Sometimes my kids stumble upon a really fun web tool that captivates me as much as it does them! In this case, I was quite surprised. I’ve never been a big fan of comics, but the ToonDo Comic Strip Creator by Jambav was a lot of fun - maybe too much fun!

ToonDo offers a large variety of backgrounds, people, items, and text formats in an easy-to-use drag and drop interface that makes comic-making a snap. The tool does not require any downloads, but you will need to create a free user account in order to save the comics you create. Flash is also required.

The interface is very versatile. It’s simple to re-size the comic characters, change their posture, and even change their facial expressions. I had so much fun playing with just the basic ToonDo maker that I have not had a chance yet to check out the ImagineR (a tool that allows you to use your own images within the comics) or DoodleR (a drawing tool used to enhance your comics). If you try these out, add a comment or two to let us know how well you like them!

The ToonDo site also offers a comic gallery. After creating a comic, you have the option of saving it as a private comic (only you can see it from within your profile) or as a public comic, where it will be placed on the online gallery for all ToonDo users to see and offer comments. (Warning: parents should review content in the online gallery - some may be unsuitable.)

So after spending way too much time playing with ToonDo, I decided to create a comic to share with you all. It was so much fun that I created another. And another!

I hope you enjoyed my comics as much as I enjoyed creating them! If you and your children try out ToonDo, come back and let us know your thoughts.

8/18/08 - UPDATE:

One of our blog readers emailed to say she would like to print these
comics and put them on her refrigerator.

When I created the above comics, I tagged them with the word
“homeschool” and shared them in the public gallery on the ToonDo
website. So if you go to the website and do a search for “homeschool”
(the search box is above the pencil in the top right corner of every
page) these will come up.

They don’t specifically have a printable version, but if you click on
the comic you are interested in, it will display on a separate page.
You could print it from your browser window and cut it out.

Another blog reader pointed out the possibility of having your child
create a series of comics and printing them out for portfolio use.

Great ideas - thanks Tracey and Jen!