Dysfunctional Book Reviews    Customer reviews posted for books by Bil Keane at amazon.com     Collected March 3, 2001- April 3, 2001    provided as a public service by Mutantdog's Genetic Anarchy Network    where our motto is... "If you can't lick them... try, try again."

Original reviews collected just before the first round of deletions on March 9, 1999
Reviews collected March 13, 1999, just before the second mass deletion

These reviews did not go unnoticed, as shown by these copies of / links to articles mentioning them :

Article from the LA Weekly	Article from the Village Voice	Article and related article from Editor and Publisher Online.
Article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette	Article from the San Francisco Bay-Guardian	Article from e-Business World
Article from the Seattle Weekly	Article from feedmag.com	Even Nicole Blackman noticed, whoever she is.

Not only that, some college student apparently swiped my archive pages and did some sort of thesis about it.
Heck, even amazon.com has co-opted the whole deal for their own dubious purposes, at their Five Years of Favorites "Wackiest Customer Reviews" page.

For more fun in a similar vein, visit  It's a Dysfunctional Life.    Or go here to be Bil Keane's virtual assassin! It's good clean fun!
And be sure to check out Bil's exhibit at the International Museum of Cartoon Art!

Scared Witless, October 16, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Lemmington, WA

How do you turn it on?

Handy guide, March 2, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin from Maytag, WA.
A worthwhile guide to basic troubleshootng and maintenance of the Whirlpool 9000 series of washing machines. Covers everything from installation to operation to repairs and includes a handy parts list. Good illustrations and diagrams. Bil Keane has done us Whirlpool owners a tremendous service with this helpful and entertaining volume. The guest appearance by "P.J., the Spin Cycle fairy" was especially cute.

Wanna Be Smiled at

The Dawn of a New Era, April 2, 2001
Reviewer: mutant dog (see more about me) from Poodle Bluff, Minnesota

"Wanna Be Smiled At" truly represents a moment of epiphany in Mr. Keane's illustrious career. Unlike his previous works, which were full of optimism and levity, for this volume Keane has trained his keen but jaded eye on the seamier underside of the suburban ethos. In a stroke of genius, it is revealed that the joyous fluff of his prolific output to date merely served as a set-up for this stunning expose of the darkest corners of the human soul. These many years of lulling his readership into a soporific dreamland of all goodness and light, were just part of an elaborate pretension employed to provide a stark and shocking contrast to the depressing, mind-numbing realities depicted in this, the coup de grace.

The nihilism of Mr. Keane's worldview is more easily understood if we examine his life before entering the world of fine art. Although shrouded in mystery, careful investigation has uncovered some instructive facts regarding Mr. Keane's somewhat chequered past.

Of course the many biographies have already mentioned his days as Bil "Kneecap" Keane, ruthless bagman for the notorious King / Features Syndicate. A few have even touched upon the sad facts of his abandonment as an infant, followed by the years of bouncing from one relative to the next whenever the need for crack money arose. Some have even detailed his being sold into slavery at the age of five to a circus run by a clinically dysfunctional family. It would be pointless therefore to recount the cruel mistreatments, the severe beatings, the sensory deprivation punishments, and the unspeakable medical experiments Bil was subjected to during this period. That would be redundant. That would be redundant. Suffice it to say that it was here that the seeds of anarchy and Satan worship were sown that would manifest themselves in his later years.

But not much has been said about his adolescent period after escaping the horrific surroundings of his childhood. Little is known of his early days as a door-to-door salesman of foot-waxing appliances, and the inevitable unemployment and poverty this led to, and the many bleak months of raising rabbits in his apartment for food. And then there was the chance meeting of Anton LeVay, the mysterious disappearance, and the lost years in the satanic underground... and then the resurfacing years later, as an inexplicably well-to-do suburban family man, employed as regional manager for a major importer of... you guessed it... foot-waxing appliances.

And even less is known of his brief stint as chief of personal security for Qadafi after denouncing his citizenship, although the suddenness of his repatriation and later work for several highly secretive U. S. intelligence agencies hint at the likelihood of his participation in various CIA / Mafia assassination attempts.

It is in the context of this tragic life experience that the venerable Mr. Keane has composed this dismal, soul-shattering work that may change the course of human thought forever, or at least a week anyway. The far-reaching consequences of this epic tome can only be measured as the millenium progresses. But it is clear even now that a new era has dawned.

I Need a Hug

Poignant, mypoic, and fulminating, April 3, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from a low orbit of Alpha Centauri

Proof that Bil Keane doesn't have to resort to malaprops and literalism to engage us. "Hug" finds the littlest Family Circus moppet, P.J., starved for attention as the various members of the FC brood selfishly attend to their own interests.

"Hug" is Keane's long-promised response to Hillary Rodham Clinton's "It Takes a Village." Keane vociferously disparaged Clinton's calling upon society to help parents raise their children. In "Hug," Keane vividly and chillingly illustrates his opposing theory: that children must be attended to only by their families, and that society in general cannot be trusted to look after the best interests of children. This point is driven home with alarming force by Keane as P.J., after his entreaties for simple affection are ignored by his sibilings, parents, and grandmother, seeks out an embrace from strangers in a crowded public park. P.J. is, in short succession, sexually assaulted, beaten, and killed, underscoring Keane's belief that extra-familial child care does not work.

Fans of the socio-political subtext of Keane's "Family Circus" work will find "Hug" to be a powerful manifesto. The forward by Ayn Rand, Keane's confidante and one-time paramour, praises Keane's rejection of collectivism and offers a precious glimpse into the mind of a man who has subliminally shaped the behavior of three generations of comics readers.

Also, there are two cartoons of Billy tramping around the neighborhood to lighten the mood at crucial junctures. An outstanding work, and a worthy political statement.

What Does This Say?

Bil Can Turn the World on With a Smile..., March 21, 2001
Reviewer: Mel O'Neill (see more about me) from Okracoke, NC
I never experienced the range, the depth, and the sheer warmth of the Circus Family until I was hospitalized with skin cancer back in 1994. A friend donated his entire collection of these comics to me to while away the hours as the chemo took hold. I was mesmerized by these fellow pediatric melonoma sufferers, and was transfixed by the stately beauty of Thel, the unusually vivacious pantsuited mother-figure of the clan. It was perhaps this very reason I became infatuated with my brunette phlebotmist. Although we divorced last year, I still treasure those moments with my former wife, reenacting favorite panels of Bil and Thel. God bless you, Mr. Keane!

Move Over, Beckett!, March 10, 2001
Reviewer: Joseph Ryan from New York, NY
"What Does This Say?" is a surprisingly skillful and witty dialogue between Brian, the little kid, and an inner manifestation of his consciousness. In this book, Keane really surprises his audience by pulling off a successful, though quite ambitious, leap from inane, lifeless comedy to advanced early-20th century French Existentialism. "What Does This Say?" isn't just the title of the book -- it IS the book. The title isn't just some silly question that any kid living in any house anywhere would mumble on a daily basis -- it is a deeply penetrating question to you, the reader, and a challenge to rise to the level of Keane's briliantly concealed genius. What DOES this say? Is this book just a mind-numbing collection of failed attempts at humor, or is it MORE? What does this book say to YOU? If you pay careful attention and hold an advanced degree in some sort of cognitive science, the answer is simple: Bil Keane is the most advanced and intellectual author on the market today. The Family Circus is NOT intended to be humorous. Everybody knows that. But what everybody DOESN'T know is that contained within that simple circular border is a world of truth and horror; mystery and lucidity. Bil Keane doesn't just ask the question, he hands to the unworthy reader the key to the meaning of life, a veritable philosopher's stone of literature. THAT is what this says. Bravo, Bil Keane.

The Helpful Dead, March 12, 2001
Reviewer: wmlawson (see more about me) from Butler, Pa USA
What does this say? Truly a milestone in the under whelming style of Bil Keane, this book provides a dose of minimalist wit to those who cannot get to their morning paper or those who, due to Winter's grip on nearby ponds, cannot locate amphibians to torture.

NotMe, the havoc-wreaking expatriate of Hell makes an appearance, causing untold suffering in the Family Circus as the hapless, sparsely drawn children must take the fall for the specter's capricious mischief.

Not to be outdone, Grampa's gibbering ghost hovers over his sensed, but never actually seen (Clever, Bil, Clever!) shallow grave; his baleful glowing eyes watch over the children, reminding them that despite their youth, they are but one misstep away from a permanent sleep in the basement.

Billy takes several of his crack-fueled meandering walks while his irresponsible parents chuckle about his ability to make it unharmed across several expressways. Grandma suffers a relapse and gets back on the Horse, injecting H between her toes to hide the shame of the needle marks...but you get the idea!

Not sense "I Can't Untie My Shoes" has Keane exposed his legions of lethargic, pap-fed fans to a work of this amazing breadth and reach. I cannot recommend this work enough - buy two, one to share and terrify your children with, and the other to collect!

Yet another tour de force from the aging Grandmaster of Pith, February 28, 2001
Reviewer: Mutant Dog (see more about me) from the bleeding edge of reality
It has been decades since Mr. Keane first turned the comic strip world upside-down with his revolutionary approach to the craft... his sparse, minimalist backgrounds, depicting the empty barren futility of the tangible universe vis a vis the soul and essence of our being... his characters rendered with almost stingy economy, e.g. a single nostril clearly Implies a second one... and not least of course the circular framework, which speaks of infinity in all directions, and breaks the rigid iron boundaries of the suffocating Teutonic rectangles...

Yes, and in those decades Keane the elder statesman of pithy banality has grown decrepit and weary and has gradually given over the reins of his artwork to his son Jeff, for various reasons which are kept secret. Of course the vicious rumors abound... that Jeffy was cloned by Nazis from Bil's toenail clippings in the forties at the behest of high-ranking Bilderbergers controlled by the Rothschilds, to infiltrate Bil's vast comic empire and eventually gain control from within.... that Bil has been drugged into submission and lies chained in the attic, incontinent and drooling and babbling incoherently...

Perhaps these rumors are true, perhaps not. But I can tell you one thing for sure, this book carries the clear hallmarks of the Master himself. The incredible truth of how this came to be is a very interesting story. It seems that one night recently, Bil slowly and quietly, so as not to wake anyone, over the course of many hours, gnawed his own arm off to escape the shackles that imprisoned him. Then, though bleeding profusely from his mangled stump, he lay quietly and waited for Jeff to slide his morning gruel through the door. Seizing this chance, he leaped catlike upon Jeff's back, strangling him tenaciously with his one withered good arm. When Jeff finally dropped to the floor unconscious, Bil dragged his own crippled, desiccated body over to the drawing board and defiantly spent the next three sleepless days creating the present work. Kudos to the publisher for leaving the occasional blood spatter intact when reproducing the pages.

Well, that story is basically true, none of the names were changed, just a number of facts were slightly altered to clarify the illustration of the point, which is that this is one darn good book of comic panels by the artist who defined the art.

The Shame of Illiteracy, October 19, 2000
Reviewer: Joshua Lobo (see more about me) from New Haven, CT
Bil Keane's "What Does This Say?" is a shocking book that will most likely become a reference in your personal library. He doesn't just give a one-sided view about the typical illiterate person. Keane writes about different types of illiterate and functional/semi-literate people. Many of the stereotypes that the public holds of illiterate people and of illiteracy get knocked down. Keane tells us the truth through many statistics and details. If you don't know anything about the problem of illiteracy, then I urge you to read this book. It's not a problem that will go away, and Keane tells us straight off that America is slacking. Illiteracy will only cause more damage to the family, the community, the workplace, and the nation. "What Does This Say?" has so many scary details that you will think twice about the public educational systems, the mentality of disgruntled military personnel (trust me on this one), and the direction where America is heading. At times, the text can be somewhat difficult to grasp, but Keane has an important message that needs to be heard.

A masterpiece, to be sure, but to what end?, October 16, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from St. Louis, Missouri
There can be no doubt that Keane is constantly exploring new depths -- and new surfaces, as well -- a point that has eluded his Phallo-Nietzchean critics up until now. It will be hundreds of years before this book will be understood by the general public -- and there are perhaps five intellectuals, worldwide, who understand it now, most of them at the Sorbonne and therefore unintelligible. While there is to be sure, in the words of Edward Albee and Wanda Tinasky, a quietly noisy relaxed intensity to Keane's circumcision, we must be careful to watch out for this. Bottom line -- as a late study in pyscho-social dominance, this book can't be BEAT, yet will we all care to choose that particular lacertaion? For this I have subtracted a star, if one chooses to acknowledge subtraction as a legitimate force. Still, as Seneca so brilliantly put it, "We're all alone, nobody loves us and we're going to die. To which I can only offer a fervent secular Amen (women).

The Sound of One, September 13, 2000
Reviewer: Silurious from Normal, Illinois, USA
This review is not so much about the specific book, but rather about the body of Keane's work in general. Several people have expressed negative opinions regarding "The Family Circus," finding it boring and irrelevant. Perhaps. But then, is a zen garden also irrelevant because it does not "entertain" us? Is it boring because every day it conatins the same rock, the same pebbles, the same koi pond? It is not. Like the zen garden, "The Family Circus" provides a sense of tranquility through familiarity, while tantalizing the spirit with very slight variations in theme. As go the gently swirling patterns in the stones, so goes Billy's path through the neighborhood. Like the garden, his seemingly random path leads to an ultimate and undeniable destination. The path does not lead to an answer--it IS the answer. Dolly's malapropisms and other language errors serve as a parable illustrating that when there is true understanding, language is unneccesary. This is a more dynamic and timely example than the familiar story of the two samurai who meet at opposite ends of a bridge wide enough only for one. Ida Know and Not Me are clearly pure zen creatures. They are graphic depictions of one of the basic questions of zen: "When water goes down the drain, does it circle clockwise or anticlockwise?" The zen master will respond only by twirling a finger in the air, first one way then the other, indicating in one action two truths: The water flows the way it flows; direction is not important so long as the water goes down the drain. When Mother (representing the yin of the zen master) asks, "Who broke this lamp?" the answer of "Ida Know" or "Not Me" reveals the enlightened answer. Truth is not "who broke the lamp," but accepting that the lamp is broken and dealing with that reality. The children represent the four stages of the zen student. PJ is quiet reflection and childlike contemplation; Jeffy represents the student's ceaseless questioning of his master; Dolly is the doubter, testing the truth of what he has learned; Billy is the advanced student, going out into the world to seek his own answers. Mother and Father represent the yin and yang of the zen roshi. Far from boring, "The Family Circus" is like a still, clear pool of water. On first glance all may seem calm and flat, but beneath the surface is an entire world to be explored and understood.

Existentialisticexpialidocious read!, August 2, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Milton, WA USA
The inestimable Bil Keane says it all in the title of this, his most ambitous work to date. It is a profoundly disturbing book that leaves the reader to ponder what Keane is really saying about life, gender politics and Jeffy's burgeoning sexuality when he shows the youngster's meanderings hither and yon. Just when you think you understand, some subtle nuance hits you over the head like an anvil tossed from the 23rd story of a 48-story building in the business district of a medium-size city north of the Mason-Dixon line and makes you think to yourself, "Ouch. What does this say?"

As an earlier reviewer noted, this volume is regrettably light on Barfy. But you really must allow an artist of Keane's stature to stretch his artistic muscles and write something as dark and haunting as "What does this say?"

What does this say? That is something each man (or woman) must answer for him(or her)self.

my opinion of every family circus book ever written, August 2, 2000
Reviewer: Krazy kat from Rochester, New York United States
I think Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill watterson put it best when he wrote "When cartoons dig beyond glib punchlines, cheap sentimentality, and tidy stories, to deeper, truthful experiences, they can really touch people and connect us all." Bil Keane doesn't have the first clue how to show truthful look at the world in his comics, which , by the way, are filled with cheap sentimentality and tidy stories- hence the lack of any deep truth. If you want great comics pick up a Calvin and Hobbes book, or better yet a Krazy Kat book.Aside from the writing the artwork is boring like so many other comics today. If you want to see how beautiful the artwork in comics once was, take a look at Krazy Kat , Pogo, Little Nemo in Slumberland, Polly and her Pals, or many other comics form earlier parts of the century.

An irony-free review, July 27, 2000
Reviewer: David V. Matthews (see more about me) from Aliquippa, PA USA
Even Bil Keane's detractors must admit he's created quite a distinctive world. Do other family comic strips contain invisible gremlins, rampant Catholic content, or dead grandparents who switch from angelic to ghostly form and back again? Do other family comic strips appear in a CIRCULAR daily format? Can anyone name anything distinctive about other family comic strips such as Baby Blues or Zits, other than those strips' lack of distinction? Now that Keane's son Jeff has apparently taken over the feature (current FCs often sport the signatures "Jeff and Bil Keane"), we Amazonians should appreciate what examples of pure Bil corn, sap, treacle, and Republicanism we can find.

An interesting experiment, July 20, 2000
Reviewer: A reader
Bil Keane turned literature critics on their heads with this, his most controverial work to date. While fans of Keane's earlier, more light hearted works have often skoffed at Keane's new style and abandoned this book before reaching the halfway point, I'm positive that they would have come to appreciate it as much as, if not more than, earlier books in the series. Once they see that the publishers allowance of Keane to flex his creative muscle has yielded his most relevant social commentary to date, I'm sure fans of Keane's earlier and current work will be clamoring for more. I'll be the first to admit that this book does drag at times. Keane's fanatical religious beliefs are sometimes a bit much, and risk allienating some of the audience. In one cartoon, featuring Dolly speaking to one of her playground friends with the caption, "My mommy says your mommy is goin' to Hell 'cuz you don't have a daddy," seems terribly innapropriate. Still, as I mentioned earlier, the social commentary in this book is some of the best I've ever read. Who could forget the time the family was walking through the city, when little P.J. passed a bum begging for change. "Mommy, that man smells like Barfy's dog house," says the irreverent young imp. Keane even shows that he is hip to new technology when a cyber pedophile tells his internet pal Billy to come meet him at the park. Billy's path to the park is so long and illogical, the pervert gives up and leaves before Billy arrives. Hilarious! In closing, I would like to urge Mr. Keane not to listen to the critics. It would be a shame for a genious of his caliber to sell out because a few of the older readers don't "get" his latest work. Bravo, Bil Keane, Bravo!

Essential, July 18, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Portland, OR USA
Nihilists and existentialists, look out! The profound truths conveyed through the heartwarming, hilarious predicaments of four whimsical moppets and their parents will rock your world-view! Secular humanists, manicurists, clergy and lawyers alike will laff out loud or at least chuckle in self-realization at the sheer depth of humanity presented in Bil Keane's tours de force. Belongs on the shelf with Kant, The Bible, Nietsche, Jung...to delve into again and again. Sure to age gracefully, and not to be missed.

Family Circus? Family Something...., July 16, 2000
Reviewer: crickethk (see more about me) from Boston, MA
Family Circus was best summed up in the movie "Go" as the cartoon that's just lurking in that last corner of the comics page, waiting to ruin your day. Let's face it, Family Circus is boring. There is no Marxist subplot to Bill Keane's work, despite many of the comments made here. However Keane does have the same complete lack of imagination and fortitude that most commie pinkos suffer from. There is very little redeeming about this family.

First off, is the father making enough money to support that huge brood of his? The wife, the kids, the pets? Have these people never heard of BIRTH CONTROL! Honestly, you can't believe that a guy driving the same beat up old station wagon for the past forty years is making enough money to feed those porky little children of his (who are obviously getting fat off of government cheese purchased with food stamps). And obviously, they aren't receiving a quality education either. What with all the poor grammar that those insufferable children spew forth from those gaping black holes they call mouths I believe it is quite obvious that all three of these monsters suffer from a variety of learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, multiple personality disorder (Ida Know and Not Me are simply manifestations of the repressed rage that seethes within these demon spawn), and a slight touch of homicidal dimensia (that crazed look in PJ's eye just gives me the willies. You won't see me giving him a spoon, much less a butter knife anytime soon).

Indeed, the only redeeming factor of The Family Circus is the mom. Is it because she is loving? Um not really, she's obviously a whip-weilding slave driver who has completely emasculated that chubby hubby of hers. Is it because she cares for her children? Obviously not, if she truly cared then little Billy wouldn't be running all over that neighborhood of theirs getting into trouble, climbing through the neighbor's junk, trampling bushes, being so dirty that he leaves big greasy spot marks everywhere he's been, and basically acting as the neighborhood's dangerous little menace (if it isn't obvious that his neighborhood romps are actually meant to deliver the crack rock to his buddies then you too are as blind and unconcerned as those sorry codependent sacks of flesh he calls parents). No, the mother is redeeming for one characteristic and one characteristic alone. After 40 years with only one haircut, a loser husband, these psychopathic children, and those wild pets, she has somehow managed to keep that same hotty little figure she had when she was 20. And that is the one and only true reason to read (or in my case simply look) at the Family Circus.

Kinda Maiden-like, April 27, 2000
Reviewer: MaidenFan (see more about me) from Newark, New Jersey
Reading Bil Keane is much like listening to seminal 80's metal band Iron Maiden (who rulz!). I can't wait for the Sunday morning funnies 'cause those are the ones that usually have those cool "follow the trail" Circus'. While I'm checking those out I like to play a Maiden song that's fitting, like "Run to the Hills" off of "The Number of the Beast", or "The Trooper" off "Piece of Mind". When Billy gets in trouble, I'm reminded of the tune "Flight of Icarus", because it's like Billy flew too close to the sun on wax wings. Figuratively.

Yes, but What About the Wobblies?, April 20, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Pyongyang, North Korea
Ida Know, that class enemy of the underclass, is paid attention to here, but, within the suburban dialectic displayed here, there is no great call to revolution.

This is a poor piece of advocacy of the workers' revolution, and that's why this critic, who would care that workers of the world unite, give each according to his ability and each according to his own, within the subjective/objective materialist framework, would hope that Mr. Keane spent more time in the rice fields, being reeducated in the wise ways of the peasants.

The subtle nods to Maoism presented here (Billy's diatribes about resolutely crushing the running the running dogs of imperialism and all their lackeys comes to mind) do lighten the tone somewhat, but it's still the bleak capitialist Coca-Cola utopia presented here.

Have a cheeseburger!

Oh to read on a cool summers day!, April 5, 2000
Reviewer: Mofo196 from Colorado
Bill Keane has always kept to the same formula when creating his comic strip. It makes no difference if Billy is combing the neighborhood looking for something leaving a dotted line in his wake, or Dolly is mangling the king's english, hilarity is always the final result. The only character who I could do without is PJ. He is somewhat useless as comic relief and can best be considered a modern-day Tom Joad. While the comic was once viewed as a lighthearted romp through middle-class society, deeper study might reveal the Marxist overtones of the comic. This is exactly the kind of message that we want the youth of America to absorb. We want young girls to realize that even after many years, it's never too late for a new hairstyle. Change and revolution is coming and Bill Keane is leading the way.

A masterpiece of which I am unworthy, April 1, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Toronto, Canada
There are subtle and obvious subtexts to all of Keane's works; I'm afraid I miss most of the subtle ones. Keane is a genius. "The Family Circus" is a deconstruction of modern suburban emasculation -- sort of like the movie "American Beauty" but far far more clever. I offer my apologies to Mr. Keane. I am simply not good enough to be in the presence of his work. I will now poke out my eyes with my mother's broaches, such is the shame I feel.

penetrating and profound, March 30, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Moscow, Russia
I have read this book at least 2600 times! It is one of the most useful manuals available in the world today. That Jeffy charactor is even more profound than Emanual Goldstein.

Monolithic and transforming, March 20, 2000
Reviewer: alex@redconnect.net (see more about me) from nyc
The cartoon equivalent of the faceless black monolith in the first segment of 2001: A Space Odyssey, that begets technology and civilization among a race of ape-men. One feels the reverberations of Bil Kean's genius in all dimensions of modern culture, in cinema, architecture, literary theory, white-boy rap, webpage design and incest pornography, and yet these original masterpieces have lost none of their stark, visionary power.

so-so, December 27, 1999
Reviewer: jimbone (see more about me) from Columbus, OH
The many ever unexpected twists and turns of the dancing deconstructivist (Mr. Keane) give this book its meaning. It is the insistent indirectness of the argument which is impressive. The current ontological discourse is not so much rejuvenated by it, as rediscovered in all its magnitude and profundity. The ethical and political engagement of this text is never far to seek. Experiencing this intoxicating dance is a real delight, and that in itself vouches for its merit. This text is warmly recommended to architects, philosophers and to everyone else.

Bil Keane Gets Better Every Year, November 12, 1999
Reviewer: Gunther Pendergrast (gunther@yahoo.com) from Capital City, USA
Although Mr. Keane's humor occasionally stumbles (witness the lost cat comic, p.27), I don't think I've ever seen a better collection of illustrated humor. Keane tackles today's tough issues with the gentleness of falling snow. The depth of the comic soial commentary is really quite astounding. I honestly believe that the world would be a better place if each infant were force-fed Bil Keane books through the 10th grade.

An honest review, November 11, 1999
Reviewer: Stacey from somewhere in the South
What is going on in here? Are only glowing reviews allowed for Bil Keane and the Family Circus? Let's take an honest look at his books. They are BORING. They are dull, witless, humorless rehashings of the same material he has used over and over for the last 40 years. How funny is Billy running all over creation with a dotted line behind him? It might have been mildly amusing the first time it appeared 40 years ago, but it's like Chinese water torture now. Mispronunciations? Get real! Ida Know and Not Me? Where did those two come from and why won't they just go away? I think Keane has lost any hope of ever having a moment of original creative thought again. This is very baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddd.

Happiness, November 10, 1999
Reviewer: An Anonymous Artist (camilleclaudel@aol.com) from A few miles outside Missoula, Montana
There is a certain sadness one feels in remembering happy times: turning over the last page of a good novel, and reflecting over the wonders we have just experienced, the characters who have become our friends; discovering old pictures, seeing ourselves in the halcyon throes of youth, silly smiles on our innocent faces; the plangent last notes of a Chopin nocturne, the theme, growing softer and softer now, floating across the room to rest against our face like the rhythmic breaths of a peaceful, sleeping lover.

I don't know how: but Keane captures this feeling, this happy sadness - "Oh heavy lightness," as Shakespeare put it. Billy romps around the yard. He runs all over town. His parents are in love. His family is love with itself, each unto each. Can our lives ever be like this? Perhaps not, but we can watch, watch ever single day, and wrap ourself in that happy sadness. And maybe forget, if only for a little while, the way our lives really are, the way they have to be: our heavy lightness. Thanks, Bil Keane, for that, and thanks to Amazon for letting people express themselves. Thank you all.

the best cartoons in history!!!! a++++++, November 4, 1999
Reviewer: juliette lee (chucknju@gateway.net) from plantation, fl
i love bil keanes family circus series. i wish there would be more to come. i am looking to collect all of the books he has ever made but they are extremely hard to find! i would buy all. they are a funny yet family oriented cartoon series that makes you feel all fuzzy inside reading them. i absolutely love the family circus!!!!!!!!

A mediocre addition to an otherwise spotless pantheon, November 1, 1999
Reviewer: Mikhail Bulgakov (heartofadog@aol.com) from Petrograde, Russia
The dream is over, I suppose. Keane churned out brilliance for years, but his volubility caught up with him, finally. Compare his earlier coruscating genius (Billy looks up to grandpa and says, can anybody see me? Grandpa says, I can.) with his new material, stripped of all but the most obvious humour (Polly looks up to mother and says, can anybody see me? Mother says, I can). Shame, Bil Keane, for putting the almighty dollar over your artistic sensibilities

It has teached me very well. This book!, June 9, 1999
Reviewer: Dagfinn Revke (revked@finnwebe.com) from Oslo, Lovely Norway
Hello and I am pleased to be a newly speaker of Ënglish. My talents were sharpened on the hone of Mr. Keane's fine books. However they are written for ther childrens, they are also being excellent tools of the English teaching. Not only can one student ascertain the basic rules grammar from the reading of the books, but is also at the same time amused and entertained by the child-like antics of the adorable small people! They are much like our own childrens here in Norway, only their clothes seem antique. However they are also funny. I especially cared for the ghastly kids NotMine and WhoCares that made infrequent appearances. They brought forth gales of chuckles on my part, so hard that my hands began to feel as if they were wood! (That is an expression we use in Oslo.) As for the delighfully books, please keep them come Mr. Keane!

An Excellent, Humor-Filled Collection, April 28, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Jackson Heights, Queens
A great collection of the most topical and hilarious comic strip currently being published, the only one that makes me laugh on a daily basis. There's no deep proletariat underpinnings within Keane's work; simply one of the best comic strips of the last 50 years. Let's simply appreciate the genius that is Bil Keane. P.J., Jeffy, and the rest of the characters rock!

this is a funnie book. pj is the funiest and my favorite, April 15, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from HOme Swet Home is Chicago ILlinos!
WOW! I am brian 6 years old and family circis is my favorite cartoon strip. all the kids are funnie but pj never sais anything. Sitill he is the funniesty and littlest. but JEFFY is about 6 like me i think so i like him to. BILLY is a big meanie but he reminds me of my big brother who is always piking on BRIAN (thats me) so i like him because he is just like my brother and i love my broter. then i like DOLLY. DOLLY is a pretty girl and is also my favorite besides PJ. they are both pretty but DOLLY is prittyer. VERY GOOD BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is the king of books, April 8, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Chicago, IL
this book is better than the bibler for familys. It has esquisate representations of family togetherness and love. It shows that a family when they stick together can get through anything.

The Family Circus Date Book

The loss..., March 12, 2001
Reviewer: A reader Madison, WI USA

This book is the last one to contain the character of the Psychic Fern; and Bil Keane knows it. Every strip within this book contains a reference to the fern in some way, or an emotional or thematic allusion (such as Thel's mindless stare as she washes the dishes on pg. 13). This is indeed a somber occassion for those who have followed the saga of the Fern ever since its first appearence in Strip 200. The fern of this book is very much a nostalgic vetran, thinking back on past glories, and seeing very little but regret in his past. (His time did come, for those who missed it, in "The Great Backdoors", which I highly recommend.) The ultimate fate of the plant is gripping, highly emotional, and most of all -right-. In that one moment it strips away all the dogmatic pretensions and airs that Keane has put on and reveals his very Gnostic view of the world. This book will make you cry, but in a good way.

Smile

How could we not?, March 31, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from the Ministry of Information (Information Retrieval Section, DZ-015)

"Smile" is more than just the title of this book; it's a totalitarian directive from our Commandante of Mirth, Bil Keane.

While it's possible to read this book just for the superficial, inoffensive, humorous antics of our favorite God-fearing nuclear family, there's much more to the strip just below the surface. Serious Family Circus fans diligently index, analyze, cross-reference, and dissect the daily FC strips in an effort to predict Keane's sudden, often shocking, plot twists. For these fans-- and for casual reader interested in joining this elite fraternity of detectives-- Keane has given us "Smile," perhaps the most comprehensive and devious collection of clues previewing the future of "the Family."

Most clues will take some deductive skills, as Keane has carefully crafted these comic strips with many, many layers of significance. For example, in a panel showing a birthday party for 9-year old Billy, Thel says "it seems like we've had about 30 of these parties for you!" Some might interpret this strip to be Thel's meta-commentary on the perpetual youth of a character who has been 9 years old for more than three decades. But true Family Circus afficianados will consult their "Family Circus Compendium" and discover that, in fact, Keane has drawn 36 comics featuring Billy's 9th birthday party over the years. Clearly, a mother would know how many birthday parties she has thrown for her child, and by showing that Thel has forgotten a half-dozen celebrations, Keane is ominously foreshadowing some serious cognitive dysfunction for our Thel in future cartoons.

In another panel, family father Bil is sporting a hideous plaid sports jacket, which Thel denies ever having seen before. Is this more foreshadowing of an increasingly senile Thel? Or something more sinister: we've had several drawings showing us the inside of Bil's closet over the years (who could forget the 7 instances in Feb.-Mar. 1997?), and yet we've never seen this jacket in any of them. Coupled with other evidence from the book (that I leave you to discover on your own), the jacket cartoon strongly implies that Bil has surrendered to the advances of the receptionist at his Proctologist's office and has finally commenced that extramarital affair that was first hinted at in the "medicine cabinet" comic from "Let's Put Kitty Cat in the Dryer."

Like the Beatles' "Seargent Pepper" album, "Smile" is replete with symbolism, secret messages, and clues. We've long respected Keane for his incredible drawing skills, and for his ability to humorously turn a phrase on its ear, but "Smile" gave me a newfound respect for Keane, the Cryptographer. Expect to spend late nights with "Smile" (and your collection of FC reference books and resource materials), looking for the subtle hints of what's to come.

I Can't Untie My Shoes

The Unbearable Lightness of Being, February 23, 2001
Reviewer: Dr. Semillama from Brazzaville, OH
In this, one Keane's first forays into the world of the disabled, the everyday sufferings and tribulations of quadraplegics are compared to the trials and miseries of a seemingly normal childhood. Told in a series of flashbacks, the protagonist, Jeffy, relates the difficulties in his life, dealing with an addict mother, a cold, distant father, and siblings who leech off of his Social Security checks. These harsh episodes, set in the dimly-lit hotel room in Vladivostok he inhabits as a forty year old man, are eerily contrasted by the warm, sunny vignettes of his childhood. The reader becomes deeply connected to the character of Jeffy, as the story leads up to the dramatic accident that crippled him for life.

Any Children?

Wonderful! A true Classic!, April 26, 2000
Reviewer: A reader
Once again Bil Keane strikes the heart with his thought provoking commentary, "Any Children". It truely inspires one to question the true identity of the "child", whether it be real, imagined, or hidden.

Keane's writing style inspires one to think of Sarte, Voltaire, and a hint of De Sade. Truely a great gift for anyone who cares to think!

Sometimes you read a book that makes you sit back and, June 22, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Shiocton, WI
close the covers and say to yourself, "This author really knows what he's talking about!" This is just such a book.

Whether you're from Australia, Norway, or the U.S.A., you'll find some touchstone in this book. Keane is currently mining the mirth lodes of his grandchildren, but this earlier work of his is panned from the rich gold-bearing stream of his own childrens' shennanigans. And there's no dross in this slim volume, it's all highly-polished, 24-carat classic shiny fun!

I highly recommend "Any Children?" to anyone who has children, or had them, or wants them. It gives a positive feel for the joys of children. Go ahead me lads, give it a read!

Jeffy's Lookin at Me!

Daring portrait of man's darkest heart, December 14, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from King of Prussia, PA
Indeed, this book demonstrates the versatility and skill of the subtle genius Bil Keane as he masterfully weaves in the darkest psychos3xual impulses, contrasting them beautifully with the pure and chaste subjects of his panels. His courageous exposure of raw and brutal truth, his affirmation of our most primitive and ugliest instinctual impulses, restores faith to all of us struggling in the darkness that is the human condition. We must ask ourselves at the onset of this remarkable exploration of the human psyche - when Dolly asks the titular question, is it indeed a question, or is it an exasperated expression of true incestual desire? Powerful in its completely understated and un-ironic manner, it rivals the works of such pioneers as Henry Miller and De Sade.

Keane's best work, February 1, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Oceania
Long regarded as one of the quintessential bookends of the negative utopia genre, 'Jeffy's Looking at Me', along with 1984, helped define modern society's perception of totalitarianism and political freedom. Billy is the lone hero of the story, quietly holding on to the one shred of hope for liberty from his dark, twisted family. Uncle Roy is the centerpiece. He is the never seen but always present force who guides the family's day to day existence, ready to slap down any who oppose him. Bil is Uncle Roy's longtime companion who will carry out any order given to him. This dark novel is chilling in it's description of a dysfunctional family, and the secret hopes for liberation.

The horrors of childhood, July 13, 2000
Reviewer: Joshua Lobo (see more about me)

It's My Birthday Suit

It's nude-a-rific!, March 27, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from deep inside the linen closet, with a mango in my briefcase

Also known as "The Family Circus Bares it All!", this book finds the FC clan vacationing at a clothing-optional resort in rural Arizona.

The subject matter achieves several goals-- first, it gives Keane a chance to try his hand at some new situations. No more "Mom in the kitchen, Dolly in the living room, Dad coming home from a tough day in the telemarketing boiler room"-type comics. Second, and more importantly, Keane gets us to think about nudity and our reactions to it as a society. At first, I felt uncomfortable seeing the youngsters of the FC clan running around in the buff. But, as Keane has Gus, the owner of the resort explain to Thel over a game of nude dominoes, "nudity is natural; we aren't born wearing clothes." And indeed, by the end of the book, I discovered that I too had come to find that I, like the Family, felt more comfortable-- more "myself"-- in the nude. It was almost a tearful event when the family finally returned to their constricted, clothed world. All except for the delightful Dolly, who insists that "It's my birthday suit, and that's all I'm gonna wear from now on."

Bravo, Keane. Thanks for stripping away our inhibitions about a delicate issue and exposing us to new ways to think about it.

When's Later, Daddy

Good Book, April 23, 2000
Reviewer: mst3k4evr (see more about me) from PA USA
I have had this book since I was five years old(back in 1984) and my copy is held together with masking tape,but I still read it. It's a book book that features such gems as:

"Mommy, this rose bush BIT me! "

"Who put the ice cream on the cereal shelf?"

"I smell something PURPLE!"

"Instead of just putting 'Billy' on my lunch, could you put 'Wild Bill'?"

"When I die, can I take my blanket with me?"

"I guess Santa must have a workshop in Japan, too, 'cause that's where it says this doll was made."

"Do you think God will mind if I killed this fly?"

"You put the penny in and I'll flush it."

Hilarious!

Daddy's Little Helpers

Limited, but useful, July 21, 1999
Reviewer: Francis Marion (patriot@usarev.com from South Carolina
A very clear, concise and informative way of explaining the complex and sometimes perplexing issues around incest.

Readers who may have found the complicity of the victim, "Daddy's Little Helpers", incomprehensible may find new insight here.

The only flaw I found in the book was the box within which it was written. The text explains things within it's own universe, but the analysis isn't quite global enough to allow it's dynamic application in the chaos of the real world, where motivations, temptations, emotions, etc. can all tangle quite intricately to further confuse the issues involved.

Still, a very, I would even say indispensible treatise on the subject.

Eggheads

Keane fires another broadside, August 23, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Boring, OR USA
Having hilariously exposed the shenanigans of campaign fundraising in his previous book, Keane now brandishes his rapier-sharp wit at the hallowed ivory towers of academia. In a style reminiscent of the great graphic novels of Art Spiegelman and Georges Remy, Keane exposes the hypocrisy and decadence of the modern American university. His critical eye misses no target, whether it be his hilarious riffs on deconstructionist thinking or his critique of dependency theory. Keane presents us with his own weltanschauung, which reflects the theories of Mathias Rust, Mencius, and C. Wright Mills, in which knowledge is valued for its usefulness to society. Keane forever destroys the myth that the number of initials after one's name indicates one's degree of intelligence.

I'm Already Tucked In

And I'm tuckered out from laughing so hard,, March 8, 2001
Reviewer: Mutant Dog (see more about me) from over there somewhere ---->

The indomitable Mr. Keane has done it again for the jillionth time with "I'm already tucked in", his latest assemblage of knee-splitting, side-slapping exurban white bread bon mots. Keane's incomparable, and sometimes incomprehensible, grasp of humor once again wins the day. His brilliant artistry with the pen is proof that ink runs through this man's very veins. If anything, that is.

And yet the strength of his work lies in the words themselves. Sure, many have compared him to Hemingway, Chaucer or even Shakespeare, but his work has a uniquely charmingly juvenile yet satirical edge, which to me evokes Swift, Paine. I am sure the reader will agree with that statement when read aloud.

Among the many highlights of this volume are the panels captioned, "Can I have a drink of water, Mommy?", "Who messed up my sheets?" "Not me!!", and "But you've already tucked me in three times Uncle Roy...it hurts and I'm tired."

Indeed, once I picked up this volume, I was unable to put it down....

Kittycat's Motor Is Running!

incredible..., October 25, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from St. Louis, mISSOURI USA
A magnificent contribution to the revolution that is feminism! Much better than Maya Angelou, Valerie Solanas, and Marabel Morgan put together. Buy it -- LIVE it.

Mirth for the Millennium (The Holy Humor Series)

About the Author
Cal and Rose Samra are the founders of the Fellowship of Merry Christians, an organization dedicated to helping unite Christians of all denominations through the joy of the Lord. They're also the editors and publishers of The Joyful Noiseletter. Cal is the author of the best-seller, The Joyful Christ: The Healing Power of Humor. Together, the Samras have written Holy Humor and More Holy Humor, which together have sold more than half a million copies. The Samras live in Portage, Michigan.

Holy Cow, Holy Smoke & Holy Toledo, July 15, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Oxnard, CA USA
Mirth for the Millenium presents 2000 good reasons to be a happy Christian. There's enough material here to keep preachers and inspirational speakers tickling the funny bones of their audiences for two more millenia. You can almost imagine Jesus himself smiling when he hears these quips, quotes and jokes passed around his modern day followers. Try this book whether you're a believer or not.

Prepare Ye the Way of Bil Keane!, September 1, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Cthulhu, Iowa USA
Two side-splitting comic panel artists, the legendary Johnny Hart and the ever-pursued Bil Keane build their cartoon crown of thorns in this novel concept book. Although the slightly unnerving image of the Apostles looking like Jeffy and PJ can give one pause, the message is certainly clear and enlightening. Makes a great gift for letting your Sunday School friends know your sense of humor.

Pasghetti and Meat Bulbs!

The finest writer of this or any generation? I vote yes!, April 5, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Tijuana
Did somebody order a bucket of funny? Well Bil Keane is here to say "your order is ready!" The cutting edge humor of artist Bil Keane, is sure to ruffle a few feathers. Known to some as "the Nipsy Russell of the caucasian community", Keane once again holds the mirror up to society and we cringe(and laugh) in recognition. The hysterical, "Pasghetti and Meatbulbs" will make you laugh, but more importantly, it will make you think.

Quiet! Mommy's Asleep!

A Stunning Achievement!, April 13, 1999
Reviewer: Stephanie Tennant (satennant@aol.com from Charleston, SC
I read this book as part of a college literature assignment. It is a well-written, deeply moving, and unforgettable novel about a young southern girl's struggle with physical and sexual abuse, along with the stigma of being labeled "white trash" and "illegitimate." The characters are vibrant and alive, especially the young girl, Dolly, who poignantly tells the tale of her tormented youth. For all its literary worth, this is not a book that I would have read on my own. The story is deeply disturbing, not only in its content but in the underlying hopelessness of tone. One feels an overwhelming instinct to cradle Dolly in one's arms to protect her from her frustrated, jealous, and emotionally disturbed father and from her mother's senseless abandonment. Dolly's reactions of burning anger, festering hatred, and perverted fantasies, along with her resultant self image, compound the hopelessness of her young life. Salvation and vindication can only be acquired through her love of gospel music...and although she's told repeatedly that she can't sing, her heart yearns and pleads to God for the gift of song. But the gift of salvation through Jesus that God freely offers is never accepted, and only Dolly knows why. Instead of salvation, Dolly finds a haven in the dog house with Barfy. While Barfy is a compassionate, strong, and LOVING dog, the reader is left with the impression at the conclusion of the story that Dolly struggles with her experiences for the rest of her life. Perhaps the quote by James Baldwin at the beginning of the book says it best: "People pay for what they do, and still more, for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it simply: by the lives they lead." In the end, no matter what injustices we face in this life, we all will have to answer for how we choose to live our lives. We can choose to be defeated, or we can choose to overcome. Dolly's true vindication remains irretrievably in her hands.

Stay (Family Circus)

Heartbreaking, February 10, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from the Islets of Langerhans
Kudos to Bil Keane for not being afraid to breathe fresh life into his characters by taking them off in a new direction.

"Stay" finds the "Family Circus" clan at a crossroads. Thel, the bored housewife, begins an extra-marital affair with a local auto mechanic near the beginning of the book, and, after a series of cartoons chronicling the crumbling of her marriage and increasing alienation from her children, whom she begins to see as an impediment to impulsive trysts with her beau, she announces over breakfast one morning that she is leaving. An impassioned and tearful plea from her emasculated husband and confused children that she "Stay! Oh, please God, stay!" ends Part I of the book.

Part II is devoted to the rise and fall of Thel's new life with her lover, in which she experiences giddy infatuation and torrid passion (the love scense are some of Keane's best drawing to date), followed by increasing jealousy as her boyfriend's eye begins to wander again. The final pages, in which Thel's self-esteem is crushed and she explodes into a violent fit of jealous rage, weilding a hunting knife and demanding (ironically), that he "stay with me or die!" ends the book in graphic and shocking detail.

"Stay" deals with difficult emotions, and unlike most of Keane's "Family Circus" books, is not suitable for young children or stodgy old people. The themes are heavy and complex, and much of the artwork is surprisingly explicit. Keane obviously relished the opportunity to move beyond simple cartoons and explore more erotic and violent imagery than a family cartoon usually permits, and the results here are generally positive.

Many "Family Circus" scholars have questioned whether "Stay" is autobiographical, like much of Keane's work, or whether it represents the pedantic Keane, offering us a chilling moral object lesson in fidelity and desire. In either case, it is a heartbreaking story that grabs hold of you like an aggressive panhandler, and refuses to let go unless you give it some spare change.

Sing Me a Loveaby?

Et tu, Keane?, May 7, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Lubbock, TX
In a world that once seemed doomed to smother itself under a heap of Grishamesque pulp, Bill Keene has dared set the standard for a complete content vacuum. Unfazed as early titles like, 'Oops, We're Out of Juice' and, 'Sam's Taking a Catnap,' fell out of print, Keane pushed on to generate tens of additonal titles (also out of print). It's the naive reader who puts down their three-plus dollars for this clunker and expects anything more than the pages of Billy trailing dotted lines that we've seen a hundred times before. Keene's famous ghosts 'Ida Know' and 'Not me' would do well to round out their trilogy with 'Ima Not Funny.'

It's okay, I guess., June 7, 1999
Reviewer: Stan (PalJoey@doaroo.com) from Sydney, Arkansas
It took me a while to figure out the pun of this title. First I thought it was like "Sing Me A Love, Aby" but that didn't make sense, so I thought it might be Sing Me A Lo, Vabeby!" But that didn't work either. Then I figured out it was like "lullaby" but different because "lull" was "love."

The I laughed.

And didn't stop until I put the book down!

Once again, Mr. Keane focuses his penetrating gaze on all the things I--and many other daddies--find so warm and cuddly about families. Like kids. And furry pets, extra-loving grandparents, the joys of a clean home, happy family restaurant nights, etc. Although there is no "theme" for this book, its overall message comes through loud and clear: The family is here to stay, and Pop holds it wher it is.

Peek-A-Boo! I Love You!

Ready or not, Here I come, April 2, 2001
Reviewer: mutant Dog (see more about me) from Halfway across Iowa

At first I found the title "Peek-a-Boo, I Love You!" confusing, until I saw the panel so captioned, in which the father is seen grinning wildly while undressing himself unexpectedly in front of the baffled children, after cornering them in their bedroom closet. It was then I realized this was essentially a thinly-disguised handbook of cute phrases suitable for use by those adults with a taste for... how shall I put this... youthful partners. When I came to this realization, part of me felt a chill of disgust travel up my spine, while another part of me was oddly curious. Now I read it every day, like the bible and the obituaries. I have found this book extremely useful. I hope Mr. Keane is planning a sequel.

Daddy's Cap Is on Backwards

"What, Me Dysfunctional?", June 7, 2000
Reviewer: John Fast (see more about me) from South Florida
Nothing unexpected here, just plenty of Bil(l) Keane's bleak and bitter blackly-comic vision of inner-city Amerika at the close of the millenium.

Not for the weak of stomach, this book skewers the Politically Correct left (e.g., Keane's hilarious, yet perfectly on-target sendups of Robert Maplethorpe, and his savage cartoons of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Janet Reno -- which in lesser hands would be merely pornographic, but here are both brilliant social commentary *and* tasteful erotica) and the complacent right-wing leadership (in the "Unpleasantville" sequence).

The prophetic "Tupac and Biggie in Hell" shows that Keane knows and loves gangsta rap and understands its social significance, as does the title cartoon -- no surprise to those of us who have followed the career of this self-proclaimed "in-your face street-artist."

"A Mantelpiece", January 3, 2000
Reviewer: Jay Shachter (see more about me) from Chicago, Illinois
Although he will probably forever be denied the Nobel Prize because of the radio broadcasts he made during the late war on behalf of the government in Rome, Bil Keane is certainly one writer who has nothing to prove. Having already taken his place among the company of Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, and Dostoyevsky, with the publication of "Daddy's Cap Is On Backwards" Bil Keane now emerges as the master of them all. The storyline is deceptively simple: after Thel dies in a freak accident, Daddy abandons PJ, Jeffie, and Little Billy to take Dolly on a meandering automobile tour across America -- culminating in the loss of Dolly, and the emergence, too late, of Daddy's ability to love. But God, as Keane has long demonstrated in his other works, is in the details, and in the intricate and masterfully coordinated layer upon layer of innuendo and hidden meanings. The title itself, on its face, refers only to Dolly's innocent, even endearing, observation that her father, unlike all the other men in her neighborhood, lacks a prepuce. But the true significance of Daddy's "cap" is slowly revealed, chapter by chapter, and even at the end of the book one is left wondering whether other layers of meaning remain, beyond the reader's grasp. The turning point of the narrative is the episode where Jeffy sells his soul to Mephistopheles for power and knowledge, yet this can be fully understood only in contrast to the many events that procede and follow it -- such as the haunting scene where little Billy carries his father out of the burning city on his shoulders, or the passage where PJ, now the viceroy of Egypt, reveals himself to his brothers as the boy whom they sold into servitude years before. Nothing can compare, however, to the episode where Jeffy hurls his harpoon at the great white whale, it fails to meet its mark, and is reclaimed by the Rhine-maidens as it descends into the waters, while flames from the untended hilltop fire engulf the island paradise, tossing a firebrand onto the raft where little Billy and the runaway slave are

Unresolved questions, December 27, 2000
Reviewer: Mike Anderson from Palookaville, USA
This book fell short of perfection for failing to address a timeless mystery: why has Grandpa been accepted into heaven, while poor lost souls "Not Me" and "Ida Know" are forced to wander the earth as lonely poltergeists, random mischief being their only release from the torment of their eternal separation from God?

Hilarity Ensues, August 9, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Yourtown, CA USA
Keane once again touches on an aspect of American life that other artists refuse to touch, or are not adept enough to handle: Social Faux-Pas. Billy and Jeffy wait on the street near the rest-stop for passer-by, and it isn't until Jeffy comments that Bil's cap is on backwards does Keane realize why he hasn't been able to earn as much as the two lads. Through a social faux-pas of his own he realizes the path back into humor and wealth. He realizes that the cap's brim would stab the pubic bone. Readers who bought this book also bought books by NAMBLA, Veronika Moser, Adolph Hitler.

Please Pardon any Errors!!, September 17, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Bondcoville, Iowa
I just got the Internet, so here goes!! First of all, one of my few daily joys is my morning visit to the Circus of Family (HA!!) I wake each morning and eagerly make a pot of coffee and scan the Family Circus, soaking up all the delightful true as life humor. It's one of the few things I consistently look foward to anymore, what with the house getting more and more empty. I'm feeling more and more like Grandma, peering down from heaven!! Second of all, when I heard Family Circus man had written a whole book I ran instantly out to the mall and bought a copy for my home. It's a wonderful book, I can open it at any time and feel like I'm in my silent kitchen early in the morning all alone with my decaffeinated ground coffee. It gives me a great amount of solace and always manages to bring a slight smile to my face. Bil, when you read this, thanks a lot for everything! I don't know what I'd do in the mornings with out your clever insights!!

Funniest yet!, September 30, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Arizona
Uncle Roy comes to visit Bil. Both put their hats on backwards and claim it's their secret sign. The kids want in on the act! You will die of laughter reading this collection of non-stop gutbusters. Each cartoon is a moment of pure Keane genius.

Bil Keane does wonders for family wholesomeness!, November 2, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Boon Docks, N.Y.
"Daddy's Cap" is a wonderful compendium of cartoon humor akin to the Thurberian great American tradition. An epic narrative of male bonding in easy cartoon form, "Daddy's Cap" has replaced Robert Bly's "Iron John" as my son's favorite reading. Secret signs, indeed!

This is NOT kids' Stuff, November 4, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Chevy Chase, MD
I purchased "Daddy's Cap" expecting to enjoy the good, clean hijinks of America's funniest, most lovable family, but Bil Keane had other ideas. I was blindsided by the stunning plot twist as Billy, too preoccupied with finding Grampa's visage in the clouds overhead, tripped on a "dotted line" left by Jeffy and fell into the path of the oncoming bus. The cruel irony! Through this powerful symbolism, Keane tells us that, like Jeffy, our self-absorbed meanderanderings through life can have disasterous, unintended consequences for our loved ones. Then, is a masterful justiposition of a current icon, Keane has Daddy adopt the backward baseball cap, the ultimate symbol of today's selfish, unaware slacker youth, as his poignant daily reminder of his dead eldest son. A masterful modern allegory.

Who's Your "daddy", December 17, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from America
Not many people know this, but before Bil Keane had a go at comics, he was a well known jazz man in New Olreans. It was there that he honed his fine - melodic skills at comic rhythm and timing, as well as meeting up with Julie M. --Julie was his muse, apparently, and taught him "everything" - and I mean everything. Do you know what I mean? Anyway, flash forward many years to this book and you'll know what I mean by "good" and "funny". --Man, I haven't had a laugh like that since Ziggy!

"A Mantelpiece", January 3, 2000
Reviewer: Jay Shachter (see more about me) from Chicago, Illinois
Although he will probably forever be denied the Nobel Prize because of the radio broadcasts he made during the late war on behalf of the government in Rome, Bil Keane is certainly one writer who has nothing to prove. Having already taken his place among the company of Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, and Dostoyevsky, with the publication of "Daddy's Cap Is On Backwards" Bil Keane now emerges as the master of them all. The storyline is deceptively simple: after Thel dies in a freak accident, Daddy abandons PJ, Jeffie, and Little Billy to take Dolly on a meandering automobile tour across America -- culminating in the loss of Dolly, and the emergence, too late, of Daddy's ability to love. But God, as Keane has long demonstrated in his other works, is in the details, and in the intricate and masterfully coordinated layer upon layer of innuendo and hidden meanings. The title itself, on its face, refers only to Dolly's innocent, even endearing, observation that her father, unlike all the other men in her neighborhood, lacks a prepuce. But the true significance of Daddy's "cap" is slowly revealed, chapter by chapter, and even at the end of the book one is left wondering whether other layers of meaning remain, beyond the reader's grasp. The turning point of the narrative is the episode where Jeffy sells his soul to Mephistopheles for power and knowledge, yet this can be fully understood only in contrast to the many events that procede and follow it -- such as the haunting scene where little Billy carries his father out of the burning city on his shoulders, or the passage where PJ, now the viceroy of Egypt, reveals himself to his brothers as the boy whom they sold into servitude years before. Nothing can compare, however, to the episode where Jeffy hurls his harpoon at the great white whale, it fails to meet its mark, and is reclaimed by the Rhine-maidens as it descends into the waters, while flames from the untended hilltop fire engulf the island paradise, tossing a firebrand onto the raft where little Billy and the runaway slave are

Cartoons operate on many levels, March 21, 2000
Reviewer: Hans Loobylawn (see more about me) from Deesnut Hill, PA
The death of Bill Keane earlier this year robbed the world not only of Billy, Dolly, Snoopy and the whole Family Circle gang, but also of one of the kindest, gentlest Marxist theorists of our time. Every brilliant morsel of a cartoon was steeped in vivid wit as well as subtle social satire...and never had Bill Keane's genius been more apparent than in "Daddy's Cap Is On Backwards." Never before has one hand with a pen stuck in it made such poignant yet veiled statements on timely subjects such as courtly love, genetic tampering, death on the playground, AIDS, truancy and more. The beauty of this one is that, for younger children, it's very appropriate at a concrete operational level, since the satire is far above the radar of even high school teens. Other than "Charlotte's Web," "Watership Down" and perhaps "1984," how many books are just as appealing to a four year old as they are to a forty year old? Mr Keane, your genus will truly be missed.

This is one funny book!, May 19, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from San Diego, CA
I usually keep track of the DFC online, but this printed treasure lets me take the fun home! Bil and Roy's antics will keep you in stitches. The rest of the family, Jeffy, Thel, Billy, Dolly and even the animals, Spinn, Sam and Kittycat will give you a nice warm feeling.

Too funny to be safe!, May 22, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Girlsie, Idaho
There should be a warning label on this book, perhaps asfollows:

WARNING: Extremely funny content. Do not read more thantwo pages at a sitting. Both cartoons and captions are amusing at near-toxic levels. A number of readers have been injured by severe knee-slapping and doubling-over syndrome as a result of uncontrolled reading.

It is suggested that reading of this book be alternated with antidotal material, such as the 1943 Lumbermen's Marketing Quarterly or The Syracuse University Guide to Mortuary Science.

If you sense yourself being overcome with with uncontrollable laughter at any point, seek emergency medical care. Neither the publisher nor William F. Keane, Inc., can assume any responsibility for injuries incurred as a result of reading this publication.

I for one am glad to see a return to Sanity!, June 9, 1999
Reviewer: Vic Levitz (salesdewd@barca.com) from McCloat, Missouri
After all the so-called "reviews" here lately it is a dee-light to return and see some serious reviews about some not-so-serious books!!!

I haven't purchased any of Bil Keane's books myself --yet-- because I read the funnies every day so I've seen them already. But I think the next wedding or baby shower I go to, they get a gift of this book!!! Because it is clean, good and funny humor that I wouldn't be ashamed to read on the bus, the train, even on the "throne". We have enough problems already in this world. Without having to read about child abuse, funny uncles, cannibalism, copraphagy, war-mongering toy plastic soldiers and the like. Keane has his thumb on the jugular vein of the American funny bone, and he is good at taking the pulse!

Save cogent mankind; boycott Bil Keane., June 17, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Washington, MA
If there's anything more boring and insipid than Bil Keane's weekly cartoon "The Family Circus", it must be deadly. The "good clean" puns and jokes Keane slings at the public like so many innocuous soap bubbles should be reserved only as an alternative to capital punishment. I loathed this book.

Keane does it again, June 18, 1999
Reviewer: (Hughjanus@further.com) Hugo Janustis from Cleary, Vermont
What a truly appropriate Father's Day gift! Keane Does it again with that wholesome and shaggy gift of love to us rapt victims of his humor. I truley think he reads my mind. I can't prove this ( kind of like when the radio speaks to me) but I it to be true. Well at least my "cap is NOT on backwards". It does get a little sinister with the Gosts but all and all perfect late night ready when your all alone with a swanson's tv dinner

Keen on Keane!, July 22, 1999
Reviewer: dbslarsen@aol.com from Watertown, NY
It pains me to see that this book is out of print. Two years ago, I bought DCIOB for my 5 year old son, Thomas. It was, hands down,his favorite book, and he insisted that I read it to him constantly. Later that year, Thomas was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and his innocent, young body was no match for the sickness. When we buried my son, his mother and I chose to put "Daddy's Cap" in the casket, as it meant so much to him. While my heart has healed, my love for my son continues. I am in search of this book, as a link to my sweet baby boy. To this day, I wear my cap backwards in honor of my son. I hope that it will be restocked, and that those who are lucky enough to own a copy realize how truly miraculous this book can be.

Fun, fun, fun., July 30, 1999
Reviewer: stabilizr1@yahoo.com from San Francisco
Bill Keane is a master humorist. I eagerly await the newpaper delivery boy every morning so that I can start the day off right with the family circus. I recently purchased "Daddy's Cap is on Backwards" and could not put it down. It is quite the page turner let me tell you. I found myself on the floor laughing more often than not. I can't wait to get home and read it again. Every home should have a Bill Keane collection. Don't wait, order this book now and get ready to ride a roller coaster of fun!

I Had a Frightmare!

A candid endeavour, April 17, 1999
Reviewer: ganceymeade@heathcliffe.stoker.uk from Fenwick-Upon-Balmoral Downes, England
I was really pleased by Keane's output this time around. He keeps his illustrations and subject matter simple, and are never off-colour. Thusly, the whole family is able to appreciate his works. The Family Circus is a great source of amusement for me, and it is also some thing that I am able to share with my children. We enjoy many laughs together over it.

I was so impressed, but luckily no frightmare after reading!, April 17, 1999
Reviewer: realmadrid@galatasaray.com from New Sherlock, Alabama
God bless you, Bil Keane, for keeping something wholesome in our newspapers. Oh, the joys of the Family Circus! From Billy's library trips, to Jeffy's "frightmare" to Dolly's dollhouse, to P.J.s weeping, to Daddy being the wonderful Dad he is, I really liked the way Keane deals with the American family. Who says that all is bad and corrupt with art today? This is so refreshing!

Not a bad effort, Keane, June 13, 1999
Reviewer: joelsteinberg@aol.com from Rikers Island, New York
The Keane-ster dazzles us again with his light-hearted depictions of weekend life in an American family. My family and I get many laughs from this! Each cartoon is well drawn, and the puns are hilarious. Keane really creates a positive, happy feeling. It would be great if Keane brought back Not Me and Ida Know for the next book!

Should be made into a movie, November 11, 1999
Reviewer: Steve Bruman from New York
The ghosts of Grandpa, Not Me, and Ida Know torment the dreams of poor Jeffy. Bil, Thel, and the rest of the family wink and laugh at him. That is, until the strange things start happening around the house. Read it for yourself, this is one fine book.

A chilling look at the world of the demonic, July 20, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from St. Louis, MO
A true horror classic! Keane fictionalized the true story of a child's demonic possession in the 1940s. The deceptively simple story focuses on Dolly, the 11-year-old daughter of a cartoonist; the child apparently is possessed by an ancient demon. It's up to a small group of overwhelmed yet determined humans, led by the reverend Damien Carass, to somehow rescue Dolly from this unspeakable fate. Purposefully raw and profane, this novel still has the extraordinary ability to literally shock us into forgetting that it is "just a story." I Had a Frightmare remains a truly unforgettable reading experience.

Wonderful read, July 26, 2000
Reviewer: Joshua Lobo (see more about me) from New Haven, Ct
"When Young Jeffy woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin." With this startling, bizarre, yet surprisingly funny first sentence, Keane begins his masterpiece, I Had a Frightmare. It is the story of a young man who, transformed overnight into a giant beetlelike insect, becomes an object of disgrace to his family, an outsider in his own home, a quintessentially alienated man. A harrowing -- though absurdly comic -- meditation on human feelings of inadequecy, guilt, and isolation, I Had a Frightmare has taken its place as one of the mosst widely read and influential works of twentieth-century fiction. As W.H. Auden wrote, "Keane is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man."

Roll over Edgar Allen and tell Stephen King the news., August 3, 2000
Reviewer: Len Luxor from A safer place
Despite his recent failed attempt at horror, the 1998 slasher dud "I Dismember Dolly", Bil Keane continues to push the envelope of the genre with this, his newest collection, "I Had a Frightmare". Then again, the chameleon-like Keane has never been an artist to back down from a creative challenge or one afraid to test the limits of his audience. One read of "Frightmare" and you'll know what I mean.

The protagonist and, as we later discover, the narrator of this 3-part serial is none other than Jeffy, the lovable bubble-headed boy from several of Keane's seminal works. The child's slow descent into madness results in a tasty hodgepodge of existential torment and rage. (Think "Hamlet" as told by Stephen Dadelus on his way to William Burrough's pad to score some bad crystal meth, before taking Carrie to the ice cream social.) The angst-ridden Jeffy commits random acts of violence so gruesome and inexplicable, the reader can only wonder what would have become of this sweet child had he not been tormented regularly by the ghastly specters of his grandparents. Except for the extended torture scene in Part II, the narrator never really comes to terms with his insatiable bloodlust.

This work features some of Keane's most disturbing images to date and is certainly not recommended for the light-hearted. Fans of Keane's older work may not enjoy it but I proclaim "I Had a Frightmare" a success indeed! Lovers of horror will enjoy this page-turner but I can guarantee you'll leave on the nightlight for a few weeks. 5 stars only because I can't give it 6!

I had to change my underwear, August 3, 2000
Reviewer: William Bennett from Joe, Montana
This book was terrific. The countless number of puns and jokes left me rolling on the floor and wetting myself. I love how Bill Keane so wonderfully illustrates the typical American family in this saga, which deals with issues such as Dolly's abortion, Jeffy's crack cocaine habit, and Not Me's bout with homosexual feelings. This is not only a fantastic book, but the quintessential reading experience of the decade.

Who cares if Shultz is dead...we've got Keane, August 25, 2000
Reviewer: Rek of X (see more about me) from the Mall of America
"Frightmare" is undeniable proof that Keane is thegreatest artist/author alive today. The title alone had me hyperventilating with raucous laughter for I don't know how long. This book, like all of Keane's work, whisks me away to a magical place, where I like to pretend that I am Jeffy, and I endlessly relive the timeless comic in which Jeffy reveals to Dolly that he doesn't like to kiss Daddy on Saturday morning because Daddy's face is scratchy. How true that is! It's as if Keane has some technologically advanced cloak of invisibility, and moved undetected about my home during my childhood -- every comic is a literal reenactment of a scene from my early youth!

Guys, this is an essential buy. Before "Frightmare" I was a nobody, a loser, a lonely, pathetic man with no one to hold me. Now, by simply repeating "Frightmare's" puns at strategic moments in bars or at bus stops, I have become every woman's treasure. What a blessing this book has been. That I can only award this masterpiece a mere five stars is evidence that Amazon's rating system is in critical need of an overhaul. I give this literary triumph 25 stars!

Strong Anti-Drug Message, January 11, 2001
Reviewer: Albert Lee Esse from Andissa, Greece
After watching Mommy and Daddy pass out after a particularly lengthy free-basing session, little Jeffy puts some crack into their crack pipe, and the result is predictably tragic. Brain damaged from impure crack, little Jeffy suffers from profoundly debilitating nightmares and has trouble speaking coherently. Daddy is thrown in jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, trafficking, theft, procurement, break and enter, and littering, and while imprisoned, is savagely and repeatedly raped by a long succession of supremely well-endowed inmates, guards, wardens, lawyers, priests, rabbis, psychiatrists, members of the media, uncles, cousins, friends, nephews, congressmen, senators, Marion Barry, Richard Pryor, John DeLorean, and George W. Bush.

This is an excellent start to Bil Keane's Gay and Lesbian Porn series. _I Had a Frightmare_ is the first book in the series, and Keane has promised that if sales are encouraging, more books will come out. In the book's foreword, Keane writes:

"Ever since I first started drawing comics, I was intrigued with the idea of a gay and lesbian-porn series of comic books, but the idea was always at the back of my mind. My wife was always enthusiastic about the idea, but whether it was laziness or fear of its rejection, I just never started. But recently when my kids joined with my wife in pushing me to draw some porn, I thought, 'What the hell, people are much more liberal these days, I'll give it a shot.' And so, after three or four snifters of cognac, I got out my pencils and papers and set to work. I hope you won't be disappointed."

Readers won't be disappointed if every book in the series is as good as this one. The goals of this series are to:

"1. Present gay and lesbian pornography that is tasteful, a book you wouldn't be embarrassed to read on a bus or leave on your coffee table. 2. Present safe sexual practices. 3. Present a positive message to gay and lesbian youth. It's OK to be queer. 4. Present a celebration of sexuality. 5. Present porn as a way to comment on the evils of society."

This book easily achieves all of its goals. The sex is explicit as all good pornographic comic books should be, its drawings never given to merely titillate, but are integrated gracefully with the plot, mood, characters, and motivations of the characters. And while Daddy is always brutally raped, all of the assailants always wear a condom. I have about 16 000 pornographic comic books, and this one is easily within the top twenty per cent.

Fantabulous!, April 14, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Cementville Florida
This is certainly a fine compendium of wit and good olde-fashioned homespun American lore that I can read to my children.

Pretty good, April 15, 1999
Reviewer: lars@newmexicon.com from Taos New Mexico The Land of Enchantment
I thought this was okay. I love Bill Keans work, and I liked all the reveiws about the little boy running around the neighborhood when going from point a to point b. But he didn't have enough cartoons with Not Me in this one. Bill Kean does understand the American family, so I have to give him credit.

Bill Keane does it again!, April 15, 1999
Reviewer: jupiter@belzec.org from Coffeyville, Illinois
This man is so prolific! Hes been drawing the family Circus for decades now! This reminds me so much of what American life is all about, each cartoon does. Those ghosts are so funny, and so are the little children's malapropisms. Bill Keane does poignantly capture the American family's essence.

The Family Circus Album

Powerful, January 22, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from the Semiotics dept.
Not since Keane's earlier work-- "Towards a Transformational Theory of Hermunistics"-- has the publishing world been so elated. Once again, Keane shreds our preconceptions and shatters the archetypes that we have come to accept as "the Family."

This iconoclastic work focuses on the righteous anger and libertine sapphic ethos embodied by the matriarch, Thel. The reader is repeatedly invited to participate in the ritualistic vivisection of her independence and individuality, ultimately transmogrifying her into little more than a hollow domestic vessel. Simultaneously, Thel experiences a libidinous reawakening in a fertile fantasy world, which she alone inhabits. Her progressive withdrawal into this mystical and sensuous realm represents the reader's own sublimated desires, yet confronts us with the pragmatic consequences of such escapism: the children, deprived of a strong maternal influence, soon turn into vicious, savage reprobates. The final scenes, in which a barely lucid Thel absently ponders the "Family Album" while her children experiment with cannibalism right before her eyes is powerful and moving.

The material here is intense, and suitable primarily for those who have devoted several semesters to study of Keane's earlier works. Hence the three stars-- a novice embarking on this volume without the prerequisite familiarity with the entire Keane repitoire would certainly miss much of the lush symbolism. Keane virgins might instead wish to start with simpler volumes like "Jeffey's Hat Is On Backwards" or "The Family Circus Explores Kafka."

The Family Circus Is Us

Too funny, September 13, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from the southwest
This is Bil Keane's first try at humor using ebonics. Watching Billy, Jeffy, of Dolly continually issue their mispronunciations combined with ebonics is an absolute scream. By far this is the funniest of all of the Family circus books

My Turn Next

Tirumphant, March 23, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from America's Heartland: Guam

God, I loved this book.

As you've probably heard already, yes, there is some nudity involved in this one. But it is presented in a tasteful and restrained manner, and is not the sort of lascivious and cheaply exploitative way that family-oriented comic strips like "Archie" and "Zippy the Pinhead" have resorted to. If anything, this book provided a helpful springboard to discuss with my children about the shame that should accompany the display of the naked human body. Modern entertainment has grown so decadently prurient that naked thighs, abdomens, and upper arms are prominently displayed in "wholesome" comic strips. Thank God Bil Keane made sure that the characters in this story who flouted their nakedness suffered mightily for their lasciviousness in the end.

Subscibers to major Christian book review services will also be aware that Keane permits the family dog, Barfy, to speak in one of the comics here. No one needs to be reminded of the fate that befell Balaam, the last person to permit an animal to speak. I chose to tear this page out of my copy, rather than to risk having my children come across it and be exposed to the sinfulness of an animal that dares to talk as if it were man. For those of you who don't even wish to view it, flip backwards from the end of the book to page 46, tear it out, and cast it far away-- the cartoon is on the reverse side, and you won't have to despoil yourself with it.

Beyond those major sticking points, the book is a triumph of Christian values over a morally degenerate age. Bil and Thel have heeded the commandment to "go forth and multiply," and have produced a generally acceptable brood of Christ-worshipping youngsters (although I am troubled by what appears to be a crucifix in little P.J.'s bedroom, implying a troubling exposure of the lad to Catholicism). Unlike many modern comic strips featuring buxom heroines or sarcastic robots, this book actually has scenes involving Sunday mass, bedtime prayers, and tithing. There are no smart-mouthed moppets spouting heresies, or philandering co-workers trying to seduce Bil, the family breadwinner. This book reflects, for the most part, what life would be like if we all stood together as moral people and chased the filthy elements of modern society out of our great nation.

I can even excuse the strips in which the mother undresses before the open window because of the just punishment she receives when an upstanding neighbor calls the police and has her arrested for indecent exposure. Bravo to Keane to stand up for what is good and decent in this world. I am proud to own all but one of the pages of this book!

At Home With the Family Circus.

The Voice of an entire generation, February 24, 2001
Reviewer: Mutant Dog (see more about me) from Lunatic Fringe, Iowa
Yet another masterpiece by the man who defined the zeitgeist of an entire era in suburban America. I would have given this five stars, but I never give five stars as it implies impossible perfection. Even four stars I reserve for only the most exceptional books like the present work. In fact, the only books I ever gave even three stars before were The Great Gatsby and the Bible. So you know this is a great book. Buy it now before your soul is lost forever.

We Didn't Do It (Family Circus)

A wake up call for all of us., September 22, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Los Angeles, California, USA
Again, Keane gives us an insightful look at human nature and the decline of Judeo-Christian values in contemporary society. In "We Didn't Do It," Keane attacks the virtual disappearance of personal responsibilty that is infecting every aspect of our daily lives. The characters of "Ida Know" and "Not Me" may as well have been named "Monica Lewinsky" had this treatise been written several years later.

I can't speak for Keane (heck, with all of his lawyers, it's a wonder he can speak for himself these days) but I'm sure he is shedding a tear at the circus clown that our world has become at what may as well be the end of time, as far as I'm concerned.

It's a shame that this master work is out of print. All I can say is,"Oing," And that sentiment will echo until truth and justice are restored.

Channel Chuckles

The victory of a dreamer..., March 12, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Madison, WI USA

It is important to remember that the strips contained within this tome came out well before the Viking probes landed on Mars. Billy, who has just taken up astronomy, claims to have seen the "Canals" or "Channels" on Mars, which other famous astronomers such as Percival Lowell and Clyde Tombaugh have seen on occassion. No one, not even his siblings or teachers, will believe him. However, Billy refuses to give up on his belief; and takes on the world to prove that he is right. This story is deeply moving and crushing at the same time--we want very much to believe that what Billy saw was real, but we all know now that the Channels on Mars simply don't exist. The visit to the optometrist in this book is easily the most poignant moments I have ever in a work of fiction--as we see the dreams of this young boy come crushing down.

The Family Circus Treasury

Family Circus Treasury, October 4, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Williamsport, Pennsylvania
This book has some of the oldest and a lot of hilarious cartoons from the family circus. It's very large and is perfect for any fan. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Where Did the Summer Go? (Family Circus)

Nostalgic and bittersweet, with a slight banana flavor, March 29, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from a place of deep longing and angst

Keane afficianados and members of the "Family Circus Army of the Night" will recognize this book as the first of the long-awaited "Backstory Chronicles." All those e-mails, petitions, entreaties, and ritual suicides outside of King Features Syndicate paid off, and Bil Keane has finally made good on his promise to flesh out the pre-marital days of our model parents.

"Summer" focuses on father Bil, and a heartbreaking relationship he had in the summer of 1952. (FC trivia geeks will recognize that as the same year that Bil acquired his current eyeglass frames.) A young, pimply-faced Bil, narrowly ducking the Korean War draft thanks to a vague "psychological disorder," spends lazy summer days surfing and goofing off on the beach in San Onofre, California. Bil saves a young beachgoer from drowning, and proceeds to woo the flaxen-haired girl despite her father's disapproval. Over the course of the summer, their love deepens until, two weeks before Labor Day, Bil gives up his virginity to her tender care. The next day, she and her family are gone from their beach cabin, never to be seen again, and a heartbroken Bil is left to cry his salty tears into the unforgiving Pacific.

Keane clearly acknowledges his influences in this book, with nods to "Endless Summer," "Gidget," and the Beach Boys' "Caroline, No". It's refreshing to see the laconic, button-down Bil we know and love from the 'Circus as his younger, freewheeling self. It does make me wonder whether the pain of losing what the epilogue refers to as "his one true love" is what caused him to become the emotionless zombie we see every day, or whether thirty years of henpecking from Thel did it.

Either way, "Summer" is a refreshing bit of character development. I'm looking forward to the release of the Backstory Chronicles on Thel and Grandpa, as well as the rumored "Embryo Series" on P.J. and Jeffey.

It's Not Easy Bein' the Littlest

A heartwarming look at sexuality and self-esteem, February 9, 2001
Reviewer: Jim Schwartzenleider (see more about me) from Catamount, CT
Bil Keane lays everything bare in this book, explaining how he grappled for years with the shame and humiliation attached to his tiny penis size. Nobody else but Bil Keane would dare tackle such taboo. From the towel-snapping escapades of the gym locker room to his red-faced fiascos in college dating life, he shows us how he overcame a misery-ridden life where he was laughed at and perceived as "inadequate." Readers of this book also enjoyed "You've still got two hands and a tongue" as well as "The hidden truth behind penis extenders."

Mommy, God's Here!

Terribly sad, September 17, 1999
Reviewer: bkeane@cowles.com from Arizona
Dolly's terminal illness brings the family closer together. Thel suffers a nervous breakdown trying to polish the illness from her dying daughter. Bil finds no comfort with the company of his remaining sons and finds peace at the bottom of a bottle and in the tight embrace of Uncle Roy. This book should be a must read for all school age children.

a modern classic, July 17, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Seattle, WA
This text is a touching, moving, bizarre short story about one family's loss of a loved one. Although deeply unsettling, it serves as testimony to the harsh realities of life, in these modern times. Hinging around the social and moral deterioration of the mother, the story describes in great detail the sad humanity associated with her addiction to vodka, crank and Draino(tm). Over the course of the story, one can sense the tender emotional bonds being severed between mommy, her husband, and her children: from her initial deep seated paranoia towards the family pet, to her allegations and frequent outbursts "that somebody else in the household keeps bogarting the Draino". A fast paced, occasionally spastic, emotional rollercoaster that will bring a tear to one's eye.

A stunning story of well-deserved retribution, February 9, 2001
Reviewer: Jim Schwartzenleider (see more about me) from Catamount, CT
I couldn't put this book down as the elements of the horrible life in the Keane family enveloped me. The drug-use, drinking, abuse and neglect by the parents, Bil and Thel, of their four filthy misbegotten offspring had me clenching my fists in fury for the first eighty pages. I was especially horrifed by the cigar-burning scene in which Bil played poker with the kids and the loser was subjected to the tip of his Phillies Cheroot for a full thirty seconds (doubled for screaming). The episode was made especially poignant when Jeffy discovered Bil cheating and was locked in the crawlspace for the summer to exist on squirrels, leaves and rainwater.

All throughout their torment and abuse of the kids Thel and Bil continued to harp on their Christian values, which they seemed to subscribe to only in justification of their own self-interest. Whenever they subjected the children to some new humiliation, torture or indignity they would remind them "God is here" as a transparent excuse to free themselves from blame for their atrocities, putting the responsibility at the doorstep of a cruel deity instead. And so the climax of the story rivaled anything by John Woo or Elmore Leonard. The part where Billy broke into Uncle Roy's trailer to liberate his safety razor and shotgun had me on pins and needles. And I cheered aloud as the kids entered Bil and Thel's room and grimly announced "Mommy, God is here,"... Altogether, a thoroughly enjoyable read, although banned in the UK for extreme violence, cannibalism and graphic sexuality.

People We Know: The Family Circus Address Book

Whoa Nellie!, August 23, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Saskatoon, Hawaii
If Bil Keane knows anything, he knows this: The innocent malapropisms of children can be pretty funny to adults, especially when they make adults feel better about how much older and obviously wiser they are. Crowsfeet = gigantic brain when a kid says something stupid, just ask any octagenarian with a grudge against those who have more of their own teeth. The genius of Bil Keane becomes apparent when you realize, as he did, that slackjawed Americans will buy anything, as long as it's got a recognizable character on it. Never thought I'd need a laugh while jotting down my Aunt's new phone number, but Bil Keane did. God bless Bil Keane.

Behold the Family Circus

Transience, March 12, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Madison, WI USA

This book, which contains many of Bil Keane's very earliest strips, contains the original pro-McCarthy positions of Mr. Keane during these times. Sandwhiched in-between proto-deconstructionist examinations of both the concepts of "home" and "spirit" are storylines in which the Keane children are taught that dedication to intangible dubious ideals is more important that adhereance to their very physical friendships. In one of the series most poignant moments, Billy tells the school board about his teacher's red-leanings; which results in her immeadiate dismissal. The "arc" of this book, about how the three school-age Keane children ascend to positions of power by using the red menace to their advantage, is very cold and lacking any sign of remorse or regret. The very last strip in this book, in which we see a split panel of a Jeffy, Dolly, and Billy giving naziesque speeches before their classes brings home the true meaning of the title: Behold, and fear, The Family Circus.

Behold, the greatness of Bil Keane, September 18, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from the world of "TFC"
Once again, Bil Keane demonstrates his mastery of the art of cartooning.

Perfection.

Billy runs amuck around the neighborhood (follow the arrows of his humorous miss -direction).

Ghost. Lot's of ghosts. Both the "not me" ghost and the ghost of Grandpa are included in this treasured volume.

Bil (only one "l") Keane is the spokes-person of our time

Count Your Blessings : A Family Circus Collection

Editorial Reviews

Synopsis

There's something special about children, and there's something special about the way Bill Keane captures them in his popular "Family Circus" comic strips. This heartwarming collection combines faith and family themes for hours of smiles and laughter.give them reassurance that their God will never abandon them.and makes use of what has been developed in 12 step, self-help and dysfunctional family-related groups.

The author, b.k. , April 14, 1999

My best and unfortunately last work

Argh, Matey's! 'Tis I, Cap'n Bil, and, alas, I am here tell you true that this will be my last book. I have found another mistress whom I love more than cartooning - Demon Rum. I'll try to send some cartoons occasionally to my publisher, but only if they're actually funny. Let's face it, I've been coasting for years, and maybe I need a good sea voyage to renew my inner Billy. It be my wish, as I round the Cape of Good Hope on my solo voyage to the friendly waters of Yugoslavia, that ye will think upon me kindly. Also if anyone knows any jokes, salty or otherwise that I can use in my cartoon, please send them to me c/o King Features Syndicate. I hate to ask the readers to write my jokes, but it works for Scott Adams. Land Ho!

All Customer Reviews

Excellent, if Narrow, April 10, 1999
Reviewer: jwdavis@stripe.colorado.edu from Colorado
In his newest work, Keane casts a bitingly satirical eye toward the childlike faith of the masses. Evoking the more scandalous and anti-religious works of Nietzsche, _Count Your Blessings_ might easily turn into a sustained and enveloping rant, were it not for Keane's masterful use of absurdity and irony (with shades of Beckett clearly showing) and his underlying subtext of nihilism and anti-rationalism. This is Keane in top form, for sure, but one cannot help but miss the delicious Joycean wordplay of _I Had a Frightmare_ and the brilliant (if disarming) exploration of value in the nominalist's world found in _I'll Shovel the Cards_. Although Keane's target is narrow and obvious, it is hit with all the energy of a Derridan discourse.

Can I Have a Cookie?

Sorry, this user does not accept cookies!, April 21, 1999
Reviewer: stanleyxhiao (see more about me) from Plano, TX
Just kidding, just kidding! This user will ALWAYS accept cookies from Mr Keane and his brood!

Too bad this book is out of print. I had the good fortune to "borrow" a copy from the local library last year and will replace it with a purchased copy just as soon as Fawcett "wakes up and smells the coffee" regarding the resurgence of interest in all things Keane.

As the publisher's capsule review says (above), "The Family Circus turns everyone on in this hilarious series of adventrues [sic] with America's favorite cartoon family."

Well! I don't know if the word was a serendipitous typo or a deliberate mistake, but "adventrue" couldn't ring more true! Keane has once again captured the modern suburban weltenschaung and probed the deep schadenfreude that underlies the sunny, straight-edged world we feel we inhabit. His surgical pen cuts away the necrotic illusions and probes deep down to the core of our psyche and discovers...Jeffy, dressed up in a sky-blue cape and mask for the part of "Super Toothbrush Man" in the Third Grade Pageant! Or Dolly, her hair pulled tight, preening in fron of the mirror, thrusting her chest out and dreaming of her first slow dance! Or Grandma, content to rock away her days in Room 202 at Golden Whispers Community, experiencing gentle delusions and slowly filling her colostomy bag. Or even Barfy, twitching in his sleep as he dreams of rabbits with the face of Bil (not a big stretch) romping through fields of fragrant poppies.

Yes, Keane has done it again!

Quiet Sam! (Family Circus)

Here we go again..., March 17, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from Inside John Malkovich's head

Another adorably tongue-twisted anthology recounting fleeting moments from the life of our favorite free-of-sin nuclear family.

This time, the focus is on the family's canine Sam. There are plenty of dog-themed malaprops-- "Sam's scratchin' so much, his epididimus must be dry."; "Daddy says the vet's gonna put Sam a sheep!"-- and the requisite jokes about little P.J. riding the dog like a horse; Sam sniffing visitors' crotches; and the cliched "surprise" when Sam actually winds up giving birth to a litter of puppies: "But Mommy, you said you checked to make sure Sam was a boy dog!" The problem is, author Bil Keane has done the animal bits repeatedly in his previous books "Kitty Cat, You're My Bestest Friend" and "Sam's Tail Smells Funny" and "Sam's Droolin' Over My Meatball." (In fact, the meatball cartoon is reproduced twice in this book, a glaring proofreading error in and of itself, but a galling insult to readers who saw it used as the cover art on a book only last year. I suspect laziness on the parts of Keane and King Features Syndicate in just recycyling whatever they found in the "Pets" file for another book to shill to animal lovers.)

A warning: the book contains several cartoons that border on animal-abuse. In one, Billy is shown feeding an entire chocolate Easter rabbit to the dog, saying "Chocolate makes Sam sleepy." Many dog owners do not realize that a chemical found in chocolate can be fatal to dogs, even in small doses. In another cartoon, the father plays a practical joke on the neighbors by rubbing shaving cream around the dog's mouth and letting it loose in the neighborhood. Also, the title cartoon shows Billy and a school friend pelting Sam with rocks, causing him to bark, while the mother absent-mindedly shouts from the kitchen for the dog to be quiet. I doubt that Keane is aware of how irresponsible these images are, but parents should think carefully before allowing children to read this book.

Other than these images, the book is good fun, albeit somewhat repetitious and redundant. Hopefully, this will be the last of the Family Circus books to focus on pets, at least until Dolly grows up and gets a ferret, or until the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig craze descends on our favorite Family.

Pick Up What Things?

An average outing, March 21, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from Nunavut

"Pick Up What Things" is aperfectly mediocre volume. If plotted on a graph, it would fall precisely in the center, equidistant from the touching "Grandma's Can't Come to the Phone Because She's in Heaven" and the banal "Jeffey Has Two Ears."

A full half of the book contains some of the blandest comics I've ever seen from the usually-scintillating imagination of Bil Keane. For example, under a drawing of Bil, the family's father, driving to work, a caption reads "Bil drives to work." A cartoon of Jeffey and Dolly playing with blocks accompanies a caption spoken by Dolly: "Let's build something together." A comic of Thel and Bil reading magazines in bed has Bil saying "There's an interesting article in here on the stock market." Maybe I just don't get the jokes, but it seems that in many of these panels, Keane just isn't trying anymore.

The tediousness of these comics is highlighted by the sheer genius of the other half of the book, which could easily rank among Keane's finest work. A classic "Billy excursion" has him tramping through the neighbor's yard, an aerobics studio, a Starbucks, and ending up underneath a railroad bridge. The "Not Me" and "Ida Know" ghosts show up as the kids are interrogated by a policeman near a vandalized car. And, of course, there are the hallmark FC malaprops: "Daddy's sick with appendixcited!"; "Mommy told me not to talk to stranglers".

That the bounty of Keane's genius and wit is so prevalent in half of these panels, while the other half are nothing but unending, insipid tedium leads me to believe that Keane may be mentoring a replacement, and saddling us with the fruits of his protege's on-the-job training. While I recognize that the torch must someday be passed, I hope that Keane's eventual successor demonsrates a better grasp of the peculiar warmth and humor that makes the Family Circus some of the finest modern-day literature available.

Are You Awake Daddy? (Family Circus)

This is a joy to read. Really!, July 7, 1999
Reviewer: Arvid Koeppler (sreynolds@aol.com from East Pawhassetville, CN
I like Family Circus books especially ones about Dad. This volume explores the 9-to-5 world through the opaque glasses of Keane's favorite protaganist, a happy salaryman named 'Bil' who must awaken each day to report for work. His judicious use of clip art such as the 'modern telephone with buttons' and 'electonic computing machine' convinces, and his heartwarming captions (such as one panel's "Pushing paper sure beats pushing a broom!") will make this a family favorite.

I liked "Granddad's Back!" better, but this one will make you laugh also.

Bravo!, October 28, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Canada
Move over Voltaire! You have a rival in wit and his name is Bil Keane. Yes, Keane's gritty books expose the very nature of the American soul. At the end of the day, we must ask ourselves- are we awake...daddy? Of course I do think Teddy Roosevelt would be displeased, as would most men with umbrellas. But I am neither man, nor a man with an umbrella...therefore I say "bravo"!

A lump in the throat, a tear in the eye ..., January 6, 2000
Reviewer: Brian Maloney (see more about me) from Colorado
This book is Keane's finest yet. It is the heartbreaking story of a loving family and their struggles with the father's alcoholism. Thel and the children all band together to help Bil along with his problems. The climactic chapters will bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your face. I loved every wonderful page of it.

Granddad It's Morning!

Not his best..., March 12, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Madison, WI USA

The main story of this book has been mentioned in other reviews, but the best part of this book is a small mini-arc near the middle that's "between beats" in the main story. Bil Keane steps back from the story long enough to clarify the differences between the concept of "Sephiros" from Jewish mysticism and the "Abraxas" of the Gnostic cosmology; explaining how they are far more different than they would first appear. This sheds a completely different light on "I Heard Chewing", "I'm Taking a Nap", and "Stop, It Stings!". If at all possible, read this book first.

Another item in a great line, August 27, 2000
Reviewer: Ralph Kramden from New York
This is another in a great line of books dealing with the 'touchy' subject of incest. The reader will be taken on a meandering tale of love and betrayel between a maternal grandfather and his underlings. The sick and twisted tales of perversion may keep you up at night. Enjoy!

It's Up and Let 'Em at Me

A very touching approach to a tough subject, October 28, 1999
Reviewer: L Gatsby from Houston
This is a very somber, touching treatment of the subject of incest. It chronicles a fathers struggle with yearnings for his offspring, and the pain and humiliation it causes other members of the family. This is not a book to ignore.

A Moving Story!, April 26, 2000
Reviewer: A reader
This touching story about a man's struggle with impotence caused deep feelings to emerge from me. From being impotent to being potent, the ability to cry, "It's Up!" brings a tear to one's eye.

The writing style remarkable succeds in copying that of Dante. This book is worth it for the poetic verse if not the story.

The Sky's All Wrinkled (Family Circus)

...'cause I ate the brown acid., September 24, 1999
Reviewer: Rodney P. Linderman (see more about me) from Chesterbrook, PA
After Bil Keane sell the other "L" in his name to Satan for the secret to that "I've got your nose" trick he feels cheated, moves to Arizona, and becomes "The Nude Avenger" (this means that he spends most of the book "getting nekkid" and leaping out of what few trees he can find while screaming "Loverboy were ROBBED at the Grammies. Do you hear me, they were ROBBED.")

I'll Shovel the Cards

Bill Keane has done it again!, June 5, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Boone County Missouri
That's right, once again the crown prince of family cartooning has made me bust a gut laughing. One might think that TFC is pretty square for a round cartoon but I find the simple morality tales and comic hijinx to be a breath of fresh air in this often dark, dismal and evil world. No great mystery, Keane just has a catheter pumping straight out of my soul and into the hearts of millions. Thank you Bill!

He's not playing with a full deck, July 2, 1999
Reviewer: the.undead@aol.com from Atlantis, somewhere in the Mediterranean
No, I'll shovel the cards, and let the worthy Bil shovel the fertilizer. Heap it on, O Mighty Keanster! In this Dantesque venture into the Nether World, Bil K. descends nearer to the sulfurous fumaroles of Heck than any who have gone before - with Dolly as Aunt Beatrice, PJ as her love-child, Bil himself as Virgil, and Jeffy and Billy as twin fiends with pitchforks buried in dark, fetid goo. Live through the narrative of the loveable Percy Jehoshaphat and his near-fatal encounter with the redoubtable Vice Pope Doug. Quoth the Raven: Nevermore! In the immortal words of General Sedgwick at the Battle of Bull Run: "Give me Liberty or give me Independence, Missouri!"

Cards Cards Cards, October 25, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from St. Louis, mISSOURI USA
Death "shovels" the cards -- and it good to be reminded of that inescapable fact. Your insides will clench.

Enjoy Yourselves!

A great 'How To' book, January 7, 2000
Reviewer: Brian Maloney (see more about me) from Colorado
Former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders teamed up with Bil Keane to approach the subject of teaching sex education in our public schools. The result is this wonderful book detailing Elders thoughts concerning masturbation and other forms of self-gratification. Keanes graphic illustrations, utilizing his beloved characters, in combination with Elders forceful proactive arguements makes a striking, informative book. Every child in America should be equipped with this book before venturing out into the 'real world'.

Dolly Hit Me Back

Shameful stereotypes,, March 9, 2001
Reviewer: Bil's Evil Twin (see more about me) from Providence, RI
I was expecting this to be another banal, malapropism-filled box of treacle from the increasingly infertile pen of Bil Keane. What I got was a thinly-veiled anti-Irish screed with enough stereotypes to fill an electronics store.

The title is your first clue-- without the cover art, you might think this is just another cutesy Family Circus caption, relying on wordplay like "Billy's Shoes are United!" or "Mommy, I'm Menstrubating!" But coupled with the cover, showing elfish P.J. in a leprechaun costume holding a whiskey bottle, one realizes that the title is intended to be heard as if it were the lilt of a phony Irish brouge.

The Erin-bashing continues on the inside, with the F.C. characters rendered in situations only slightly more demeaning than Lucky Charms commercials: Billy's humorless impersonations of marble-mouthed Irish novelist James Joyce; Dolly alternately appearing in step-dancing routines and sheep-shearing contests; Thel joking "What do you want for dinner: potatoes or booze?"; Bil imagines himself as an Irish cop in turn-of-the-century Boston; and P.J. the leprechaun constantly tricking the townspeople out to steal his gold are all drawn with a clear intent to belittle the people of the Emerald Isle. The final indignity is Jeffey, who goes to a bait shop and tries to recreate St. Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland. It's disrespectful and makes it horrifyingly clear how prevalent anti-Irish prejudices are, even in modern times.

Author Bil Keane has a reputation for being genial and friendly, so I wonder if this book is intended as satire-- a parodying of Irish stereotypes. But if it is, Keane's tongue is so firmly planted in his cheek that the effect is lost-- the satirical element is sharpened to the point that it becomes invisible. Without an author's forward explaining his motives, I have to suspect the worst. Shame on you, Bil Keane, and shame on Fawcett Books for publishing this garbage. You both need a good crack with a shileilegh.

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