One-page Manga Stories

During the summer session of Manga Club, the kids and I learned about the 4-panel gag manga style called yonkoma. They used this genre as a starting point to create a simple one-page manga of their own. First they brainstormed ideas and did preliminary sketches in their sketchbooks. Drawings were then transferred using the light box or redrawn onto final art board. Copies of each one page work were made and bound together to create a class project.

I could not have been more impressed with their ideas, attention to detail, and time and effort put into these projects! Even though yonkoma are generally a simpler style of manga, we still had to consider a multitude of elements: character design, panels, dialogue, environments, continuity and more. I also emphasized that their work should include areas of white, black, mid-tones and texture. It was a jam-packed super lesson, and they all ran with it. Great job all of my junior mangakas!