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I made some comics about being a dad! The essence of dad-hacking is taking what you know how to do already and applying it to unrelated problems that would otherwise seem unsolvable. Is that a good way to approach difficult problems? I'll let you be the judge. At the very least, it's usually entertaining!

I love my kids and I love being a dad. They're funny and charming and they constantly help me see life from a different perspective. Life with kids is never boring.

That being said, being a dad is hard. It's impossible to know all the right answers to every big child-induced parenting dilemma, and a big part of parenting is figuring out how to do stuff you wouldn't otherwise know how to do. Usually, the quicker you learn to ask others for help, the better off you are! But where's the fun in that?

So, what's a dad to do when faced with a problem seemingly without a solution? Well, when all else fails, a dad digs down deep into those crusty cargo short side-pockets and pulls out a miracle... Get those keys, load up the kids, and run "errands".

I made these comics to document some of my successes, lots of my failures, and to give others a laugh at my expense. For your convenience, I've titled each comic with a dad-hack pro tip. Thanks for reading!

More info: Instagram | twitter.com | gogomachrocketsheep.com

#1

Get Some Earplugs

Get Some Earplugs

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alinatheowl avatar
Unnamed Hooman
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was in grade 3, the school forced you to buy a recorder, and then they told the kids to practice at home

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Making comics about “dad-hacking” is something that happened totally unintentionally. When I first became a dad, two instincts immediately activated: I desired to figure my life out, and I was compelled to mess with my kids whenever presented with the opportunity. That tension fuels the dad-hack: it's competence and incompetence mixed into one ill-conceived idea, executed with impunity; results vary. In the best-case scenario, whatever I’m trying to do works. Worst-case scenario, my kids laugh. It’s a win-win! After a few years of making comics, I noticed a theme common throughout them all. Dad-hacking.

The ideas for my ‘dad-hack’ comics are mostly inspired by true stuff that happens in and around my household. I’d say my ‘dad-hack’ comics are truth-adjacent; they aren’t an accurate retelling, but a joke version that is crammed into four panels. For example, my daughter didn’t destroy the world by playing a song on her plastic recorder- but for a few ear-ringing minutes, it sure felt like that’s what was happening.

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My kids are a HUGE influence on the comics I make in two ways: first, I want to make comics that make them laugh. Second, I find much of what they say and do to be so funny that I must immortalize it in comic form. As a dad, I get a ton of joy out of seeing little glimpses of who my kids are growing up to be. I especially enjoy it when they bring out their incredible sense of humor and make others laugh.

#7

Get Your Priorities Straight

Get Your Priorities Straight

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Sam Juan
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mean, he's not wrong. He could faint from hunger, then nobody will be served.

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Most parents inherently get the humor in my comics. I’m currently a university student (and about a decade or two older than most of my classmates) and I shared a book of my comic strips with one of my classmates who read them and said, “Wow- you’re such a dad.” I couldn’t tell if he meant it dismissively, or as a compliment. Either way: Mission accomplished.

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There is a humorous side of parenting and there is a challenging side of parenting. In my experience, you don’t really get one without the other. When it comes to the comics I make, I always try to find and express the humor that is inherent in the challenges.

#11

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

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Sam Juan
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When your daughter has better dad jokes than you, you've done something right.

I think my comics are relatable to parents and non-parents alike; parent or not, we all fail from time to time. Hopefully, people laugh at my comics, but more than that, hopefully, my comics inspire people to take pride in their own attempts to get stuff right, to learn to laugh at themselves when they get it wrong, to bring a good sense of humor to any situation and to remember to keep what’s really important to them as their top priority.

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#14

Maintain Your Fatherly Physique

Maintain Your Fatherly Physique

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Sam Juan
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

🎵When you get heartburn, nausea, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea...🎵

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#17

Share Your Expertise

Share Your Expertise

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That Goth Demon (zey/zem)
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9 months ago

This comment has been deleted.

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#25

BBQ As Much As You Can

BBQ As Much As You Can

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P.C.
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Erm… grilled pie?? And… grilled CONDIMENTS? Hummus is a condiment, no? Or should I have said grilled SAUCE…

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#26

Learn From Others

Learn From Others

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cheesecakedeath1 avatar
bennu
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It really does. Being carefree means you can do what you want without fear of failure, which means you will be able to improve faster.

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#27

Prevent Overheating

Prevent Overheating

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Red_panda
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NO! Not while she is holding a book! Don't harm the poor innocent book!

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#30

Gamify Your Life

Gamify Your Life

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Nyctonaut
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What are they talking about? That's where they keep all the "free" stuff!

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