Silly Daddy Is Not Really Boring

Ink pens and markers on 4.5" x 3.5" paper by Joe Chiappetta 2009, colored by Denise and Joe Chiappetta.

Slouching on her bed cluttered with toys and children's books in the middle of the day, my little daughter said, "I'm tired. I'm boring."

With certainty, I replied, "I think you mean 'bored.'"

An Earful of Social Commentary - Silly Daddy Style

Full of resounding truths, this comic has deep yet funny social commentary on people who all too often wear headphones in public.

While on a train and watching a great number of teenagers with mobile phones plugged into headphones, my daughter asked me, "Why does everyone have wires coming out of their ears?"

I replied, "Those devices power their brains."

For the record, I am not morally opposed to earphones. It's just that when people wear them too much, there's no way to converse, or make new friends, or participate in the real world, or just be kind to a stranger.

Webcomic drawn by Joe Chiappetta 2009 on HP iPAQ Pocket PC running Windows Mobile, in Conduits Pocket Artist drawing program.

It's So Hard to Be a Good Reporter

A girl web geek/reporter tells her friend who runs a cool news website, "I can't send articles to your website anymore because the "Submit News" link is broke.

What do you have to say about that?"

The teen who runs the website shrugs with a smile and says, "Uh... no news is good news?"

Today's comic may have no actual news, but I do; on this very day eleven years ago, I became a Christian. That and being a parent has totally altered the focus of my cartooning. If more cartoonists considered what their impressionable young children might actual think of their work, then those cartoonists would do at least two things differently:

1) Cartoonists would make and read less cartoons while focusing more on quality time with their kids--training them in the way they should go.

2) There would be less filthy language and uncouth material in comics. My conviction is that if a cartoonist can't in good conscience let their kids read their work, then that says a lot about the lack of consideration they have for their offspring. It says volumes about where their heart is really at. I know firsthand because I started down the wrong road. In fact, being a parent and becoming a Christian eventually changed my whole perception on what to write about. My comics used to be PG-13 and often hopeless. Yet now they are pretty much G rated and usually hopeful.

Speaking of news, now that I have officially passed the 500 Silly Daddy webcomics milestone, I have discovered that making that many comics is somewhat newsworthy since many comics reporting websites have picked up the story or ran my press release. Also, making that many comics won't kill you, in case anyone was wondering.

However, if someone would have sat me down years ago and said, "Go and do 500 color comics and let me know when you are finished," I would have given up and said, "Forget about it." I must say now that I'm glad to have reached this milestone, but if someone says now to go for 1000, I'll be like, "No guarantees." Not that I am retiring or anywhere near that, but only God knows the future.

Webcomic drawn by Joe Chiappetta 2009 on HP iPAQ Pocket PC running Windows Mobile, in Conduits Pocket Artist drawing program. This drawing actually started out as a sketch from my daughter's choir concert.

Silly Daddy Survives the Endless Monologue

"How was work today, Dad?" asked my daughter, Anna.

I replied, "Work was hard, Anna. Someone next to my office talks all day! It's draining listening to an endless monologue."

At that, Anna smiled and said, "I talk all day, so I have a monologue too."

"No," I chuckled, "that's an Anna-log."

Webcomic drawn by Joe Chiappetta 2009 on HP iPAQ Pocket PC running Windows Mobile, in Conduits Pocket Artist drawing program. Is it any surprise that this comic was illustrated during an endless monologue from a different person?

Razor Sharp But No-Less-Stupid Webcomic

Walking through a city, a big starfish-like head with only giant feet and rough legs for his body says, "Oops, I forgot to shave my legs!"

The caption reads, "Razorblade Company Suspects That Star Spokesperson Is Underperforming!"

The reason why this stupid webcomic works is due to Silly Daddy cartoonist rule #2-F:
A big head attached to feet is always funny.

Webcomic drawn by Joe Chiappetta 2009 in some online drawing program and then edited in Adobe Illustrator.

Who Is MY Daddy?

I just finished a one panel Silly Daddy webcomic called "Who Is MY Daddy." I think it will be timeless, and anyone with children or at least half a heart should appreciate it.

My two daughters were baking cookies, when my oldest daughter, Maria, said to the youngest, Anna, "Someday you can bake on your own and be a mommy."

"But who will my daddy be?" asked Anna.

"We already have one," replied Maria.

"No!" exclaimed Anna. "Who will MY daddy be? Like Mommy has Daddy."

Webcomic drawn by Joe Chiappetta 2009 on HP iPAQ Pocket PC running Windows Mobile, in Conduits Pocket Artist drawing program. In case anyone is counting, this is the 500th Silly Daddy webcomic I have posted on this site.

What an amazing question for a three-year-old to ask... about her future husband! Thanks go to my oldest daughter, Maria, for telling me this story, and for pulling out the best in me. May God bless my children.

How To Know When Technology Stinks

Ink pens and markers on 4.5" x 3.5" paper by Joe Chiappetta 2009, colored by Joe and Denise Chiappetta.

In the not so distant future, a father answers his super-smartphone and a holographic image of his toddler daughter pops up and says, "Dad, call me back. I need my diaper changed."

That point in time is known as... when technology stinks.

Silly Daddy Hits 500 Webcomics Milestone! Five Reasons You Should Care

Holding up my iPAQ Pocket PC with the latest comic on it, I said with excitement to my youngest daughter, "I just finished drawing my 500th webcomic!"

Innocently, she asked, "Is that a lot?"

Webcomic drawn by Joe Chiappetta 2009 on HP iPAQ Pocket PC running Windows Mobile, in Conduits Pocket Artist program. Below is the press release detailing the 500th Silly Daddy webcomic, and I thank God for allowing me to reach that milestone with a family that is such a joy to be a part of.

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Joe Chiappetta
www.sillydaddy.net

Silly Daddy Hits 500 Webcomics Milestone! Five Reasons You Should Care:

North Riverside, IL., USA, November 1, 2009

The family comic series, "Silly Daddy," posts its 500th online cartoon November 9th, 2009. Started as a print comic book in 1991 with the birth of his first child, cartoonist Joe Chiappetta has received much award recognition for the series, including Harvey and Ignatz nominations. When his story arc combined science fiction with real life family drama and humor, he won the Xeric Award.

Since 2004, Silly Daddy has also been a webcomic with an emphasis on one panel cartoons. Here are five reasons why you should take note of Silly Daddy's 500 webcomics milestone:

1) Silly Daddy is one of the longest running autobiographical comics still releasing new material. It's definitely the longest running autobiographical comic about family by a father.

2) While the all-ages webcomics are drawn on a variety of media, Chiappetta is one of the only cartoonists to regularly complete comics on a Pocket PC (handheld mobile computing devices with 4" diagonal screen or less, running Windows Mobile operating system).

3) Many of theses webcomics (74) were created entirely on a mobile phone. Chiappetta is the first cartoonist to pioneer this field of phone-made webcomics, calling it "telephomics."

4) The Silly Daddy website is one of the few cartoonist sites wherein all the comics are fully accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. Every webcomic posted has a described narrative that assistive technology software (such as JAWS or ZoomText) can read to the viewer.

5) Roughly half of the 500 comics are works on paper and the other half were drawn entirely on some type of computer device. It took 5 years to make these webcomics and cost $2000 in materials to produce.

About: Silly Daddy, the all-ages family webcomic by Chicago area cartoonist Joe Chiappetta, updates at least once a week and can be read online at www.sillydaddy.net.

A promotional image for this press release is available at this link: http://tiny.cc/sillydaddy223

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