Many of the network television shows have done takeoffs on 'Family Circus,' including 'David Letterman,' 'Friends,' 'Roseanne,' and others, and, in my estimation the use of them is a compliment to the popularity of the feature, which just by mentioning it's name sets up the image of a warm, loving family-type feature.

Keane was honored with the Silver T-Square Award from the National Cartoonist Society in 2002 for "outstanding dedication" to the Society and the cartooning profession. Thel the inspiration for the "Mommy" character in his long-running strip died on May 23 2008 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease.

William Aloysius Keane (October 5 1922 – November 8 2011) better known as Bil Keane was an American cartoonist most notable for his work on the long-running newspaper comic The Family Circus. It began in 1960 and continues in syndication drawn by his son Jeff Keane.