CARTOONS AND COMICS

Comics have always had a special place in my heart.  As a child my mom would buy me Archie comics, while we went grocery shopping.  Although, I had plenty of books to read at home, I enjoyed the quick, fun read the comics provided.  Sunday newspapers were also a great place to satisfy my comic hunger for entertainment. Calvin and Hobbs, Blondie, Garfield, Peanuts, and Beetle Bailey to name a few, were my Sunday morning amusement. There were times when I would cut out my favorite comics and create books so I could read later.  As I grew older, I enjoyed the quirkiness of The Far Side comics, the comedic play on words, people, and animals were hilarious.  Some people may think that comics are only intended to provide entertainment, but just recently, I was introduced to  a graphic novel about a young girl battling a terminal disease.  Once I saw the creative potential comics allowed,  I was enlightened to share parts of my own story about my daughter's battle with cancer and hopefully one day I may be able to spread brain cancer awareness to others.

PIXTON.COM
https://www.pixton.com/schools/from/comic/kmdjx6na
Pixton was by far the best program. I thought the graphics , props, people and settings were realistic and provided enough variety to make an interesting comic.  I was able to easily create the setting, add props and manipulate each angle of the characters features and body.  The comic was easy to save and share but unfortunately I was not able to print it unless I purchased the rights.  I think students would be able to share stories that they normally wouldn't share with others.   I did share this website with my colleagues and encouraged them to create their own stories of family or classroom life.

Toondoo.com
http://www.toondoo.com/privateView.toon?param=R71zCLnX6foOa8x3MzW0q1xqh5CXUB5E4iZIfWApw6V%2BFLb1J8dP0Q%3D%3D
Toondoo was second on my list.  I thought the graphics and features were not very personalized to meet my needs.  I was not able to adjust features, clothes, or backgrounds to create an interesting comic.  It did allow me to send the email to a friend, and print out my comic, a feature I really liked.

MakebeliefsComix

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=10739922C2332480
I this program would be great for young children because it has more of a cartoon feel. The graphics are a ittle to childish for older teens, and they did not include a large variety. The pictures can not be manipulated or changed except for background color and size of the graphic.  Although it did not have a large selection of pictures, I think students would still be able to create short, fun comics.