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Artist Creates Humorous Comics About Retail Employees, And Here Are His 30 Recent Works
Interview With Artist
Stephen Beals, a comic artist with a background in animation, has been creating comics for as long as he can remember. Although he studied animation, he discovered his love for print and graphic art, where he shares his humor and experiences.
His comic series "Adult Children" captures the funny and relatable moments of adulthood and working in retail, connecting with anyone who's dealt with customer service. Beals learned how to create comics through lots of trial and error, focusing on getting the pacing and dialogue just right. He finds the feedback from his readers more rewarding than money, though he jokes that he'd still like to see how it compares.
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Bored Panda reached out to Stephen to find out a little bit more.
His comic series, "Adult Children," draws from the comical and often absurd aspects of adulthood and the retail work environment, resonating deeply with anyone familiar with customer service. Beals describes the inspiration behind the title of his series, stating, "I titled my comic series 'Adult Children' because being an adult seems like a made-up story we tell kids to make them behave. Sometimes it works and a child will master the art of pretending to be responsible. They become politicians, incarcerated, or potentially both."
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#2
Danish Susanne 1 year ago
I know exactly what she means. In december you can go into one shop after another and hear the same song in them all.
Discussing his influences in comic creation, Beals notes the impact of several classic series on his style: "If I'm rereading Calvin and Hobbes, it will brush off with me. Same with Bloom County and Peanuts. I've read so many, and there are many wonderful oldies. Lately, I've been checking old newspapers. If you go back several decades, you can discover comics that never made it to a book collection."
#4
#5
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Maybe it's more of a 'sanity time-out' but it's better than smelling the ol'factory ?
For aspiring comic artists looking for guidance, Beals offers simple yet profound advice: "Do what interests you. If you try and guess what people will like, it most likely won’t work. Have fun. That’s the most important." This approach highlights the importance of authenticity and enjoyment over trying to predict audience preferences.
Reflecting on the evolution of his art style, Beals compares it to the development of handwriting, which naturally changes and adapts over time influenced by various factors. "Art evolves the same way a person’s handwriting evolves. Influences happen along the way. Art school. Artists I admire. Different techniques. But like handwriting, you can be in a hurry. I contend that a lot of great art was made by accident when the artist was in a rush. The artist likes that accident and repeats it."
#8
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
That box with the arrow - surely it should be the other way round? Cartoonist has some lovely background effects running
#9
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
She's got it right - we work to eat. We don't work for other people, we work for ourselves in jobs provided by other people
When it comes to balancing creativity with the demands of business, Beals candidly admits his struggles: "I don’t! I’ve had many people request books, and it’s an ongoing goal to make one, but time is not my friend. The strip has become popular despite my lack of marketing efforts." This honesty sheds light on the common challenges faced by artists in managing their creative output with the logistical aspects of their careers.
#11
#12
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
We can learn form some mistakes, but only if we own up to them and think it through
#16
R Ferreira 1 year ago
"The machine don't have arms... yet. We're talking with Boston Dynamics about it."
#17
Danish Susanne 1 year ago (edited)
I would wager a small sum (or even a larger one) that she is being sarcastic.
#25
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Waking up to kill the alarm and turn over for a lie-in - bliss! As long as it really IS a break day ...
#26
Rayne OfSalt 1 year ago
The corp retail store I worked in (for a short time) started playing xmas music on Nov 1st and didn't stop until Dec 31st. They were incredibly cheap though, and only bought the right for 6 songs. a Michael Buble one, 4 that sounded like they were recorded in the 1920s and were utterly miserable, and *THAT* song from she who will not be named. I did the math. I was being forced to listen to The Unspeakable 3.333 times per hour, every hour, for ten hours a day, 6 days a week, for 2 months. I firmly believe that this was a crime against humanity as defined by the geneva convention's rules against psychological torture.
#28
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Sometimes the problem that you are given is not the problem you should be solving
#29
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
I think they're rather better at dodging the question than Blond character is at asking ...
#30
#32
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
It's lonely being a sign. Full stop. And, you hear the most boring chatter ...
#34
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Engineers are always annoying - all those numbers ... and technical words ... and they don't care about our feelings ...
#37
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
She's 'down to earth' - she'll go far , but in a direction of her own choosing
#40
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Was that "low *staffing challenges*" or, "*low staffing* challenges" ? Either way , I bet corporate decides to make everyone fill in forms about it, in addition to their regular work, and in the same time.
#43
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
"No sir, I'm just paid a pittance to pretend to tolerate overweening bullies"
#44
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Funny you never see an *old* person doing that ... they use the trolleys provided ...
#45
#46
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
"By reading this sign you agree to follow all instructions from the company, until the protons decay..."
#47
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
It's a common problem - medics make the worst patients, teachers' kids are the worst behaved, and clergy kids are little devils. A little knowledge is a pain in the posterior, in general.
#48
#50
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
If they're not gossiping *with* you, they're gossiping *about* you. You choose.
#52
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Machine only 'thinks' it thinks, so it only 'thinks' it exists. But we'll settle for that
#57
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
"technically edible" - I foresee considerable discussion of the meaning of this phrase
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Stella D 1 year ago
Go to gocomics.com and search for adult children by Stephen Beals. They’re all there.
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Stella D 1 year ago
Go to gocomics.com and search for adult children by Stephen Beals. They’re all there.
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