At the first meeting of Comic Book Storytelling class for 3rd/4th/5th graders this year, we made six-page mini-zines out of one computer-size sheet of paper. Before anything else, we performed some simple “origami”: folding the pre-cut paper correctly seemed tricky at first, but students helped one another and soon we were all set.
Next, I showed them other examples of mini-zines made in similar ways, and I read mine, “Sam Scissors Hits the Street,” out loud:
On a different sheet of paper I encouraged students to plan who their own starring character would be and what would transpire over the six pages. I also gave them a catch: whatever happened in their story, they had to draw a 3D-looking hole (which we had drawn together during our warm-up) on page two.
Some students followed my lead and had their hapless main character fall into a hole… only to discover treasure (not slime) within! Others drew things emerging from the abyss.
It was useful to have some added structure with certain caption panes already in place. See my template here: Comics Mini-zine 1 page template