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Hello there! I'm Dan, the individual behind the comic brand "Barely Baked Beans." I'm just an average guy with a knack for spotting the humorous and ironic aspects of everyday life, which I love to make light of and share through my comics.

I've always had a strong affinity for comics, especially "The Far Side," which inspired me to create a visual platform for my jokes. If you don’t remember, "The Far Side" was a ground-breaking comic that showed just how much humor and creativity could be packed into a single panel. It showed me that you can be funny and creative without necessarily adhering to conventional ideas of what's normal or acceptable.

So with that inspiration and plenty of learning and perseverance, I gradually crafted my own unique style which, like “The Far Side”, tries to incorporate a sense of surrealism and absurdity. I like to take ordinary situations and give them a twist or a surprise ending that the reader might not expect. Also, like Gary Larson, I often use non-human characters in my comics, anthropomorphizing them to make them more relatable, surprising, or humorous (or all three at once).

More info: youtube.com | Instagram

Recently, I began to animate my comics, which has brought an exciting new dimension to my work. I've been posting some of these animated pieces on my YouTube channel, and it's been a thrill experimenting with different ways of delivering humor and amusing observations.

As you can imagine, animating comics requires a different set of skills and tools, which can be daunting at first. It is more time-consuming and more complex than creating static comics, but though it’s been a steep learning curve, it has allowed me to include more depth, movement, and interactivity in my ideas. It can also add a new layer of humor to the joke, which makes the learning how to do it part all the more rewarding.

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    Of course, the technical learning behind animation is one thing, consistently coming up with fresh, humorous content is something else, and this can be a challenge sometimes. But I find the best ideas come from everyday situations or observations. By paying attention to the quirks and oddities around me, I often find different angles on familiar topics or come up with (what I think) are novel takes on those things that everyone experiences in their daily lives. These days, if I have an interesting or amusing thought, I’m much more inclined to write it down.

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    Chatting with friends and brainstorming ideas is also central to my creative process. I find that the ideas flow most easily when I am having a fun conversation with someone I get along with well.

    Suffice it to say, this journey has been exhilarating thus far, and I'm deeply thankful for the unwavering support I've received from my family, friends, and followers. After all, at my core, I'm just a guy with a love for creating and sharing humor, and I aim to continue doing this for as long as I can.

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    In addition to comics and animations, I am also working on several children’s picture books, told in rhyme and illustrated in the style of my comics. My books are educational in nature, answering, for example, the questions that I used to ask as a kid in a fun and amusing way. I’ve found that humor is a powerful tool for engaging young readers and can help them to navigate difficult emotions and situations. It can also be used to tackle more serious themes by making children feel more comfortable and confident as they develop through their own experiences. It’s a great feeling to be told by a young person that you’ve helped them in some, even small, way.

    #8

    The Adventures Of Robot Stepdad

    The Adventures Of Robot Stepdad

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    But across the board, the most rewarding feedback I get from followers and readers of my comics is when they tell me they were genuinely amused. Reactions like that are very motivational and inspire me to continue creating. Feedback can also be very helpful in that sometimes a reader’s response can help inform the creative process. I might look at which comics or characters people like and use that to guide future work or refine the way a comic is written. I've found it's definitely true to say that feedback from the audience can help evolve and improve work over time.

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    All in all, whether it's through comics, animations, or the children’s books I aspire to publish, my primary joy lies in making people laugh and (hopefully) brightening their day.

    #11

    Sharing Is Caring

    Sharing Is Caring

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    Earl Grey
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A dog with opposable thumbs is something to be reckoned with.

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    #12

    Memoirs Of A Fish-Stick

    Memoirs Of A Fish-Stick

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    Ash Conner
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is when people talk s*** about somebody without knowing all the details about that person. Ignorance

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    #13

    Give The Little Fella A Thrill

    Give The Little Fella A Thrill

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    Trish Ferguson
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just saved that guy like 5 days, unfortunately he took the snail farther from where he wanted to be 🐌

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    #15

    I Think I Saw One Of Them Goombas With That Talking Mushroom

    I Think I Saw One Of Them Goombas With That Talking Mushroom

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    #17

    Catching Feelings

    Catching Feelings

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    Arunika R.
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The whole "fish don't feel physical pain" thing is a myth. Fishes don't have neuro receptors similar to humans which are responsible for any sensation, including pain. However, they do respond to pains in ways similar to humans indicating that there must be some other pain receptors. So we don't know for sure what happens, but something does happen

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    #24

    The Cosmic Dustbin

    The Cosmic Dustbin

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    Earl Grey
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I owned a Dyson once and it was *NOT* incredible at all. And don’t get me started about Sir James. What was God even thinking?

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    #26

    This Cat's Hairline's So Far Back You Need Binoculars To See It

    This Cat's Hairline's So Far Back You Need Binoculars To See It

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    #27

    We Are Who We Are Because Of Who We Are

    We Are Who We Are Because Of Who We Are

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    Flarpel Blarpel
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would tell myself to touch grass. That would probably not do anything by why not.

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    #28

    The Final Test

    The Final Test

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    #29

    The Future Of Cloning

    The Future Of Cloning

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    #30

    So... You Don't Wanna Split It?

    So... You Don't Wanna Split It?

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    #32

    Hmmn, Must Be Busted

    Hmmn, Must Be Busted

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    #33

    Just Some Dudes Playing Cards With A Horse

    Just Some Dudes Playing Cards With A Horse

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    #35

    Space Jam

    Space Jam

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    Note: this post originally had 40 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.