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For every lovable, precocious and sometimes bratty comic strip kid there is a father that has to put up with it all. A dad that acts the straight man, the disciplinarian and the guy that takes the heat when his kid spends all day wrecking havoc with an imaginary friend.

Comic strip characters don’t have the same ailments as us real people, and it’s a good thing, because if they did these five classic comic strip dads would have suffered at least one (possibly several) nervous breakdowns long, long ago.

5. Dad (Calvin and Hobbes)

Calvin and Hobbes is loved by millions the world over. It’s hasn’t had a new comic since 1995 yet it’s gains a new generation of fans every year. Why? The characters, especially Calvin, is so relatable, mischievous, wise-assed and adorable. That said, no one in the world, would want him for a child. He’d put any parent in the nuthouse or the poor house in less than a year. Calvin’s dad is always on the verge of a meltdown. It probably doesn’t help that he doesn’t even have a first name.

4. Bil (Family Circus)

Bil (who was named Steve in the early years of the strip — talk about an early identity crisis) works in an office but it’s believed he is actually a cartoonist.  Some early strips referred to Bil as a veteran ofWorld War II. Shell shocked and a name change — who is he Don Draper? Bil not only has to deal with old war memories and the fact that he has four kids under the age of six but a few imaginary friends that the kids love to blame when things go wrong. It’s enough to send any normally happy cartoonist of a cliff.

3. Walter Duncan (Zits)

The age of sixteen is just as painful for adults as it is for the kid. Now imagine your kid goes through that tumultuous year for about fourteen years. Poor Walter has a broody teen on his hands with a punk rock girlfriend and one dorky best friend constantly hanging around the house. Walter is clueless how to relate to his son Jeremy, though he tries (and always a little too hard).

2. Henry Mitchell (Dennis The Menace) 

No brainer but poor Henry has to be mentioned. His son is nicknamed “The Menace.” That is enough of a clue. The sad part is that Dennis actually means well, but nothing goes right for the freckled faced little son of Lucifer. If Dennis doesn’t send Henry to the funny farm (though he probably will) Henry spends his days as an aerospace engineer. Yeah, no pressure in that gig. Henry will snap one day. Run away Mr. Wilson!!!

1. Jon Arbuckle (Garfield)

Technically, Garfield and Odie aren’t children but with his awful dating record and lack of friends or family, the cat and dog are the closest to kids that Jon is ever really going to get in this lifetime. The hysterical blog GarfieldMinusGarfield is an odd look into Jon’s future, once he eventually loses his mind or Garfield and Odie finally visit big farm home to everyone’s beloved family pet. Oh come on, they are both over thirty, don’t tell me I’m the only one thinking it.

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