With Tek
How to make a comic strip
A comic strip course for kids 6 to 13. Your kid learns how a joke works, then draws one in four panels on paper. Four short films, about 4 minutes, then 30–45 minutes of drawing.
All 4 films and the quiz are free on this page. Your kid doesn't need an account. See every lesson
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What your kid makes
Your kid ends with a finished four-panel comic strip on paper, tested on a real reader. The same joke can grow into a longer comic later.
- Ages
- 6 to 13
- Time
- 4 films, about 4 minutes, then 30–45 minutes of making
- You need
- Paper, pencil, ruler (optional), black marker (optional)
- Host
- Tek
The 4 lessons
Lesson 1. What makes it funny
A joke is a setup and a surprise, and the surprise comes last.
- Think of something funny that happened to you
- Find the surprise in it
- Say the setup, wait, then say the surprise
Where: Paper
Lesson 2. Four boxes
Plan the joke in four boxes with quick stick figures.
- Fold or draw four boxes
- Sketch one moment in each box
- Check that the surprise is in box four
Where: Paper
Lesson 3. Words in bubbles
Keep words short and put them where the eye reads first.
- Write each line in eight words or fewer
- Put the first speaker on the left
- Draw the bubble around the words, then point the tail
Where: Paper
Lesson 4. The pause
Box three is a quiet beat that makes the ending land. Then make the lines dark and try the joke on a real reader.
- Take the words out of box three and draw a face that waits
- Go over your lines with a black marker
- Hand it to someone without explaining, and fix the box that didn't work
Where: Paper
Take the quiz
Tek asks 3 questions about the films. Get 2 right and you finish the course.
Lesson 1 transcript: What makes it funny
Want to make someone laugh? You only need four boxes. That's a comic strip!
Every joke has two parts. First, the setup. Then, the surprise.
The setup makes you think one thing will happen. The surprise is something else!
Meet Tuck. Tuck builds a giant tower. Then he adds one more block. It wobbles!
You think the tower will fall. But no! The tower stays up, and Tuck falls down!
The surprise always comes last. Put it first, and the joke is gone.
Your turn. Think of something funny that happened to you. Find the surprise. Say the setup, wait, then say the surprise. Then press Next.
Free guides to practise with
Questions parents ask
Is a comic strip a good first comic for a young kid?
Yes. Four boxes and one joke is a small, finishable job for kids 6 to 13. Younger kids can draw and say the words while a grown-up writes them in.
Does this course use AI?
No. The whole strip happens on paper with a pencil. The films show the steps, and the strip can later become a longer comic.
What if the joke isn't funny?
That's part of the course. Your kid tests the strip on a reader and changes the box that doesn't work, which is how comic artists improve a joke.