Dana Simpson’s Cartooning Guide

Like all creative projects, comics can be made in any number of ways! Dana Simpson, creator of the beloved Phoebe and Her Unicorn series, shares her process in this free printable cartooning guide. Phoebe and Marigold, her unicorn best friend, live in a colorful cartoon world where anything is possible (just as long as it’s fun). Pair this downloadable activity with any book in the series for an afternoon of productive and creative brainstorming.

Using this free printable cartooning guide will help instill a love of art and writing in all your students. It might even inspire a future career for budding artists! Dana gives middle-graders an inside look on the whole comic-creation process. From her initial brainstorming, to conversations with her editor, to the final stages of adding color, readers will learn exactly how such a cool series came to be. After reading about the shenanigans Dana Simpson comes up with for Phoebe and Marigold, readers will be excited to come up with their versions. Remind them that there is no one way to make art, and encourage them to use this guide as just that––a starting point for their own unique stories.