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# World's Most Syndicated Cartoonist Dies
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/family-circus-cartoonist-dies/
- Published: 2011-11-11T00:37:15.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:02:30.000Z
- Description: Anyone who loves the funny pages will know the work of Bill Keane, who is best remembered for Family Circus, a long running cartoon series that celebrated family life and inspired many spoofs that were equally funny (even if some were much more demented, like Dysfuntional Family Circus, or really ph
- Author: Hrag Vartanian
- Tags: Opinion, #image-position-hidden, Cartoons, pop culture, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-11-17 09:23 (2009-2011)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2011/11/familycircus-tribute125.jpg "FamilyCircus-tribute125")

Anyone who loves the funny pages will know the work of Bill Keane, who is best remembered for the long running syndicated comic strip *Family Circus.* If the cartoon series seemed to celebrate a wholesome type of family life, what it also did was inspires [many](http://swantron.com/tag/family-circus/?ref=hyperallergic.com) [spoofs](http://theotherfamily.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com) [that](http://www.retroist.com/2008/12/14/family-circus-fun-what-does-jeffy-fear/?ref=hyperallergic.com) [were](http://manginamonologues.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/family-circus-8-18.jpg?w=360&h=439&ref=hyperallergic.com)[ equally](http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2005/09/10/the-fucking-family-circus/?ref=hyperallergic.com) [funny](http://www.avitable.com/2008/04/23/clusterfuck-circus/?ref=hyperallergic.com) — even if most were more demented, like [*Dysfuntional Family Circus*](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/dysfunctional-family-circus?ref=hyperallergic.com#.TrxcEPS6U0Y), more philosophical, like [*Nietzsche Family Circus*](http://www.vivabatista.com/2007/09/nfc.html?ref=hyperallergic.com), or more regional, like [*Jersey Circus*](http://jerseycircus.blogspot.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com).

Sadly, Keane [died yesterday](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h46uwJiZg9NRKogBtxRuuGRJ%5FU9g?docId=013c6c817550450aa2d1449a009e702e&ref=hyperallergic.com) in his home in Phoenix, Arizona.

If today the series is very pedestrian and nostalgic, coincidentally his son Jeff continues the series, the [Comics Curmudgeon](http://joshreads.com/?p=11816&ref=hyperallergic.com) reminds us that not only were some of his earlier versions were somewhat edgier but the famed cartoonist had a sense of humor and collected many of the *Family Circus* spoofs.

According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FFamily%5FCircus?ref=hyperallergic.com):

> The series debuted on February 29, 1960, and has been in continuous production ever since. According to publisher King Features Syndicate, it is the most widely syndicated cartoon panel in the world, appearing in 1,500 newspapers.

I’ve collected some art-related original and doctored cartoons as a tribute to a comic artist who impacted the lives of millions.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2011/11/familycircus-tribute.jpg "FamilyCircus-tribute")

*Comic sources: (clockwise from top left)* [*1*](http://thecomicssection.blogspot.com/2009/07/family-circus-these-are-some-of-my-dads.html?ref=hyperallergic.com)*,* [*2*](http://theconsummateamateur.blogspot.com/2010/11/nietzsche-meets-family-circus.html?ref=hyperallergic.com)*,* [*3*](http://www.thefellowshipofthegeeks.net/?ref=hyperallergic.com)*,* [*4*](http://www.google.com/imgres?start=816&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SKPL%5FenUS432US432&biw=1286&bih=980&tbm=isch&tbnid=6UaskeBSSpPuFM:&imgrefurl=http://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/07/31/dead-heat-the-family-circus-vs-cathy%26view%3Dcomments%3Foid%3D1950067%26show%3Dcomments%26sort%3Ddesc%26display%3D&docid=-Na%5FNKgClN56PM&itg=1&imgurl=http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2009/07/31/1249075881-family-circus-blog.gif&w=320&h=389&ei=v128Ts-YEqHo0QGAneX2BA&zoom=0&chk=sbg&iact=rc&dur=381&sig=113108002349836109246&page=27&tbnh=157&tbnw=129&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:816&tx=83&ty=80&ref=hyperallergic.com)*,* [*5*](http://understandingjudgeparker.blogspot.com/2010%5F03%5F01%5Farchive.html?ref=hyperallergic.com)*,* [*6*](http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/91943-dysfunctional-family-circus?ref=hyperallergic.com#.TrxeKPS6U0Y)