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30 Comics By Stephen Beals That Perfectly Capture The Humor And Frustrations Of Retail (New Pics)
Stephen Beals is back with more of his humorous and relatable "Adult Children" comics! If you’ve ever worked in retail, you know exactly what it’s like to deal with the ups and downs of customer service. From awkward small talk to the absurdity of everyday interactions, Beals captures it all in his signature style, turning frustrating moments into funny, spot-on cartoons.
In this new batch of comics, Stephen continues to explore the quirks of working in retail and adulthood. Whether it's the quirky encounters with customers or the dynamics between coworkers, these comics will probably have you nodding along and chuckling to yourself.
More info: Instagram | stbeals.com | Facebook | x.com | gocomics.com
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#1
Beeps 1 year ago
Dangerous place to go. I don’t know how anyone can work there and not take all the animals home with them.
Load More Replies...Stephen Beals told Bored Panda that he’s been making comics for as long as he can remember, fueled by a lifelong love for art. Although he holds a degree in animation, he discovered that his real interest lay in print and graphic design.
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TheForrestGreene (he/they/it) 1 year ago
i love how the person in the back collapses from all the things they are carrying
#3
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Some people think you were created just for work. We call those people 'managers'
In college, Beals generally enjoyed interacting with people—though that changed when he was tired, under the weather, or dealing with particularly challenging customers. With a touch of humor, he likened these difficult customers to "uppity raccoons," saying, “Sometimes customers are uppity raccoons, and love has left the air.”
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The artist finds the hardest part of creating his comics is capturing the idea he wants to express. He explains, "I've heard other cartoonists describe writing comics as being similar to writing poetry, and I used to scoff at that, but I now think it's true. The pacing with dialog has to be on key or it doesn't work. I know this because I've made hundreds of comics that don't work."
He also believes that good writing can save bad art, but good art can't save bad writing—something he relies on when short on time. Some comics he makes just for himself, like one written in iambic pentameter. These, he says, are "too much fun to count as failures," even if he’s the only one who enjoys them.
#6
Ms. Mack 1 year ago
Had a boss that referred to me and the rest of the admin staff as "money suckers" as in we didn't generate revenue and were overpaid for what we did for the business. When I quit I heard through the grapevine he ended up hiring three full time people to do what I did in 43- 45 hours per week. HA! Felt great!
Rayne OfSalt 1 year ago
I briefly worked in a corpo retail store where staff were officially classified in the corp's database as equipment. Quitting right before I was meant to do a solo open to close felt glorious, especially since the only person who could cover me was the area manager.
Load More Replies... #7
Kipper 1 year ago
So true! I used to buy the same magazine every week for $1.99. Now that same magazine is $7.99 and there's less in it!
Load More Replies... The artist's love for comics began with the newspaper cartoonists he admired as a child. "It's such a unique form of entertainment," he says. Today, his passion is fueled by modern comic creators. "I would put today's crowd of cartoonists up against any in the history of the medium. I've had the pleasure of meeting a number of my fellow creators and they never cease to make me laugh and love everything about cartooning."
#8
Penguin Panda Pop 1 year ago
Typical. Boxism is on the rise in the workplace. Thank you for highlighting this issue.
Load More Replies... Rayne OfSalt 1 year ago
Customers are a toxin in the bloodstream of retail and hospo workers. Work would be a lot better without them.
#9
Quinn 12 months ago
This sort of overdemanding and threatening managerial style is rife in the retail, restaurant, and fast food industries. Do they really expect such loyalty and perseverance from workers who are paid minimum wage (or barely above it) and receive little to no benefits (such as paid sick days or health insurance)?
Nicole Weymann 12 months ago
It's cute how "We're all replaceable" yet you're here asking ME (who is not scheduled) to do it. Why look at ME when anybody would do?
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Hiring churn means you lose the good ones and accumulate more than your share of losers
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BookFanatic 1 year ago
"Sorry, I'm not allowed to have opinions on work time." Which sounds like I have some sort of overbearing monster of a boss. But it does make talking politics, taxes, and religion waaaaay easier to avoid with my patrons.
readingthequibbler 12 months ago
I work retail and just tell them it's against store policy. Usually shut them up.
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Khavrinen 1 year ago
"Our staff are wishing they could *afford* to go back to school or retire."
Andrew Keir 12 months ago
Our staff thought adulting might be fun but found out it isn't
Load More Replies... #24
Lotekguy 1 year ago
Shoppers should remember that the person behind that counter had no part in causing your problem, and knew nothing about it until you started talking. Act accordingly. Better for both of you.
BookFanatic 1 year ago
I try very hard to remember that. Sometimes I fail, and then profusely apologize to the poor person I just yelled at.
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What do you think ?
Stephanie Did It 1 year ago
New procedures, the stores are sharing employees and using a shuttle to move them. But the two comics that explain this are the last to be shown. The others would have made sense if they'd been first, but BP always mixes Adult Children comics up so they're out of sequence. Not fair to the artist or the audience, because these are good.
Herringbone 1 year ago (edited)
Posts move up and down according to how many votes they get. I see comments like '#4 with the chicken was really good' (not on this thread), but it's not #4 by the time I visit.
Load More Replies...
Stephanie Did It 1 year ago
New procedures, the stores are sharing employees and using a shuttle to move them. But the two comics that explain this are the last to be shown. The others would have made sense if they'd been first, but BP always mixes Adult Children comics up so they're out of sequence. Not fair to the artist or the audience, because these are good.
Herringbone 1 year ago (edited)
Posts move up and down according to how many votes they get. I see comments like '#4 with the chicken was really good' (not on this thread), but it's not #4 by the time I visit.
Load More Replies... 
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