How do panels create a narrative sequence in a comic strip?

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King, Frank: Gasoline Alley — comic strip Thirteen panels from the comic strip *Gasoline Alley* by Frank King, 1921. It shows Walt Wallet feeding and then chasing the turkey that he and baby Skeezix have raised for Thanksgiving dinner.

In a comic strip, panels function as a series of adjacent drawn images arranged to be read as a narrative or chronological sequence. By placing these images side-by-side, the medium guides the reader through the progression of a story over time.1

While words are often included—frequently within "balloons" inside the picture frame—they are not strictly required for the narrative to function. The sequence itself relies on the visual arrangement of these frames to convey action, dialogue, or plot development. When words are used, they work in tandem with the imagery to define the story, though the images remain the primary vehicle for the sequential experience. This form of sequential art allows for a coherent narrative flow that can be presented in newspapers, magazines, or books.1