Two years after the renowned cartoonist, Jeff Keane, was born, his father, the legendary cartoonist, Bil Keane, started chasing him around begging him to do something funny. So began Jeff’s career as a cartoon model for “The Family Circus.”
Raised in Arizona, Jeff moved to California to attend the University of Southern California where he received his BFA in Drama. After graduation, in an attempt to have a freer schedule for auditions, he returned to his cartoon roots and began to assist his father. He started out answering mail and compiling books, but now, after many years, and with his father’s advice and guidance, he now writes, inks, and colors The Family Circus, which appears daily in more than 1,300 newspapers worldwide. It’s the most widely syndicated panel in America today.
In 2007 and again in 2009, Jeff Keane was elected President of the National Cartoonists Society, the world’s premier organization of professional cartoonists. Along with other members of the NCS and with the helping hand of the USO, Jeff has made numerous visits to military bases and hospitals around the world, including to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Mr. Keene, I adore your cartoons but never thought I would try to communicate with you. This morning’s “no” cartoon is great.
My dear friend in Shreveport has three children—now all late 50s or early 60s. Her mother was called No No by her grandchildren. Why? No No refused to put away any of the objects on tables in her beautiful home.
I’m sure you can figure out why they all called her No No!
Thank you for always making my mornings fun.
Margaret Evans
Age 83
Dear Mr. Keane,
Just an idea you might find useful. Many years ago when our daughters were very young, one of our daughters, Barbara, used the word “twobody” to refer to her and her sister. We recall a time when she and her sister were outside playing and Barbara came into the house to tell us “Twobody want an orange.”