Let’s Talk Daddy Issues

I love introducing you to new authors. Allan is the nephew of a dear friend and I think you will appreciate his book. After all, who doesn’t have Daddy Issues and who doesn’t need to laugh at provocative, edgy, corny, genius and stupid jokes after the crazy year we’ve all had?

Daddy Issues is an inside look of author Allan Sidley’s best and worst jokes over his comedy career. Poking fun at real subjects like his family, religion, politics, and pokémon, you’ll laugh when you should(n’t), groan often, and see words transform right before your eyes.

For those who are dads, have their own daddy issues, or are simply human, this book reminds us humor is in EVERYTHING. A therapy session cheaper than your co-pay, Daddy Issues celebrates life’s highs, mediums, and loathes.

The Book

The Author

The Interview

Where did you grow up and did you have any siblings?

I grew up in Vienna, VA where we thrive on public education, government contracting, sports and competition in general. As for siblings, that’s kind of complicated. I’m an only child with a half-brother Steve Sidley, from my Dad’s previous marriage (same Dad who died 30 years ago). He’s 20 years older than me so our sibling relationship is pretty- unconventional.

Was writing a book always on your bucket list, something you always thought you wanted to do? 

It was always something I “joked” about once I was a couple years into performing stand-up comedy. Before that I had small aspirations to write action novels like Tom Clancy. Those aspirations never went anywhere.

Who did you write this book for, who is your audience? Other than laughs what’s in it for the reader, what message did you want them to receive?

I wrote it for myself and anyone else who loves jokes, especially one liners and puns. A little bit of self- help/therapy, if you can connect to my jokes then hopefully you can see more humor in your life as well. We need to re-learn how to laugh more, and this helps with that.

How long did it take you to write the book?

As a stand-up comedian I’ve been writing jokes for a little over six years. My process of converting the best ones and organizing them into chapters with an intuitive flow, editing, and publishing, took about six months.

Did you enjoy the writing process, or do you prefer having written?

I love writing jokes and ultimately telling them on stage. I also write sketches and have a blog. For Daddy Issues, the writing process was really done over the span of my comedy career, so the book came together naturally from the material I’ve refined through performances.

Did you grow up in a reading or a writing family?

My Mom is an avid reader. I was personally turned off from reading because I couldn’t connect with books that were required by school. There was ONE BOOK I enjoyed reading in my years in high school. How messed up is that?!

When did you first know, deep down that you were funny, that you had the gift to make people laugh?

As a young kid I made my Mom, friends, and family laugh by making various quips. (It wasn’t huge public knowledge as I wasn’t a class clown, more of a reserved person)

Do you have a day job?

I work in the data analysis field, and currently do data development and governance for a construction company. It’s actually-really great! I did spend three years away from the grind, building a live comedy producing business (on top of performing) full-time. The money wasn’t great, but I gained lots of skills, growth, exposure, and opportunities. Covid ultimately shut me down, but I’m okay with that.

Do you write your own jokes? What’s that process like?

I 100% write my own jokes. It happens one of three ways:

• The entire joke comes to me perfectly packaged in a moment of inspiration – this is rare.
• The punchline comes to me, then I need to figure out how to write the set-up, so people get the joke – this is most common
• I’m on stage and improvise/riff on an existing joke, if I see that the improvisational bit has repeatability I’ll add it.

What is your favorite local restaurant and what is your go to meal there?

Having just moved to Little Italy / Fells Point in Baltimore, Maryland. Favorite place for breakfast is Blue Moon Cafe –Chorizo eggs and hash browns are amazing.

Back in Northern VA where I grew up, we were regulars at Kizuna for the ramen and sushi.

Follow Allan here: Allan Sidley | Facebook

Order the book here: Daddy Issues: A Fatherless Comedian’s Original Jokes: Sidley, Allan Andrew: 9798577097776: Amazon.com: Books