Bursting From the Panels

Author: Michael Culbertson, Wiley Magnet Middle School

The comic book movie genre is a dominant force in the film industry, but at Wiley Middle School, we explored the very literal roots of these films - comics.

Using a free online service, we led children in creating their own comic strips. We provided a list of numerous genres from which the students could draw inspiration to create their own stories with colorful characters, text bubbles, and different locales. These included horror, mystery, action, romance, and suspense, to name a few. Since we see all grade levels - 6th through 8th - we noticed different themes. Some stories were about love, some were about admitting love but love not being reciprocated, some were about politics, and some included stories of redemption and science. And of course, some were straight up silly, and you couldn't help but chuckle and smile. We always assume children retain their innocence for a good portion of their childhood, but this was a reminder that children pay attention to their surroundings and the actions of others and use it to form their own interpretations of the environment around them.

Since I’m in the UNCSA screenwriting program, of course, my love comes from the page; writing the script and using slug lines and dialogue to carry the narrative forward. However, there's always more than one creative outlet to express your inner storyteller, and we believe the kids at Wiley have found a new favorite.