Bil Keane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bil Keane |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Keane at work in his studio in 1990
|
|
| Born | William Aloysius Keane October 5, 1922 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | November 8, 2011 (aged 89) Paradise Valley, Arizona, U.S. |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist |
|
Notable works
|
The Family Circus Channel Chuckles |
| Awards | full list |
| Spouse(s) | Thelma Keane |
| Children | 5 including Glen and Jeff |
William Aloysius "Bil" Keane (born October 5, 1922 – died November 8, 2011) was an American cartoonist. He is best known for creating the newspaper comic strip The Family Circus. This popular comic started in 1960 and is still published today. His son, Jeff Keane, now draws the comic strip.
Contents
Who Was Bil Keane?
Bil Keane was a famous cartoonist who brought joy to millions with his drawings. He created The Family Circus, a comic strip about a family with young children. It showed funny and heartwarming moments from everyday family life.
Growing Up and Learning to Draw
Keane was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He went to parochial school and Northeast Catholic High School. As a schoolboy, he taught himself to draw. He copied the cartoons he saw in The New Yorker magazine. His very first cartoon was printed on May 21, 1936. It appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News. When he was in high school, he signed his comics "Bill Keane." Later, he dropped the second "L" from his first name to make it unique.
Starting His Cartoon Career
Keane served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945. During this time, he drew for army newspapers like Yank and Stars and Stripes. After the army, Keane worked for the Philadelphia Bulletin newspaper. He was a staff artist there from 1946 to 1959. During this time, he started his first regular comic strip called Silly Philly.
His first comic strip that was published in many newspapers was Channel Chuckles. It started in 1954 and featured jokes about television. In 1959, Keane and his family moved to Paradise Valley, Arizona. His most famous comic, The Family Circus, first appeared in newspapers on February 29, 1960.
The Family Circus and Beyond
Bil Keane was a leader in the cartoon world. He was the president of the National Cartoonists Society from 1981 to 1983. He also hosted the Society's yearly awards dinner for 16 years. From 1981 to 1983, Keane worked with his son Jeff on a comic strip called Eggheads. Today, his son Jeff Keane continues to draw and write The Family Circus. Jeff has also been president of the National Cartoonists Society. This group gives out the Reuben Awards to honor cartoonists.
His Family and Later Life
While serving in Australia, Bil Keane met Thelma "Thel" Carne. They got married in Australia in 1948. Thelma was the inspiration for the "Mommy" character in The Family Circus. Thelma passed away on May 23, 2008. Bil and Thelma had five children: Gayle, Neal, Glen, Christopher, and Jeff. Glen became a famous animator for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Jeff followed in his father's footsteps and became a cartoonist, taking over The Family Circus. Bil Keane passed away on November 8, 2011, at his home in Paradise Valley, Arizona. He was 89 years old. He was buried next to his wife in Phoenix, Arizona.
Awards and Recognition
Bil Keane received many awards for his work.
- He won the National Cartoonists Society's Award for Best Syndicated Panel four times (1967, 1971, 1973, 1974).
- In 1981, he received the Inkpot Award.
- In 1982, he was named the Society's Cartoonist of the Year. He also won their highest honor, the Reuben Award.
- He also received the Elzie Segar Award in 1982 for his special contributions to cartooning.
- In 1998, he received the Arizona Heritage Award.
- In 2002, he was given the Silver T-Square Award for his dedication to cartooning.
- In 2008, he received the Sergio Award from the Comic Art Professional Society.
Friends in the Cartoon World
Bil Keane had many friends who were also famous writers and cartoonists. He was very close with the humorist and newspaper writer Erma Bombeck. Keane drew pictures for her book, Just Wait Until You Have Children of Your Own! (1972). He even helped convince her family to move near him in Arizona.
He was also good friends with Stephan Pastis, who creates Pearls Before Swine. Pastis sometimes made fun of The Family Circus in his own comic. Keane even wrote a funny "attack" on these jokes for one of Pastis's books. Keane also counted Charles M. Schulz (who created Peanuts) and Mell Lazarus (who created Miss Peach) as close friends.
In 1997, Keane switched comic strips for a day with Scott Adams, who draws Dilbert. Adams said that Keane was a "creative genius" and a "great guy."
Images for kids
Books
Bil Keane published many collections of his Family Circus comic strips. He also created other cartoon books and illustrated books for other authors.
