This week for the These Dads Are Doing It Right series I am going back into the newspapers. I am highlighting some notable dads in comic book strips. As a kid I would read these comic books strips each week especially on Sundays. As a dad these comic strips stories hit a bit different. In addition, if there are any other dads that you think we should check out leave their name and info in the comment section below.
Dads In Comic Strips
Calvin’s Dad – Calvin And Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes was one of my favorite cartoons in the paper. I would relate to Calvin on so many levels. His tiger, Hobbes could sometimes act as the voice of reason or a parent. Calvin’s actual father is a relatively down-to-earth and sensible guy. His personality and attitude serves primarily as a counterpart for Calvin’s crazy behavior. He does from time to time mess with Calvin in ways I now totally respect.
Herb & Jamaal – Herb & Jamaal
Herb & Jamaal started around the late 90s. Stephen Bentley wanted to share stories for Black people. Therefore he did that through his comic strip. Bentley has said that the characters were based around real people. Yet the stories were created from Bentley. People will say that Bentley inspired others with his comic strip full of Black main characters and storylines. This is another reason why representation was very important.
Roger Fox – FoxTrot
FoxTrot takes place with the daily lives of the Foxes. They are a suburban family, composed of father Roger, mother Andrea, and their children, Peter, Paige, and Jason. The comic strip covers a wide range of subject matter. Some of those topics were spoofs of pop culture fads, nerd culture, complex math, and more. Roger was the dad that was calm and collected. He and his wife would be the voice of reason when their kids needed help.
Bil – Family Circus
Bil Keane is the creator of Family Circus. The parents, Bil and Thelma are modeled after the author and his wife. Their four children, Billy, Dolly, Jeff, and P.J. are fictionalized composites of the Keanes’ five children. In the comic strip, Bil for the most part is seen as reacting mostly to his kids outlandish behavior. There are times where Bil has some memorable quips, but for the most part he is the rock in the family trying to contain all the chaos.