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The comics in Mef Ajulo’s “Third Servings” series drop you straight into the messy overlap that will be relatable to anyone who’s been involved in a family-run business, where patience runs thin, love stays constant, and chaos is always one customer away. Set largely inside a struggling family restaurant, the comic hits that sweet spot of painfully ordinary with the kind of everyday drama that doesn’t look dramatic until you’ve lived it.

At the center are siblings who bicker, tease, and occasionally do the bare minimum… but still show up when it matters. Helping out at their dad’s restaurant isn’t glamorous. The customers are exhausting, the money is tight, and the place is forever on the brink. Underneath the sarcasm and eye-rolls, though, there’s a steady loyalty holding it all together, and that emotional undercurrent is what gives the humor its bite.

Ajulo’s jokes naturally emerge from character dynamics and uncomfortable situations, while maintaining clean and expressive visuals.

Let us know in the comments which comic you liked or related to the most, and, of course, you can check out both of Ajulo’s comic series, “Third Servings” and “Matt,” on his Instagram page.

More info: Instagram

#1

Comic panels showing a woman frustrated with a waiter’s incompetent service, highlighting family, work, and everyday chaos.

mefcomics Report

Our team reached out to him to learn more about what drives his work. When asked about where his love for the art form comes from, he revealed: “I’ve been reading comics ever since my early childhood. I grew up reading all kinds of classic comic strips like Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, The Boondocks, and Big Nate. Big Nate was always my favorite.”

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    #2

    Comic panels depicting family and work chaos with characters calculating bills and playful dialogue about a unique case.

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    Andrew Keir
    Community Member
    4 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We've all learnt not to use the word "special" ...

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    And that early obsession didn’t stay on the page for long, either. “It was around the age of 10 that I decided to try creating my own comics, and I never looked back after that.”

    #4

    Comic depicting family, work, and everyday chaos with characters discussing job and personal feelings humorously.

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    Andy Frederick
    Community Member
    4 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Seems like this one needs some context.

    #5

    Comic about family, work, and everyday chaos showing a humorous school note-selling scheme in a hallway setting.

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    Lotekguy
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No matter how good the product may be, without the proper marketing, it'll sit on the shelf.

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    The premise of “Third Servings” wasn’t something that appeared overnight. Ajulo explains that the idea had been forming for years through an earlier strip. “Third Servings is a concept that’s been a long time in the making. From 2020 to mid-2025, I drew a comic strip called Matt, which was also about three siblings and their everyday lives. After working on it for five years, it became clear to me that the premise needed an extra punch.”

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    #6

    Comic about family, work, and everyday chaos showing characters discussing employee of the month and nepotism humor.

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    #7

    Comic about family, work, and everyday chaos showing a restaurant team's humorous staff meeting and challenges.

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    jkl
    Community Member
    4 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's great! The customer is always right, so let's not have customers. That way they can be wrong.

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    Ajulo also explained where his style comes from: “A lot of my inspiration comes from workplace sitcoms like Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Kim's Convenience, and Superstore.”

    #9

    Comic panel showing a chaotic family and work scene with kids introducing themselves in a classroom setting.

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    Khavrinen
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Famous, infamous; close enough.

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    And while “Third Servings” isn’t a memoir, Ajulo has had enough firsthand experience to know what makes the setting tick. “I also worked in food service for a few months. I hated it, but happiness doesn’t usually make for good comedy.”

    #10

    Comic about family life and work chaos showing a busy mom and kids dealing with everyday mess and responsibilities.

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    #11

    Comic about family and work showing a chaotic restaurant scene with characters discussing menus and cooking.

    mefcomics Report

    His process is one that will be immediately relatable to any artist: “If I’m being honest, a lot of the time I just sit in front of an empty Google Doc and try to think of funny things for the characters to do or say. I type out a rough script with the dialogue for a comic and then refine it.”

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    #12

    Comic about family and work showing two characters in a chaotic, humorous everyday situation with dialogue and action.

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    #13

    Comic about family and everyday chaos shows siblings negotiating chores and a prank gone wrong at home.

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    “The hardest part, as you’d probably expect, is coming up with good punchlines.” Ajulo doesn’t settle quickly, either. “I can be a bit of a perfectionist, so I usually come up with three or four different punchlines for a comic and then narrow it down to one later.”

    #14

    Comic strip showing family and work chaos humor with characters reacting to a man possibly dining and dashing.

    mefcomics Report

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    #15

    Comic panel showing humor about family, work, and everyday chaos featuring a quirky food critic at a busy eatery.

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    Andrew Keir
    Community Member
    4 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, it's apparently not idiot-free

    As for where “Third Servings” is headed next, Ajulo isn’t trying to force it into a rigid plan: “It’s hard to say how I see Third Servings evolving in the future, because I’m mostly making it up as I go and focusing on having fun with the creative process. Going forward, I’ll simply keep trying to make Third Servings the best comic it can be.”

    #16

    Comic strip showing two kids discussing sixth grade challenges, capturing family, work, and everyday chaos in a relatable style.

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    #17

    Comic depicting work and everyday chaos with humor, showing family and kitchen duty in a relatable chaotic scene.

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    #18

    Comic depicting family and work chaos with siblings humorously discussing plans and goals over a meal in everyday life.

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