Template guide
Panel-by-panel breakdown
This template has no printed dialogue. The story is told entirely through the artwork, so each panel below is described from the image.
Panel 1
At the supermarket entrance, a woman with a bun and a yellow sweater holds a small blue basket and lifts up one snack box, smiling confidently.
Panel 2
In the snack aisle she grabs a big bag of chips with sparkling eyes; a few packets are already in the basket.
Panel 3
Finger at her chin, she considers a purple packet while the basket fills with snacks and toilet rolls.
Panel 4
In the household aisle she holds up a pink drink, delighted, the basket now piled high.
Panel 5
She lugs the heavy basket with both arms, sweating and wobbling.
Panel 6
Speed lines: the basket is overflowing and she grits her teeth as a pink box tumbles off the top.
Panel 7
At home she bends to set the overloaded basket down in the hallway, exhausted.
Panel 8
In the kitchen, surrounded by a sea of products, she clutches her cheeks in horror; a thought bubble shows the single pink snack box she originally came to buy.
What you get
- Canvas
- 2:3
- Cast
- 1 character, replaceable with your own
- Type
- Shopping Life
- Common remixes
- Change the store / Add a witness / Flip the ending
Who this template suits
This template suits anyone who has walked into a store for one thing and left with twenty, and works well for single-character comedy. The escalation is visual and the final thought bubble is a satisfying twist. It fits shopping, lifestyle and relatable humour accounts.
When it is not a good fit
It is not built for romance or calm, reflective stories.
How to remix I Really Am Only Buying One Thing
- 1Show the single item your character came for in the first panel.
- 2Grow the basket panel by panel until it overflows.
- 3End at home with a thought bubble of the forgotten item.
Ways to make it your own
Change the store
An online cart, a bookstore or an IKEA-style home store.
Add a witness
A cashier with a deadpan face as the basket thuds onto the counter.
Flip the ending
She remembers the item and goes back, and the cycle starts again.
Questions about I Really Am Only Buying One Thing
What is the twist?
Panel 8: after buying everything, she forgot the one item, shown in the thought bubble.
Is there readable text on the packaging?
No. The packets carry only made-up logos and colours.
How many panels?
Eight in a two-column grid, which gives room for the basket to grow step by step.
