Mental Floss '30 Most Interesting Comics of 2016' pick
"Mike Dawson’s crisp and clever art is particularly good at illuminating abstract concepts and bringing them to life. […] This flair for finding the surprising, perfect visual metaphor makes his new collection Rules for Dating My Daughter not just a thoughtful book but one that’s a pleasure to read."—Dan Kois, Slate
"Dawson seems to be trying something genuinely difficult in his work: to portray […] well-rounded, rational decency, a goal not often earnestly attempted in comics, much less achieved. This is straight-up sincere-and-sensitive suburban-dad stuff, but not unconsciously (or unashamedly) so."—The Comics Journal
"If he sometimes seems helpless against the universe, Dawson still channels the parental zeitgeist, as shown in his suggestion that the one good choice is to raise thoughtful children who understand reality."—Publishers Weekly
"Dawson pours his own parental love and insecurity into smart, funny and creative comic essays about subjects like feminist dads, talking to your kids about how we get our meat, school shootings, and the class values of the Disney Jr. show Sofia the First."—Mental Floss
"There is nothing worse than a parenting book in which the writer presents themselves as a perfect parent with all the right answers. Mike Dawson doesn't pretend. Raising kids in the modern world comes with more social, political and religious complications than it did in decades past, and Mike is just as confused and anxious about them as every parent is, or should be. The struggle makes for an entertaining and heartfelt read. This book isn't just for parents, it’s for anyone who wants to ponder the influence our world has on youth, and frankly, that should be everyone."—Julia Wertz, New Yorker cartoonist and author of The Infinite Wait and Museum of Mistakes
Mental Floss '30 Most Interesting Comics of 2016' pick
"Mike Dawson’s crisp and clever art is particularly good at illuminating abstract concepts and bringing them to life. […] This flair for finding the surprising, perfect visual metaphor makes his new collection Rules for Dating My Daughter not just a thoughtful book but one that’s a pleasure to read."—Dan Kois, Slate
"Dawson seems to be trying something genuinely difficult in his work: to portray […] well-rounded, rational decency, a goal not often earnestly attempted in comics, much less achieved. This is straight-up sincere-and-sensitive suburban-dad stuff, but not unconsciously (or unashamedly) so."—The Comics Journal
"If he sometimes seems helpless against the universe, Dawson still channels the parental zeitgeist, as shown in his suggestion that the one good choice is to raise thoughtful children who understand reality."—Publishers Weekly
"Dawson pours his own parental love and insecurity into smart, funny and creative comic essays about subjects like feminist dads, talking to your kids about how we get our meat, school shootings, and the class values of the Disney Jr. show Sofia the First."—Mental Floss
"There is nothing worse than a parenting book in which the writer presents themselves as a perfect parent with all the right answers. Mike Dawson doesn't pretend. Raising kids in the modern world comes with more social, political and religious complications than it did in decades past, and Mike is just as confused and anxious about them as every parent is, or should be. The struggle makes for an entertaining and heartfelt read. This book isn't just for parents, it’s for anyone who wants to ponder the influence our world has on youth, and frankly, that should be everyone."—Julia Wertz, New Yorker cartoonist and author of The Infinite Wait and Museum of Mistakes
