Silly Daddy Is the Sci-fi Father

Family science fiction comic by Joe Chiappetta is an 8.5" x 11" photocopy and ink drawing hand colored with markers, 2010. This webcomic also appears in the ebook "Silly Daddy in Space."

This is a comic about family with a splash (or should I say "flash") of science fiction. I recall a time of shelter from the storm in my pod-house with Anna, my little daughter:

"Wow! The storm is really raging. I hear the baby now. I'll go check on her," I said.

Checking in on my littlest one, I was reassured and thought, "Oh, she's fine. I rushed in here for nothing. She was just talking a few seconds ago but now... she's silently tracking me with her eye. She's such a ninja."

Lightening and thunder suddenly livened the atmosphere again. The baby sprang up and was fervently trying to tell me something about the storm. Yet there is only so much that can be done with a limited vocabulary of "ball," "baby-o," "mine," "more," "mommy," "daddy," "amen," and "I love you."

But in the middle of the night, the only meaningful communication needed was a big hug.

Futuristic housing and sci-fi undertones aside, this is a very dear incident that took place when my youngest daughter was about one year old. Those who have already read my 2010 Star Chosen science fiction book will recognize that there is a scene in the novel that has been adapted almost exactly from the above comic. It's one of the many reasons why much of my work is often referred to as "autobiographical science fiction."