Comic strip conversation

How it works

1. Start with an empty comic strip or with an example. A comic strip has one to six panels.
2. For each panel, choose where it is and who is there. Give everyone a face, and write what someone says (speech bubble) and what someone thinks (cloud).
3. Give a speech bubble a feeling if you like. You can see it from the border and the little word next to it.
4. Then make the comic strip Next time: a copy in which you draw a different ending. The two comic strips are side by side.
5. Tell the comic strip panel by panel, with the questions that go with it. Print it or save it as a file.

Where the idea comes from

This comes from Carol Gray’s Comic Strip Conversations: talking about what happened using simple drawings.

You don’t have to get it right in one go: you can move a panel, change a face or leave a cloud empty.

Together or on your own

If you do it with your client, switch on Thought clouds closed at first under Settings: then you first guess what someone was thinking, and then open the cloud.

Start with an example if an empty comic strip feels hard, and change it.

Good to know

• Everything works with the keyboard. You drag people and objects in the large panel, or put them in place with the buttons.
• Each panel has a text version: what is drawn, in ordinary sentences. A screen reader reads it out with the drawing.
• A feeling is never shown by colour alone: the border has its own pattern and there is a word with it.
• Comic strip conversation doesn’t give advice. Is it about something you find hard? Talk about it with someone you trust, with your GP or with a care worker. In an emergency, call 112. If you are thinking about suicide, call 113 or 0800-0113 (113 Zelfmoordpreventie, the Dutch suicide prevention line).

Your data

What you draw and type stays in this page on your own device. Nothing is sent and nothing is saved in your browser. If you close or refresh the page, everything is gone.

• The file goes onto your device, in the place you choose. Everything you drew and typed is in it, including names. Open it again later on this page with Open a file.
• If you choose ‘Save as PDF’ when printing, your comic strip is saved as a file on your device.