RHYTHM

The four-panel comic strip is the preferred starting point for many cartoonists, because it's neither too short, nor too long, and its 4-beat structure resembles poetry more than narrative comics.

The standard structure of a gag comic involves three panels of build-up and a panel for a punchline. Of course it doesn't have to be this way, but it's important to remember that the last panel is always particularly important, since it's reserved for the final statement that the reader will take away (even if that statement is deliberately underwhelming, or even silent).

Above all, consider the rhythm of images and words: are the four beats read in a consistent rhythm? Is there escalation? Can the panels be rearranged, combined or edited for a greater effect?

ASSIGNMENT 4: THE FOURTH ASSIGNMENT

Create a four-panel piece based on a couple of random words.

It can be a traditional comic strip, or your own format, as long as it involves four square images. They don't even have to follow in a logical sequence, as long as they work together to make up something coherent.

Format: 4 square panels, 4x4" each