Telling a Story in Panels

Every good comic strip tells a story, even if it is only three panels long! The simplest story structure has three parts:

BEGINNING (Panel 1): introduce your character and the situation. Show WHERE they are and WHAT they are doing. This sets the scene.

MIDDLE (Panel 2): something happens! A problem, a surprise, a change. This is the action or the turning point. Something is different from Panel 1.

END (Panel 3): the result! The problem is solved, the joke lands, the adventure concludes. This is the payoff.

Here is a simple example:

Panel 1: A kid sees a big puddle. 'I should jump over it!'

Panel 2: The kid jumps as high as they can. 'WHEEE!'

Panel 3: The kid lands right IN the puddle. SPLASH! 'Oops!'

See? Beginning (sees puddle), middle (jumps), end (lands in puddle). Simple!

For funny comics, the end panel usually has the PUNCHLINE — the funny surprise that makes people laugh. The setup in panels 1 and 2 makes the punchline in panel 3 work.