← Glossary
Three-panel
Most common in Western newspapers.
Setup → Build-up → Punchline.
Examples: Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes.
Four-panel (yonkoma)
Popular in Japanese manga.
Introduction → Development → Climax → Conclusion.
Examples: Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star.
Single-panel
Less common but effective for quick humor.
Caption-driven gag.
Examples: The Far Side, Bizarro.
Make your first strip
Comic strip formats
Most gag-a-day comic strips use three panels, though four-panel formats (like Japanese yonkoma) are also common. Single-panel gag comics exist too, but the three-panel strip is the most widespread in Western newspapers.
📖 Typical panel counts
🎨 Why panel count matters
- Timing & pacing: more panels allow better buildup before the punchline.
- Reader accessibility: three-panel strips are quick to read daily; four-panel strips allow slightly more narrative depth.
- Cultural variation: Western gag strips lean toward three panels, while Japanese gag manga standardize four.
📊 At a glance
| Format | Panels | Structure | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three-panel | 3 | Setup → Build → Punchline | Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes |
| Four-panel | 4 | Intro → Develop → Climax → End | Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star |
| Single-panel | 1 | Caption-driven gag | The Far Side, Bizarro |
⚠️ Nuances
- Newspaper tradition: U.S. daily strips often stick to three panels for space efficiency.
- Webcomics flexibility: online gag-a-day comics may experiment with panel counts (2–6 panels).
- Hybrid styles: some strips mix gag-a-day humor with continuity storytelling, blurring the format.
whimstrip offers a 3-panel strip (the classic newspaper format), a 4-panel format (like Garfield or a yonkoma), and a 1-panel cartoon (like The Far Side) — pick whichever fits your gag.