Bad Aditude

This week’s Dustinland comic is really an advertising/marketing comic. that’s my day job, my real job, the thing that gets me paid. Many people have told me I should draw advertising industry themed comics but I just don’t want to. I want my comics to be a break from all that, not just an extension of it. BUT… once in a while I make an exception and this is one of those instances.

This one is a true story, word for word, except the last two panels only happened in my head. But the first two really did occur. And you know, it’s complicated. As a parent, you don’t want to dissuade your kid from anything. And you don’t want them to hear too much negativity from adults about their careers. But at the same time, you see the things you don’t like about your path, and you don’t want them to repeat it. And that’s sort of where I am.

I mean… did advertising provide me with a great life? 100%. Can it be fun and creative at times? Definitely. Do I often work with smart, wonderful people? Yes. So I am so grateful for my career and everything I do. I really do feel lucky and thankful.

That being said… I feel like the big issues I have with advertising or marketing as an industry are more metaphysical. It’s more about purpose, or the lack thereof. And that’s what I want for my son. I don’t just want him to make money — although that’s nice and does solve a lot of problems. I want him to have a sense of purpose. I feel like most people in advertising don’t have that, and really, why should we? Sure, you can do some cause-related stuff from time to time, or maybe you get lucky and work on some brand that pretends to care about some social justice issue you agree with, but ultimately we’re just helping people sell stuff to other people via emotional manipulation. And while we can debate the necessity of advertising for hours, that’s not the point. It’s not about whether it’s needed or good or bad or anything. It’s about how working in this does or doesn’t give you a reason to wake up in the morning. And I hope my child grows up to do something where he wakes up not just wanting to make money or win some award or make his boss happy. I want him to wake up feeling passionate about what he’s doing with his life, feeling like he’s making a difference or creating something he cares about.

Am I talking about myself? Maybe. Maybe I’m talking to younger me. Isn’t that what your kids are, in a sense?

Daditude

This week’s new Dustinland comic is about how us dads can’t help but annoy our kids. I don’t know what it is, but I just feel compelled to do so. But I’m not as bad as the dad from Calvin & Hobbes. He just straight up lied to his kid constantly, and I would feel bad if I made my son go to school believing there were 75 planets in the solar system or that tigers were really just house cats given too much food. Yeah, I’m not the “tricked you” kinda dad, I’m the “oh my god that joke again stop it please” kinda dad. Good times.

Like Son

This week’s new Dustinland comic is about bad jokes. Or dad jokes. Or son jokes. But you know… for someone like me, well… let’s just say there are cliche proud dad moments, like when your kid hits a home run in Little League. For me, my son making the joke he makes in this new comic… that’s my home run moment.

Just For Sport

This week’s new Dustinland comic is about sports and our obsession with using them as a way to measure societal worth. I’m sure there are books written about this, probably saying sports are a substitute for ancient wars games, they’re in our DNA, we’re like orangutans tussling for dominance within our jungle groups… and maybe that’s all true. But either way, it’s an interesting topic, especially in the way that even when you’re aware of how silly this can be, you still fall for it.

Also, Noam Chomsky. Also, Tom Wolfe hated Noam Chomsky.

Future Preppin

This week’s new Dustinland comic is not actually a Father’s Day comic, but the timing works out nicely so let’s just say that it is. I mean, it is about parenting, and I am a father, so there you go. Close enough! Seriously though, the pressure in the comic is real.

The Awful Tooth

I don’t stand by the words of my six-year-old featured in this week’s new Dustinland comic, but they were pretty funny. One of those instances where the kid says something wrong and you have to hold in the laughter because you don’t want to encourage naughty behavior. Actually, I just made that up. I wasn’t even there — he said it to my wife. But it is totally that kind of line.

In related news, it must be impossible to make an original tooth/truth pun. They must all be done, simply in the dentist merchandising arena alone. Ain’t that the tooth.

Playdate

I literally drew this new Dustinland comic during a playdate my kid had this weekend. My wife was upstairs playing referee while I hid downstairs in the basement scribbling in peace. And the irony is that the kids really did seem to have fun by the end. Despite all the fighting and arguing and name-calling, to them, it was a success. I guess kids just don’t know how to be friends. Not sure adults do either, I guess.

Ticked Off

This new Dustinland comic is about how I am super paranoid about ticks ever since my kid got a few. So far no Lyme! On any of us. But I know a lot of people who live around here who have gotten it. Also people who got it out at the beach when they hiked around in the dunes. Man, these bugs. Can we get a vaccine or something? I heard they had one but it was shitty or something like that, or maybe the anti-vaccination people ruined it. I dunno. Bugs. I need to get one of those little monkeys that picks bugs off each other. He can live at my house and check us after we come back from the park.

Snack Attack

This new Dustinland comic is pretty much my daily routine.

Aside from that, my hand is healing well, but it’s still hard to draw. Just doesn’t feel right. But I try not to get frustrated. Just keeping at it! Can’t wait for it to be back to 100%.

The Dad Zone

Like I say in this week’s Dustinland comic, my kid is sorta in the dad zone these days, but hey, that’s not such a bad thing. I’ll just remind him of this when he’s 15 and doesn’t want to hang out with me.