Serial Comic Pitch (due Friday, October 2nd)

Overview:
This assignment allows you to begin breaking the overall “Comic Series” project into smaller tasks, to do some
brainstorming and strategizing for initial ideas, and to meet with members of your Team Channel for feedback.

Learning Goals:
1. Discover the various subject matter explored by professional graphic writers as well as their creative
approaches by examining the class Research Guide.
2. Create preliminary plot line, conflict, characters, and setting.
3. Review others’ work to fuel your own as well as to provide ways to improve.

Tasks:
Part One:
1. Review the overall “Serial Comic” Assignment located in this week’s NUoodle.

In preparation for that Assignment, complete the following:

2. Your Influences: Explore the course Research Guide, created by John Holm, Kreitzberg librarian, and
find out what professional graphic writers have addressed in their work as well as how they went
about creating their stories. In 250-350 words, explain who the graphic writers are that interest you
the most, what they’ve written, and why you appreciate their work.

3. Your Serial Comic: Explain the:

• subject matter (ex.: “The Holocaust,” “Immigrating to the US,” “Work as Delivery Driver”);
• conflict (ex.: surviving, leaving home country/arriving new country, managing restaurant
hierarchy);
• characters involved and their traits;
• plot line revealing significant moments, episodes, incidents, experiences; and
• specific areas where action will take place.

4. Your Graphic Needs: When you take a first stab with visual criteria, how do you imagine the look of
characters, projecting their role in the story line? What particular settings (time and place) need to be
developed and how will you do so? Will you use a comic creator such as “Pixton” or “Make Beliefs
Comix” that also has prompts for story ideas on this tab.
(see next page)
 Part Two:

1. Upload the work you completed for Part One into this assignment portal and onto your Channel using
our Class Microsoft Teams Link.
2. Once the work of all your Channel members has been uploaded (no later than Friday, October 2nd),
review each other’s “Pitch” using the form provided.

Grading Rubric for Serial Comic Pitch:

Criteria Points
Subject: Does your subject convey enough complexity that will prompt enough material over 30
three successive installments?
Plot Line: Have you outlined significant specific moments, episodes, incidents, and/or 30
experiences that will convey action that unravels in relation to time?
Characters & Setting: Do the characters seem in-sync with the story you tell and does where 20
they exist seem harmonious in relation to events?
Graphic Needs: Are you attempting to utilize some of the techniques you’ve learned about 20
by reading McCloud’s Understanding Comics as well as our first primary texts.