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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

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.

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.

#7

Humor In The Daily Grind: 30 New Comics About Retail Employees By Stephen Beals

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Ms. Mack
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13 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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!

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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."

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#17

Humor In The Daily Grind: 30 New Comics About Retail Employees By Stephen Beals

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Lotekguy
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16 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#22

Humor In The Daily Grind: 30 New Comics About Retail Employees By Stephen Beals

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BookFanatic
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10 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"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.

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