3.1 Comics in Word

Let’s create a comic strip in Microsoft Word!

We’ll use Word in desktop mode, find some great free art or draw it ourselves. It’ll be FUN! Let’s do it!

Just what is Microsoft Word?

Now that we understand a little bit about what a word processor is for, let’s learn some vocabulary words we’ll need to know! There just might be a quiz on this at the end of this unit! You can download this PowerPoint file and read through it to learn about thirty words.

You can even play the next video in tandem with the PowerPoint vocabulary show so you can really digest all the words and the various parts of Microsoft Word. This video is pretty excellent.

• Open a new blank Word document. [File – New]
• Insert WordArt at the top of the page – type the comic strip title [Insert Tab – Text Group – WordArt].  Your comic strip title should be large and easy to see/read.  Give your WordArt some cool text effects [Shape Format Menu – WordArt Styles – Text Effects].  Select the textbox containing your WordArt and wrap text In Front of Text so you can move it around easily [Shape Format – Arrange Group – Wrap Text].
• Insert a Table with 3 rows and 2 columns [Insert Tab – Table].  Using the corner handlebars, stretch the table out so it covers most of your page. 
• Highlight the 2^nd row of the table and merge the 2 cells together [Table Format Menu – Layout Tab – Merge Group – Merge and Center].  Drag the border of cells to the left or right to create wider or thinner cells as necessary.
• For some (or all…it’s up to you) table cells, set the cell shading to a solid color [Table Design Tab – Shading].
• Select the entire table, set the cell borders to be a thick black 6pt. border [Table Design – Borders Button – Borders and Shading – Width]
• Insert at least 2 instances of clip art or pictures from the internet [Insert Tab – Pictures or Copy & Paste] in cells as needed to tell/illustrate your comic strip story.  Resize them so they fit nicely in your table cells.  Set image’s Text Wrapping to be In Front of Text so that you can easily move them around the page. [Picture Format – Arrange Group – Wrap Text]
• Insert rectangle shapes [Insert Tab – Illustrations Group – Shapes] and set their fill color to be white and their outlines to be black with a weight to 3pt.  [Shape Format – Shape Styles Group – Shape Fill and Outline].  Set their Text Wrapping to be In Front of Text so that you can easily move them around the page. [Picture Format – Arrange Group – Wrap Text]. Make the font color in these rectangle shapes white and choose a fun font like Comic Sans. These will be your dialog boxes to narrate your comic strip.  Type in words to create your story.
• You should also insert Callout shapes (quote bubbles) to have your comic strip characters speak.  Callouts have a yellow square handlebar for you to drag to your character’s mouths to make it look they are really speaking what’s in the callout bubble. [Insert Tab – Illustrations Group – Shapes]

• Callout (quote) bubbles should also have their shape fill set to white and their shape outline set to black, thick weight.  The font inside should be black. [Shape Format – Shape Styles Group – Shape Fill and Outline]
• You may also see the need to place a background image in a table cell and then another picture on top of that one to have your characters in different settings.  Remember to click on each picture and Wrap Text in Front or Behind.  It might also help to use Google image search tools to find images with a color = transparent, meaning they have no backgrounds that will look bad on your comic strip. Only use images labeled for reuse so you don’t infringe on copyrights (Google Image Search – Tools – Use)
• If you want, you can also put some WordArt at the bottom of the comic strip saying something like “The End” or “To be continued…”
• Do a spelling and grammar check (ALWAYS!). [Review Tab]
• Save the file as “Last Name + First Name + Comic Strip”.  [File Tab – Save As]

Try playing these Blooket sets now that you’ve used Word a little bit.

Microsoft Word | Blooket

Microsoft Word Quiz | Blooket

We hope you enjoyed learning about creating games in Microsoft Office!