William Aloysius Keane (October 5, 1922 – November 8, 2011) was an American

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

best known for the newspaper comic strip '' The Family Circus''. He began it in 1960 and his son Jeff Keane continues to produce it.

Early life and education

Keane was born in Crescentville, a neighborhood in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and attended

parochial school A parochial school is a private school, private Primary school, primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathem ...

at St. William Parish and

Northeast Catholic High School Northeast Catholic High School opened in 1926 as Northeast Catholic High School for Boys, and was located at 1842 East Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was under the administration of the high school system of the Roman Catho ...

. While a schoolboy, he taught himself to draw by mimicking the style of the cartoons published in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

''. His first cartoon was published on May 21, 1936, on the amateur page of the ''

Philadelphia Daily News ''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', a daily newspaper in Philadelphia. The ''Dail ...

''. While in high school, he signed his work "Bill Keane", but omitted the second L from his first name early in his career, in order "to be distinctive".

Career

Keane served in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

from 1942 to 1945, during which he drew for '' Yank'' and created the feature "At Ease with the Japanese" for the Pacific edition of '' Stars and Stripes''. From 1946 to 1959 Keane worked as a staff artist for the ''

Philadelphia Bulletin The ''Philadelphia Bulletin'' (or ''The Bulletin'' as it was commonly known) was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was ...

'', where he launched his first regular comic strip '' Silly Philly''. His first syndicated strip, '' Channel Chuckles'', a series of jokes about television, premiered in 1954 and ran until 1977. In 1959, the Keane family moved to

Paradise Valley, Arizona Paradise Valley is a desert and mountain town in Arizona east of state capital Phoenix. The town is known for its golf courses, spectacular mountain views, numerous upscale resorts and restaurants, natural beauty with desert landscaping and gor ...

. Keane's daily newspaper panel ''The Family Circus'' premiered on February 29, 1960. He was president of the

National Cartoonists Society The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...

from 1981 to 1983 and was the master of ceremonies at the Society's annual awards banquet for 16 years. From 1981 to 1983, Keane published the gag strip ''Eggheads'' in collaboration with his son Jeff, who now draws and writes ''The Family Circus''. Like his father, Jeff Keane has been president of the National Cartoonists Society, serving four years thereat.

Personal life

While stationed in Australia he met Thelma "Thel" Carne. They were married in

Brisbane, Queensland Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

in 1948 and settled in Roslyn, Pennsylvania. They had five children: Gayle, Neal,

Glen A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. The word is Goidelic in origin: ''gleann'' in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, ''glion'' in Manx. ...

, Christopher and

Jeff Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey. Music * DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes ...

. Glen is an

animator An animator is an artist who creates images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games. Animat ...

and has drawn much notice for his work for

Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...

. Jeff is a cartoonist and took over his father's comic strip upon the latter's death. Thel, the inspiration for Mommy in ''The Family Circus'', died on May 23, 2008 from complications of

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

. Keane and his wife owned a second residence in

Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish language, Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Located in Southern California along the Pacific Ocean, this seaside resort city has a mild year-round climate, scenic c ...

. Bil Keane died on November 8, 2011, at his home in

, near Phoenix, at age 89. The cause of death was given as

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF typically pr ...

. A

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, he was buried beside his wife in the Holy Redeemer Cemetery of Phoenix, Arizona.

Awards

Keane received the National Cartoonists Society's Award for Best Syndicated Panel four times, in 1967, 1971, 1973 and 1974. In 1981, he was awarded the

Inkpot Award The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at Comic-Con Internati ...

. In 1982, he was named the Society's Cartoonist of the Year and received the

Reuben Award The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...

, the Society's top honor. That year he also received the Elzie Segar Award for his unique contribution to the cartooning profession. In 1998, Keane became the tenth recipient of the Arizona Heritage Award, joining—among others—

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (March 26, 1930 – December 1, 2023) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, O' ...

Mo Udall Morris King Udall (June 15, 1922 – December 12, 1998) was an American attorney and Democratic politician who served as a U.S. representative from Arizona from May 2, 1961, to May 4, 1991. He was a leading contender for the 1976 Democratic pr ...

and Erma Bombeck. In 2002 Keane was honored with the Silver T-Square Award from the National Cartoonist Society for "outstanding dedication" to the Society and the cartooning profession. In 2008, he received the Sergio Award from the

Comic Art Professional Society The Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. The organization's stated primary purposes are "to advance the ideals and standards of professional cartooning in its many forms", "to ...

Friends

Keane was close friends with humorist and newspaper columnist Erma Bombeck. He provided illustrations for Bombeck's book ''Just Wait Until You Have Children of Your Own!'' (1972), and considered himself instrumental in convincing Bombeck and her family to move to Arizona near his home. He was a pallbearer at Bombeck's funeral in 1996. Stephan Pastis, creator of '' Pearls Before Swine'', acknowledged he was good friends with Keane and Keane's son, Jeff. Pastis has parodied ''The Family Circus'' in his own strip several times, and Keane wrote a satirical "attack" on these jokes as a foreword for Pastis' ''Pearls'' collection '' Macho Macho Animals''. In the

comic strip switcheroo The comic strip switcheroo (also known as the Great Comics Switcheroonie or the Great April Fools' Day Comics Switcheroonie) was held on April 1, 1997, during which several cartoonists, without the foreknowledge of their editors, traded comic stri ...

of 1997, Keane switched strips with

Scott Adams Scott Raymond Adams (born June 8, 1957) is an American author and cartoonist. He is the creator of the ''Dilbert'' comic strip and the author of several nonfiction works of business, commentary, and satire. Adams worked in various corporate r ...

of ''

Dilbert ''Dilbert'' is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Scott Adams, first published on April 16, 1989. It is known for its satire, satirical office humor about a White-collar worker, white-collar, micromanagement, micromanaged offic ...

''. Adams said, "Bil was a misunderstood creative genius who knew how to write for his target audience. He was also a great guy. I was a big fan." Keane also counted fellow cartoonists Charles M. Schulz (''

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...

'') and

Mell Lazarus Melvin Lazarus (May 3, 1927 – May 24, 2016) was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of two comic strips, '' Miss Peach'' (1957–2002) and '' Momma'' (1970–2016). Additionally, he wrote two novels. For his comic strip ''Pauline ...

(''

Miss Peach ''Miss Peach'' was a syndicated comic strip created by American cartoonist Mell Lazarus. It ran for 45 years, from February 4, 1957, to September 8, 2002. Format and style The daily strips often contained only a single panel. The format was ...

, Momma'') as close friends. In 1994, the characters from ''The Family Circus'' made a "guest appearance" in

Bill Griffith William Henry Jackson Griffith (born January 20, 1944) is an American cartoonist who signs his work Bill Griffith and Griffy. He is best known for his surreal daily comic strip '' Zippy''. The catchphrase "Are we having fun yet?" is credited t ...

's ''

Zippy the Pinhead Zippy the Pinhead is a fictional character who is the protagonist of ''Zippy'', an American comic strip created by Bill Griffith. Zippy's most famous quotation, "Are we having fun yet?", appears in ''Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'' and became a ...

'' comic strip. Griffith said, "I remembered Bil's affection for Zippy, so I decided to bite the bullet and call him to ask if, instead of me parodying his strip, he'd agree to jam with me..." Keane drew his characters in Griffith's strip, with dialogue written for them by Griffith. Then, on March 7, 1995, Zippy made an appearance, drawn by Griffith, in a ''Family Circus'' panel. Griffith said that ''Family Circus'' was "the last remaining folk art strip" and that "It's supposed to be the epitome of squareness, but it turns the corner into a hip zone." Scottsdale-Stillman Railroad Park-Bil Keane Statue-3

Scottsdale-Stillman Railroad Park-Bil Keane Statue-3

Scottsdale-Stillman Railroad Park-Bil Keane Statue-1

Books

''Family Circus'' collections

*''The Family Circus'' (1961) *''The Family Circus Vol. 1'' (1965) *''The Family Circus Vol. 2'' (1966) *''Sunday with the Family Circus'' (1966) *''The Family Circus'' (1967) *''I Need a Hug.'' (1968) *''Peace, Mommy, Peace!'' (1969) *''Wanna Be Smiled At?'' (1970) *''Peekaboo! I Love You!'' (1971) *''Look Who's Here!'' (1972) *''Can I Have a Cookie?'' (1973) *''Hello, Grandma?'' (1973) *''At Home with the Family Circus'' (1973) *''I'm Taking a Nap'' (1974) *''When's Later, Daddy?'' (1974) *''I Can't Untie My Shoes! '' (1975) *'' Dolly Hit Me Back!'' (1975) *''Mine: And Yours, Too!'' (1975) *''Jeffy's Lookin' at Me'' (1976) *''Smile!'' (1976) *''Not Me!'' (1976) *''Quiet! Mommy's Asleep!'' (1977) *''Sunday with the Family Circus'' (1977) *''For This I Went to College?'' (1977) *''Where's PJ?'' (1978) *''Any Children?'' (1979) *''Dolly Hit Me Back!'' (1979) *''Not Me.'' (1980) *''Daddy's Little Helpers'' (1980) *''Good Morning, Sunshine! '' (1980) *''On Vacation with the Family Circus'' (1980) *''Kittycat's Motor is Running!'' (1981) *''Who Invented Rain?'' (1981) *''My Turn Next!'' (1981) *''Pasghetti and Meat Bulbs! '' (1981) *''That Family Circus Feeling'' (1982) *''Go to Your Room!'' (1982) *''It's Not Easy Bein' the Littlest'' (1982) *''We'll Help You Get Better'' (1982) *''Mommy, God's Here'' (1982) *''PJ's Barefoot All Over!'' (1989) *''I'm Already Tucked In'' (1983) *''Pick Up What Things? '' (1983) *''Grandma Was Here'' (1983) *''My Turn Next!'' (1984) *''Love, The Family Circus'' (1984) *''The Family Circus Parade'' (1984) *''It's My Birthday Suit'' (1984) *''I Dressed Myself!'' (1984) *''How Do You Turn It on?'' (1985) *''Unquestionably the Family Circus'' (1985) *''Wanna Be Smiled at?'' (1985) *''PJ's Still Hungry'' (1986) *''Heart of the Family Circus'' (1986) *''He Followed Me Home'' (1987) *''The Family Circus's Colorful Life'' (1987) *''We're Home!'' (1987) *''Where Did the Summer Go?'' (1987) *''I Could Hear Chewing'' (1988) *''It's Muddy Out Today'' (1988) *''Oops! We're Out of Juice'' (1988) *''The Family Circus is Very Keane'' (1988) *''Granddad! It's Morning!'' (1989) *''We Didn't Do It!'' (1989) *''Baby on Board'' (1989) *''The Family Circus Memories'' (1989) *''Behold the Family Circus'' (1989) *''Quiet, Sam!'' (1990) *''I Had a Frightmare!'' (1990) *''I Just Dropped Grandma!'' (1990) *''I'm Wearin' a Zucchini!'' (1991) *''The Sky's All Wrinkled'' (1991) *''It's Up and Let 'Em at Me'' (1991) *''Through the Year with the Family Circus'' (1992) *''Look! A Flutterby!'' (1992) *''Are You Awake, Daddy?'' (1992) *''I'll Shovel the Cards'' (1992) *''Sam's Takin' a Catnap!'' (1992) *''Enjoy Yourselves!'' (1993) *''What Does This Say?'' (1994) *''Stay!'' (1994) *''Count Your Blessings'' (1995) *''Sing Me a Loveaby?'' (1995) *''Daddy's Cap Is on Backwards'' (1996) *''The Family Circus by Request'' (1998)

Special compilations

*''The Family Circus Treasury'', foreword by Erma Bombeck (1977) *''The Family Circus Album'', foreword by Charles Schulz (1984) *''The Family Circus is Us'' (1990) *''Family Circus Library, Vol. 1'' by

The Library of American Comics Library of American Comics (abbreviated as LoAC) is an American publisher of classic United States, American comic strips collections and comic history books, founded by Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell in 2007. History Background Dean Mullaney ...

(2009) *''Family Circus Library, Vol. 2'' by

(2010)

Other cartoon collections

*''Channel Chuckles'' (1964) *''Jest in Pun'' (1966) *''Pun-Abridged Dictionary'' (1968) *''More Channel Chuckles'' (1971) *''It's Apparent You're a Parent'' (1971) *''Deuce and Don'ts of Tennis'' (1975) *''Eggheads'' written by Bil Keane and Jeff Keane (1983)

Illustrated books

*''Just Wait Till You Have Children of Your Own!'' written by Erma Bombeck and Bil Keane (1971) *''Hey, Father!'' written by Jeanne Marie Lortie, illustrated by Bil Keane (1973) *''Daddy's Surprise Day'' written by Gale Wiersum, illustrated by Bil Keane (1980) *''Ask Any Mother'' written by Jean B. Boyce, illustrated by Bil Keane (1991) *''Just Ask Mom'' written by Jean B. Boyce, illustrated by Bil Keane (1996) *''Just Like Home'' written by Jean B. Boyce, illustrated by Bil Keane (2001)

Footnotes

References

* *

External links

Bil's biography at the Family Circus WebsiteFeature article on Bil Keane at St. Anthony Messenger Magazine Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keane, Bil 1922 births 2011 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II Artists from Arizona People from Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania People from Paradise Valley, Arizona Artists from Philadelphia Reuben Award winners United States Army soldiers American comic strip cartoonists American comics writers American comics artists American humorists Catholics from Pennsylvania Catholics from Arizona Inkpot Award winners