Sequential Science: A Guide to Communication Through Comics

Abstract

In both large bookstore chains and local comic book stores, it is relatively easy to find comics that focus on politics, history, and autobiographies. These comics are often incorporated into the curriculum in social studies classes at the primary, secondary, and college level, but there are far fewer science comics and even less research about their implementation. In this article, a brief rationale for the use of science comics is given based on five qualities—that they are motivating, visual, permanent, intermediary, and popular. Research projects that have studied the effectiveness of comics are summarized, but in many cases these studies have a small sample size or lack control groups. Following an introduction to science comics and their implementation, guidelines and resources are provided to help science communicators produce their own comics and to encourage educational studies into their use. As case studies, comics that I have worked on are described along with the results of how they were used, including page views and research projects.