App Tutorial: Cartoon Creation
Advantages of Cartoons
- Fun, engaging, good to use with humor.
- Works well with younger audiences but can be adapted with more sophisticated dialogue.
- Gets a single idea across easily.
Disadvantages of Cartoons
- Not ideal for concepts that require longer explanations.
- Limited to what fits in a speech balloon.
- It can be time consuming to create and position characters, etc.
- The website may indicate that it is not a secure site (check with your teacher).
Making a Cartoon
Step 1. Plan out your comic strip story.
"A strong narrative or story arc is an essential part of a good comic strip. Create characters with hopes and dreams who face challenges but overcome them. Make the visuals as high-quality as possible. Use speech bubbles and make the frames as action-packed as possible." (Canva, 2025)
The basic process:
- Decide on the story you want to tell.
- Pick or create a background.
- Pick some images for your story characters (people, animals, images)
- Use a storyboard or slide for each event in the story.
Step 2. Select a tool to create your Comic Strip. A few options listed below will depend on which application you have available:
- Create one using Google Slides.
- Create one using Microsoft PowerPoint.
- Use Canva Comic Strip Creator to create comic strips with Canva.
- Use Canva Animated Cartoon Maker for an animated comic.
Step 3. Create a quick and fun example to familiarize yourself with how the program works.
Step 4. Now create a comic to communicate your special message.
Step 5. Save your cartoon and post it to your File Space, portfolio, or web presence.