A Christmas Carol Graphic Story

from A Christmas Carol by Marvel Comics

Presenting the 178-year-old story in modern graphic story format

Story Adaptations

Writers may adapt a story by putting it into a different genre or format while still retaining the plot, characters, and themes of the original.

Graphic stories are like plays in the sense that they rely heavily on dialogue to tell the story. Graphic stories differ from plays, though, because they use illustrations to present the scenes and characters.

Graphic stories may be as long as novels and have similar development in plot, characters, settings, and themes, but in a graphic stories, much of the story is told in pictures instead of with words.

What is a Graphic Story?

On the next slide, please view What is a Graphic Novel? YouTube video. Writely states, "This video gives a simple history of the origin of graphic novels as well as information on how to read a graphic novel.."

Poll

How you ever read a graphic story?

• Yes

• No

How Do You Read A Graphic Story?

On the next slide, look at how to read a graphic story. Then answer the questions that follow.

How to Read a Graphic Novel

Multiple Choice

A graphic story tells a story through

• just words

• just pictures

• through drawn panels, text and sound effects

Multiple Choice

What are the boxes on each page of a graphic story called?

• Squares

• Sections

• Panels

Multiple Choice

What is the gutter?

• When an image goes past the border of the page.

• The box around the images so the reader isn't confused.

• The space between the panels, so as readers move from one panel to the next, they predict and conclude what is happening.

Multiple Choice

How do you read the panels in a graphic story?

• Start with the biggest panel then move to the next panel that catches the reader's eye.

• From left to right and top to bottom, reading both the text and pictures

• Only look at the pictures.

On the following slides, read this graphic story graveyard excerpt to discover what visuals add to your understanding of the scene.

Remember to read both the text and pictures.

Multiple Choice

What is the setting for this scene from A Christmas Carol?

• a morgue

• Scrooge’s office

• a graveyard

Multiple Choice

What does Scrooge want the spirit to tell him?

• How much longer he has to live

• That there is a chance to change the future

• The spirit’s true identity

Multiple Choice

What name appears on the tombstone the spirit points to?

• Charles Dickens

• Ebenezer Scrooge

• Tiny Tim

Multiple Choice

Scrooge promises to honor Christmas in his heart and ___________.

• believe in the spirits.

• not be afraid of ghosts.

• try to keep Christmas all year long.

Multiple Choice

In the graphic story, what happens when Scrooge grabs the spirit’s hand?

• The spirit disappears, and Scrooge is left holding onto a bedpost.

• The spirit disappears to avoid being touched by Scrooge.

• He holds it for a moment, but then the spirit pulls away.

Multiple Choice

Which of these details appears in the drama version AND the graphic story version but NOT in the novel?

• The spirit dwindles into a bedpost.

• The tombstone grows tall and glows.

• Scrooge clutches the spirit’s hand.

• Scrooge sees his name on the tombstone.

Multiple Choice

Which of these details appears in the novel AND the graphic story but not in the drama version?

• The spirit dwindles into a bedpost.

• The tombstone grows tall and glows.

• Scrooge clutches the spirit’s hand.

• Scrooge sees his name on the tombstone.

Multiple Choice

In all three versions of the scene, what remains most consistent?

• The name the spirit goes by

• The questions Scrooge asks and the promise he makes

• The description or appearance of the graveyard

Poll

Which version from A Christmas Carol was your favorite?

• Novel

• Drama

• Graphic Story