Hopping Panel to Panel in Ga Jelas Comic Strips

When we have a story in mind and a plot to deliver, we are often distracted with tons of new angle stories that interfere with the comic making process and could potentially lead our comic to become less focused. However, if we take our time to plan and draft the story, we’ll have a better comic structure. A well structured story is like paving the path for the reader to follow the characters journey. The structure will help every panel on your comic matters. Here is how Ga Jelas packed the comic story from panel to panel.

First Panel: Setting The Stage

The first panel acts as the first image that befriends the readers with the premises or setup of the story, introduction of the characters and the setting stage of the plot. One of the advantages (or challenges?) in drawing an introduction for a comic strip is that the creator doesn’t have to present a detailed scene about the story. Just focus on ONE scene that illustrates the situation and the setting.

Let’s observes these element from one of our comic here:

Look at those two kids! Did you notice that the kid with the red t-shirt looks so arrogant?

YUHUUU, Observing twimeeee! Okay, as we look from the picture above, we can see that there are two kids. One with a 4 wheeled bike and one who mocked the 4 wheeled kid. Jasmine Surkatty, the creator of this comic, wants to introduce the story by capturing a moment of a kid who makes fun of another kid who still rides a two-wheeled bike. See, we don’t need to explain how they met or the exact setting. All the elements were built to illustrate how two kids communicate to each other.

The 2nd Panel: Compilation of Character Interaction/Conflict

Explore what kind of complication that may arise from these character interactions. An opposing force to the Previous character focus or main focus. KGJ used the 2nd panel to introduce the conflict that happened through visual expression or dialogue.

Spot the arrogant kid riding his 2-wheeled chair. Hmmm do you think something is going to happen to him?

Let’s see from the 2nd panel. We could see that the picture above described how the mocking kid is now seen using a two-wheeled bike, Further emphasizing his dominance against the 4-wheeled kid by saying, kids their age should have used a 2-wheelers.

Third Panel: Punchline

Third panel is the point of interest. When using a 4 panel humour comic strip, sometimes the punchline could be here, or in the 4th panel. In the 3rd pane, you’d usually see the karma of the previous conflict play. Where a character, presented with the conflict, would react or have something happen to them that would be a process of the resolution.

Feel free to put a Hyperbole in your panel. Because hyperbole is one of the factors that works for presenting jokes. Try to add it with a dash of irony, good ending, funny faces, or anything!

Jeng jengggg. He fell. This is what happens when you’re not being nice! huh!!

As we said earlier, 3rd panels contain the climax of the story. Here, we see that because of his arrogance, the 2-wheeled kid fell from the cliffside and the 4-wheeled kid watched him falling. This is the example of the karma that the character gets from the story huahahaha.

Fourth Panel: The Resolution

Close the story by giving a resolution or a punchline. Give a lil surprise for the audience so that they could get excited and laugh while reading the end of the story.

HAHAHA look, they both use 4-wheeled chair now~

At the end of the story, the both ride a 4-wheeled chair. HAHAHAHA. Now, from a comic we learned about the karma.

“a good comic artist can make a joke works in 3 panels, but another good artist can take it up a notch too.” - Jasmine Surkatty

Executive Content Writer:

Radia Luthfina N

Co-Writer & Content Editor:

Sesa (Kolaku.co)

Creative Team:

Jasmine Surkatty, Art Director

Kharen Chandra, Illustrator