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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.
From one of the many illuminating reviews on the Family Circus which speak of the work's quality better than I could ever hope to achieve.
Fact. Bil Keane is the greatest writer the comics medium has ever seen. He is not only better than most of his peers, he has retroactively become the originator of this artform we love. You should get down on your knees and thank God for even his worst work. Titles such as Jeffy's Lookin' At Me, I Can't Untie My Shoes, and the underground classic, Mommy, God's Here are just a sampling of the treasures to be found in the immense Keane library. No other author has enriched our lives better and more consistently than Keane, with his innovative dotted line technique, the character Not Me, and, in probably the first recorded example of post-modernism, allowing his son to draw the comic while Keane is on vacation. Never mind that Keane's strip from June 16th, 1985 is probably definitely the greatest piece of art ever created by human hands.
Every other comic strip in the funny pages is based on half-formed ideas that may seem intelligent, but are only placed there to gain acceptance by gullible literati like yourself. The idea that, say, Beetle Bailey or Hi and Lois could be the greatest example of comic literature since the dawn of time is merely the result of blind, obsessive obedience to the status quo, without a shred of critical thought involved. There is no other reason to like these cartoon abortions, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to themselves. The superior status of Family Circus, on the other hand, is based on scientific fact, and cannot be disputed.
As an example, I have bought every Garfield book to hit the stands, so I know what I'm talking about. When I bought my first Garfield collection, it wasn't so bad. I usually give a comic 7 or 8 books to warm up, anyway. By book 9, the characterization in Garfield had turned to shit. What happened to Nermal? Then it entered Phase 2, where I gave it a second chance. That lasted 5 or 6 books. After that, I continued buying it for the roadkill factor, and for something to complain about on message boards. Now I'm just going along to see how it all ends, but if it doesn't get better in another 4 or 5 issues, I'll place it in Phase 3. I'm running out of patience, Jim Davis.
This argument for or against Family Circus has polarized the comics community throughout its history. Some may try to sneak in such minor talents as Morrison, Milligan, or Moore, but these are primarily writers for "comic books", which are not real comics. You can only truly understand if you have read the entire Family Circus ouvre, otherwise you are coming from a stance of extreme ignorance. And if you have read these classics and still do not comprehend why Family Circus is better than Blondie, Cathy, The Wizard of Id, or B.C., tough. That's not my problem.
Until you concede, I will continue to praise the work of Keane in nearly every thread, whether on-topic or not. You can't ignore me forever. You will succumb. |
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