Digital Technology - Cartoons and Comics

This week has been fun, filled with lots of creativity and learning. I got to explore three different online programs that can be used to create cartoons and comic strips. I looked at Toondoo, Pixton, and MakeBeliefsComix. The all have some great qualities and some things that took me a little time to figure out. I discovered ways creating cartoons and comic strips can be used in education and want to share it with my colleagues and other educators. Overall, I have really enjoyed playing around with the programs.

By LanaSnow | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

With Toondoo, it was easy to create a free account and get started. Once I logged in, I chose the layout and was given the option to add or take away frames or cells. Toondoo offers a lot of options as far as backgrounds, characters, and props. It was user friendly and allows you to flip the props and characters, bring them to the front of the frame or move them to the back, make them smaller or larger, and choose text bubbles and fonts as well as place them where you want them. Once I created my comic strip, it was easy to save and publish. I could also share it or embed it into a blog post or website. I like that Toondoo gives you the option to create a comic book. 


This program also offers Toondoospaces, a classroom for students to have access to. They can safely and securely create their own comic strips and cartoons. I can see students using this program to create comics based on a book they have read, create their own story in comic book format, or illustrate their understanding of vocabulary. I think Toondoo would be great for students at almost any age, especially in upper elementary through high school. 

I did find there to be a negative with Toondoo. Some of the characters did not give you very many options and poses for them. You were stuck with what comes with the free plan. You do have the option to upgrade for an additional fee and as much fun as creating comic strips and cartoons is, I think it’s worth it. To access Toondoo yourself, you can find it at www.toondoo.com.

Pixton also has a lot to offer. You can sign up for free, but upgrade to another plan that gives you additional options and tools. You can also create a classroom account through Pixton Edu and share the link with students so they can create cartoons and comic strips. Pixton offers different backgrounds, characters, and text bubbles. Like Toondoo, you can flip the characters, enlarge or shrink them, and move them forward or back. One thing I really liked with Pixton is that there are a

lot of choices with character poses and their expressions. You can be a little more specific with how you want your characters to look.

Pixton is a great tool to create comic strips and fairly easy to use. I really enjoyed playing around with the program and seeing what I could create. The comic strip was easy to save and publish, much like Toondoo. It allowed you to share your work through various social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, as well as embed it into a webpage or blog post. I can see students of all ages using this program just as much as I do Toondoo. You can access Pixton at www.pixton.com.

MakeBeliefsComix was the third webapp I looked at. As soon as you go to the site, you can start creating your comic strip. You do not have to create an account. You are able to choose characters, masks, and text boxes or bubbles. You also had the option to move the characters around, make then bigger or smaller, or flip them the other direction. It was easy to use like the other webapps I looked at but there weren’t nearly as many options. Also, once you have created your cartoon or comic strip, you cannot save it. You either have to email it to yourself to work on it later or start over the next time you go to the site. I think students would like the program, but not being able to easily save it, is a real negative.  You can instantly create comics at www.makebeliefscomix.com.

Creating comic strips is a really cool way to get students to display their knowledge. I plan to share the information I found regarding all three of the cartoon and comic creating sites with my colleagues at either a faculty meeting during grade level meetings. I want them to know that Toondoo, Pixton, and MakeBeliefsComix are all user friendly and easy to navigate. However, I would suggest either Toondoo or Pixton, because of the save feature and having more options with creating a cartoon or comic.

As an educator, you can create an account and set up a classroom, where students can safely and securely create cartoons and comics for you to view. There are so many ways to use these programs. Students can create a biography or an autobiography through comic strips or a comic book. Students can create their own stories or demonstrate their understanding of a topic. It also teaches students a fun way to express themselves. Creating comics also encourages collaboration through partner and group projects. There are endless ways to incorporate these programs into the educational setting. I am not going to tell you which one of the two would be best. I believe that is based on personal preference. I suggest you play around with both and see which one is right for you and your students.

I am going to give them an introduction into both Toondoo and Pixton, demonstrating how simple it is to create a comic strip and save it. I will then offer mini-sessions on using the programs as well as making sure they know I am always available if they have any questions or need any assistance. As an added touch, I plan to create comics about library rules and expectations, as well as upcoming events, and have them posted around the campus.

I am hoping that showing my colleagues will get them excited about cartoons and comics. Creating comics is fun and a great tool to use to demonstrate one’s learning. Comic books have become very popular and giving students the opportunity to create their own would make learning enjoyable. I believe more students would become fully engaged in the work and the process of creating comic strips or a comic book would also deepen their learning.  

I hope you have found this information helpful. Take the time to check out the comic-creating sites I shared. You won't regret it. Now off to my next learning adventure in digital technology. Can't wait to see where it takes me next!