Make Beliefs Comix Review: Free Comic Strips for Visual ESL Writing
Make Beliefs Comix is a free online comic strip creator aimed at ESL/ESOL students. Here's what it does well, what it doesn't, and how teachers actually use it to get reluctant writers producing English.Ready to try Make Beliefs Comix?
"Visual scaffold turns reluctant writers into storytellers — students who freeze at a blank page often open up when filling in a speech balloon."
Best for
ESL/ESOL teachers who want low-stakes visual writing tasks for A1-B1 students — no signup, no install.
Pricing
Free
Pro tip — heads up before you bookmark it
A note on the interface
Make Beliefs Comix has been online since the mid-2000s and the WordPress site looks dated. Menus are dense, navigation takes a click or two, and the design isn't mobile-optimized. The tool itself is solid — but plan 5 minutes to find your way around on first visit.
What is Make Beliefs Comix?
Make Beliefs Comix is a free, browser-based comic strip creator built for educators and students. It has been online since the mid-2000s and is maintained by author/educator Bill Zimmerman with a focus on language learning, social-emotional learning, and creative writing.
The core tool is the Comix creator:
- Character library: dozens of cartoon figures, animals, and props
- Backgrounds: classrooms, homes, outdoor scenes, fantasy settings
- Speech balloons: speech, thought, whisper, shout, and narration styles
- Multi-panel strips: 2 to 8 panels depending on the template
- Print or email: finished comics can be saved as PDF/image or sent by email
Around the creator, the site hosts a large library of printable comic prompts, ESOL lesson plans, journaling e-books, and SEL activities. There are dedicated sections for ESOL teachers, refugee children, students with special needs, and family journaling. The interface is dated (early-2010s WordPress), but the content is the point — and it is genuinely free.
How teachers use it
Make Beliefs Comix works best for these specific things:
- Low-stakes writing warm-ups: project a 4-panel template, brainstorm a story as a class, and have students fill in one balloon each. Zero prep.
- Dialogue practice: A2/B1 students write conversations in speech bubbles — peer A and peer B in a café, doctor/patient, customer/shopkeeper. The visual format makes role-plays less intimidating.
- Sequencing & past tense: give students a finished strip and have them reconstruct the events using past simple. Or vice versa: write the captions, then improvise the dialogue.
- SEL + ESOL: the site has ready-made prompts for feelings, conflict resolution, and bullying. Useful for middle school ESL classes where social language is part of the curriculum.
- Sub plans: leave a URL + a one-line prompt ("create a comic about your weekend"). 30 minutes of independent work.
- Family journaling: the printable journals and e-books work for parent-child ESL homework.
Is it worth your time?
Yes — for visual writing at A1-B1, Make Beliefs Comix is one of the few genuinely free, no-account tools that delivers real classroom value. The site is not pretty, the interface is dated, and there are no progress-tracking features. But for the specific job of getting reluctant writers to produce English, it punches well above its weight.
It's especially strong for ESOL / ESL writing prompts: there is a dedicated section with printable comic strips, fill-ins, and lesson plans aimed at English language learners, including resources for refugee children and adult literacy. You won't find that depth of ESOL-specific content on most comic tools.
Honest recommendation: bookmark it as a "go-to when nothing else works" resource. Pair it with one paid alternative (Storybird or Book Creator) for projects where you want more polished output. For free ESOL lesson plans and writing prompts, ESL Brains and Teach-This are stronger fits.
The honest pros and cons
What works
- 100% free, no signup Anyone can build a strip in under a minute. No email, no account, no trial wall.
- Visual scaffold for writing Reluctant writers open up when filling in pictures instead of staring at a blank page.
- Dedicated ESOL section Printable prompts, lesson plans, and activities specifically for English language teachers.
- Printable output Finish a comic → PDF. Works for homework, classroom displays, journals.
- Multilingual options Available in Spanish and other languages — useful for heritage learners.
- Large content library E-books, journals, SEL activities, special-needs resources — all free.
What doesn't
- Dated interface WordPress site from the early 2010s. Cluttered menus, not mobile-optimized.
- Limited art style All strips use the same cartoon library. No AI art, no custom uploads.
- No progress tracking No teacher dashboard, no student accounts by default, no grade book.
- English-first UI is in English. Lower-level learners may need support navigating.
- No video/audio Static images only. Doesn't help with listening or speaking.
- Site clutter Huge menus and dozens of sections. Takes time to find what you need.
Best alternatives
If Make Beliefs Comix isn't a fit, these are the resources teachers actually switch to:
Storybird
Beautiful curated illustrations + AI assist for polished student writing projects.
Book Creator
Multimedia digital book maker — text, images, audio, and video in one tool.
Pixton
More advanced comic creator with pose controls, paid plans for classes.
ESL Brains
Lesson plans built around TED talks and authentic videos — strong on writing tasks.
Teach-This.com
3,000+ printable ESL worksheets, CEFR-aligned, updated monthly. Strong on writing prompts.
Frequently asked questions
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What are the best alternatives?
Ready to try Make Beliefs Comix in class?
Free, no signup, no install. Project a comic strip, hand out a prompt, and let the visual scaffold do the heavy lifting — especially with reluctant writers at A1-B1.
Visit Make Beliefs Comix