Comic Strips

0. GIVING EXAMPLES

Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. (A comic strip is a series of drawings used to tell jokes.) It’s about the adventures of Calvin, a six-year-old with an overactive imagination, and Hobbes, his stuffed toy tiger.

Words to Know

·Wanders (panel 1) — To walk slowly and casually.

·African plain (panel 1) — A plain is a large flat area of land.

·Ton (panel 2) — 2,000 pounds or about 900 kilograms.

·Deafening (panel 3) — A sound so loud that it will make you deaf.

·Shatter (panel 3) — To break violently into pieces.

 

Strips like these are what make Calvin and Hobbes so much better than other comics. Here, we explore Calvin imagining himself as an elephant innocently wandering through the African plains only to find out what he’s actually doing in the final panel: being a mischievous (i.e. someone who likes to cause trouble in a playful way) little boy, pulling a prank (i.e. a practical joke) on his parents.

Words to Know

·Who knows? (panel 2) — This is used to imply that you don’t know the answer to the question and don’t really care. For example: What are the characters’ names on the reality TV show Jersey Shore? —Who knows?

·Who cares? (panel 3) — You say who cares? when you want to imply that you don’t care at all, and you don’t think anyone else does either.

 

This panel begins to introduce the character Susie, who Calvin likes but tries to cover it up (cover it up means to hide) by always doing mean things and making fun of her. (You can see a full length cartoon with her at the end of the article.)

Words to Know

·Set fire (panel 1) — to intentionally put something on fire. You can also say to set something on fire or to light something on fire.

·She’s on to me (panel 4) — When someone is on to you they know what you’re thinking, they understand your intentions.

Here Calvin is asking absurd requests of his mom in order to make the question, “Can I have a cookie?” not seem so bad. However, this plan doesn’t work which leads Calvin to think “She’s on to me.”

Words to Know

·Utterly (panel 3) — completely.

·Cynically (panel 3) — doubtful as to whether something is worthwhile.

·Lousy (panel 4) — very bad.

Bill Watterson is criticizing the U.S.’s public education systems, saying how they only teach children to memorize useless information instead of teaching them anything useful, worthwhile, or practical.

Words to Know

·Words fail me (panel 4) — I’m speechless (without words), words can’t describe how I feel, I can’t think of anything to say.

·Keep in mind (panel 4) — Remember.

·Transmogrification (panel 4) — To transform into a different shape, especially something that is unusual or strange.

This strip introduces a long line of jokes as Calvin as a tiger.

Words to Know

·Go into shock (panel 1) — When blood pressure drops too low to get enough blood to your body. Symptoms include cold yet sweaty skin, weak and rapid pulse (how fast your heart beats).

·Scam (panel 2) — Fraud, a dishonest scheme

·Deadman’s float (panel 3) — When you float on your back in the water. 

This panel is making fun of little suburban kids who are forced to take swimming lessons against their will and are irrationally (i.e. unreasonably) afraid of them.

Words to Know

·Trick question (panel 4) — Trick questions are when someone asks a question they already know the answer to in order to confuse someone. The question can have no correct answer or when the answer is no as simple as it seems.
For example, the initial response to What do you put into a toaster? is toast, which is incorrect. You put bread into a toaster and it turns into toast.

A great strip that just shows Calvin just being a kid. The mom has a normal reaction, “What are you doing?!” and Calvin thinks the answer is pretty obvious…

Words to Know 

·A man of few words (panel 1) — Someone who is able to make a point without needing to use a lot of words. Someone who can describe things well. It’s usually used as a compliment.

Here you get a glimpse of Hobbes’ “smart-ass” (i.e. sarcastic) humor. Calvin says with dignity (as you can tell by the expression on his face), that he is “a man of few words,” which Hobbes makes it into meaning that Calvin doesn’t know many words and therefore isn’t very smart.

Words to Know

·Seeks (panel 1) — Is looking for.

·Euphoria (panel 2) — A feeling of intense excitement and happiness.

·At a loss for words (panel 4) — This means to have nothing to say, to be speechless.

·…Many a friendship (panel 4) — Hobbes is saying that his silence has prevented many people from disliking him.

Here, Calvin is making some absurd statements that Hobbes prefers to not to comment about. When Calvin makes fun of him for it, Hobbes implies if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. This strip shows Hobbes as a man of few words.

Words to Know

·Fold (panel 4) — Fold is the word you say in poker when you want to quit on “the hand,” or throw your cards away and not bet anymore money on the round.

Notice Hobbes’ tail in the third panel.

Words to Know

·Patient (row 1, panel 2) — Someone who is waiting to see a doctor.

·Tongue depressor (row 1, panel 2) — A device used to examine the mouth and throat.

·Like I care (row 2, panel 1) — A sarcastic way to say that you don’t care at all.

·Find out (row 2, panel 2) — Issue a warning.

·Psychosomatic (row 2, panel 3) — A physical illness caused by mental problems.

·Lobotomy (row 2, panel 3) — A type of brain surgery, often used for mental patients.

·Saw (row 2, panel 3) — A big, knife-like tool used to cut down trees, among other things.

·Stethoscope (row 2, panel 3) — A medical tool used to listen to a heartbeat or breathing, it’s often worn around a doctor’s neck.

·Mallet (row 2, panel 4) — A hammer with a large wooden head.

·Anesthesia (row 2, panel 4)— A drug used to dull pain in medical procedures.

·Shot (row 3, panel 1) — To receive a vaccination through an injection.

·Shot in the mouth (row 3, panel 1) — A punch in the mouth.

Calvin and Hobbes include many brilliant strips like these showcasing the imaginative power of little kids (i.e. children). In the beginning of the strip, Calvin and Susie appear to be an adult doctor and his patient, respectively. But as the comic continues, you notice how childish/immature the adults are acting, only to find towards the end of the comic that the adults are actually Calvin and Susie playing Doctor.

 In this frame from a comic, a visual metaphor is used. What is it?

ACTIVITIES

Blank Balloons

This activity requires student collaboration and creativity.
1. Make enough copies of the comic strip for your students.
2. Cut it up in frames.
3. Give a set to each pair/group.
4. Students work in pairs and organize the frames in sequence.
5. Students write the lines for each balloon.
6. Students share their stories.
7. Students check the original sequence.
8. Students compare their stories to the original comic strip.
9. Students choose the story they like the most.

  

Bedtime Stories

This is an activity for conversation time in class.
1. Students dicuss the questions in small groups.
2. Individual work: Students complete the comic strip with the past tense of the verbs.
3. Peer check: Students chech their answers in pairs.
4. Show the slide and check with the whole group.
5. Pair work: Students read the comic strip and discuss the questions in pairs.
6. Homework: web search.

Jigsaw Reading

This is a reading activity that also promotes language awareness. Students have to analyse the language so as to be able to organize the frames into the original cartoon.
1. Make as many copies of the cartoon as necessary.
2. Cut the it up in frames.
3. Give a set to each pair/group.
4. Students work together to organize the frames.
5. Check their work.

Then have a class discussion:
a) What helped you identify the sequence of the story?
b) Which words were they?
c) Which words can you use to help you organize a sequence of events? Make a list of them.
d) Now write a story using these words to organize it.

Diferents comic strips

1. Match the following sentences to the onomatopoeia that describes them.

A plate being dropped on the floor.	TINKLE
A balloon being burst.	BANG
A gun being shot.	SMASH
Someone eating crisps.	GROWL
A light being switched on.	POP
A fierce dog.	CRUNCH
A small bell being rung.	CLICK

2. Put each onomatopoeia into a sentence.

a Ouch! b Hmmm c Shhh… d Hah! e Mmmmm

f Oops! g Ah hah!!! h Phew! i Whew! j Splash

1 You are cheating at a test and you see the teacher coming in your direction.

2 You finally understand something.

3 You’re eating a delicious piece of cake.

4 Your friend takes off his smelly shoes.

5 You’re watching TV and you want everyone to be quiet.

6 You drop a baloon full of water on the floor

7 You get a test back. You needed 12 to pass, you thought you failed but you got 13.

8 You dropped a heavy book on your foot.

9 You find out that you were right and your friends were wrong.

10 You are thinking about something. (Let me see…)