Lately, I've been pondering the reasons for creating a basic-three panel comic strip. I've also been thinking about how a comic-strip is a lot like a storyboard. It uses characters moving within the panel and setting too. It shows the progression of a story from the beginning panel to the end.
I've also been watching a lot of Joseph Cambell and his lectures on archetypes in stories. There's seemingly only a few templates that all stories fall under and most of them require the hero to overcome some obstacle in order to succeed in his or her quest. That can sometimes be true for cartoon characters but, sometimes it's not because a lot of the time they exist mostly as a set up for a joke. Once you have a cartoon character you still have to bring the funny much like in comedy in general. It's no easy task. One thing you can do to bring the funny is first complete a three panel story from beginning, middle to end. Learn the storytelling basics first at least.
Then, study comedians. Follow some of the set-up formats that they use. Notice how they reverse expectations and play on words with double meanings.
Set-up, punchline and payoff.
Write in a small notebook you can buy at the dollar store to take with you everywhere you go and write a joke every-time you have some 'dead' time.
Sometimes the three-panel could be part of an ongoing story like a Stan Lee (RIP) Spiderman strip. A lot of those are ongoing stories but end an narrative beats and cliffhangers.
It's important to nail basic storytelling, get it down, plot it out. Write a bullet pointed outline, how does one character get from point A to point B with the passage of time in 3 panels?
So in conclusion I'd say it's a step-by-step process that might be awkward at first but will get easier over time with practice.
