requiring pampering, and having different priorities than men. From the group of about 900 original comic art drawings found in the museum’s collections, we can explore how this medium both shaped and reflected the shift of women’s roles in society.

This comic strip shows Lolly, the title character, attempting to please her boss with her work; he immediately becomes frustrated because of what he presumes to be her mindless misspelling of the word “dear.”

Here two young girls, one dragging a doll at her side, discuss the boys coming toward them. One girl hopefully suggests the potential counterintuitive bullying reaction the boys might offer if they are interested in the girls.

Here Dotty, the title character, is depicted as naïve and over-sensitive from her husband’s point of view because she cries when her son enthusiastically leaves home.

Here the wife is portrayed as a fault-finding, irritated figure who won’t let her husband enjoy his vacation until he finishes his chores.

Here the woman at the restaurant seems to silently demand a meal. The man, responding to the waiter’s assumption that he is interested in an inexpensive meal, turns his head quickly in confusion, as if to say, “Hey, you’ve caught on to me.”

Here the wife is trying to inspire her annoyed husband with a nationally related excuse to go out and make money.

With societal shifts, beginning in the 1940s, depictions of women in comics started to change.

Adventure and comic books such as Superman and Wonder Woman popularized superheroes. The Invisible Scarlet O’Neil strip featured the title character, a plainclothes superhero who assisted people in need.

Here Scarlet O’Neil leaves a child in the car and makes herself invisible by touching her wrist to successfully spy on the scene of a crime. The episode includes the idea that—even when a woman has such a perilous job—she is expected to perform duties like caring for children.

Here Wonder Woman, the strong superheroine, is shown rescuing an Inca girl from becoming a human sacrifice.

Joye Evelyn Hummel was one of the few women comic artists of this era. She ghost-wrote for the short-lived strip and continuing comic book for Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston, between 1944 and 1947. Hummel later resigned from her job to spend more time with her newborn, but she had also become frustrated by the leanings of other Wonder Woman writers who she felt were interested in eliminating the feminist themes perpetuated by Marston.

By the 1950s and 1960s, the women's liberation movement had shaped American social consciousness to the degree that comic art creators and publishers saw the need to adjust their depictions of women further. While some works continued to belittle women, others promoted and applauded them. Several artists, some women, began to include more equitable representations of women. But the characteristics associated with women in comics that would continue to most assist, and sometimes unintentionally promote, women’s liberation were those describing successful, strong, capable female heroines.

Here Brenda Starr, the title character, is keeping up appearances after a job in the South Seas, proving that women can be both glamorous yet adventuresome.

Similar to Joye Evelyn Hummel’s dealings with the Wonder Woman comic strip and comic book, Dale (Dalia) Messick created and drew the Brenda Starr strip but felt she needed to change her name to follow the accepted conventions of the comic art business, being male. This male-oriented convention has since become either unacceptable and/or undercut, as roughly two hundred women have now been documented as having been involved in the production (creation, illustration, and writing) of comic art in the United States since its beginnings.

As a medium that echoes the real-life complexities of women’s transitions between positions as homemakers and career-oriented individuals, these comic works help us grapple with understandings about, and the circumstances and climates of, the mid-1900s, including the inequities that permeated American culture. They point to a future, however, where equality, as it relates to men and women of all cultures, has a future.

Readers can browse through the 900 comic art drawings using the museum's Comic Art object group .

Joan Boudreau is a curator of the printing and graphic arts collections in the Division of Work and Industry. She has written other blogs, including Gus Arriola and Gordo, agents of Mexican culture . 

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