Praise For Pastis
I was shocked today to see that Stephan Pastis actually named the Family Circus family by name in his Pearls Before Swine strip today. I didn't think you could do that without getting in trouble.
I did a Google search on Family Circus and Stephan Pastis to see if I could find any news clips about it. I figured crazy ass Bill Keane would go ballistic and seek legal action once he discovered that Pastis had called out the Family Circus family for being the clueless wonders that they are. Alas my search came up empty.
However I did find some lovely praise of Mr. Pastis's recent parody strips. I think this blog entry from notes from the front lines expresses very well how I feel about this weeks Pearls strips and the Family Circus:
Tuesday, 28 June 2005
Stephan Pastis Is Still a Comic Genius
Yes! Yesterday's takedown of "Family Circus" wasn't a one-shot deal for "Pearls Before Swine"! There's more today! Here's hoping this series runs the rest of the summer. Just think, Pastis hasn't even gotten around to flogging those sidesplitting "Family Circus" cartoons where the meandering dotted line follows Billy around the neighborhood, or the ones with the kids' grandparents in heaven, or the ones with those laff-riot ghosts "Not Me" and "Ida Know." Oh, I'm shaking with laughter just typing this. I know making fun of "Family Circus" is kind of like the crack cocaine for humorists -- it's cheap and easy -- but keep it coming anyway, Stephen; I'm begging you. Unless you want to turn your attention to, say, "Hi and Lois" or "Mary Worth."
I too hope Stephea Pastis continues to do these parodies. They are brilliant and refreshing compared to the content of other strips on the comics page of the paper. Additionally I also have found a couple of funny quotes about the Family Circus which are quite amusing and oh-so true. Enjoy!
"The clean cartoon lines are a semblance of order waiting to be violated by intimations of the fearfully glimpsed...."
From a dateless entry on Destiny Land
The only thing that "The Family Circus" is good for is as fodder for parody.
September 23, 1999 from Looka!
