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The Fun Family
Beloved cartoonist Robert Fun has earned a devoted following for his circle-shaped newspaper comic strip, celebrating the wholesome American family by drawing inspiration from his real home life... but the Fun Family bears some dark secrets. As their idyllic world collapses and the kids are forced to pick up the pieces, can they escape the cycle of art imitating life imitating art? In his debut graphic novel, Benjamin Frisch presents a surreal deconstruction of childhood, adulthood, and good old American obsession. -- a full-color softcover graphic novel with French flaps, 240 pages, 6.5” x 9.25”
"Required reading for the coming sanity wars, this story is the stuff of my nightmares... Cute-ify this monstrosity any way you like, Mr. Frisch, I will be in the fetal position weeping, giving you a thumbs up for a job brutally done." — Paul Hornschemeier, author of Life With Mr. Dangerous and Mother, Come Home
"Best Emerging Graphic Novelist" — The Austin Chronicle
"Simply wrenching... Benjamin Frisch subverts the iconography of family cartooning, exposing the seedy underbelly of America's obsession with the perfect family." — Jessica Abel, author of Out on the Wire and La Perdida
"Required reading for the coming sanity wars, this story is the stuff of my nightmares... Cute-ify this monstrosity any way you like, Mr. Frisch, I will be in the fetal position weeping, giving you a thumbs up for a job brutally done." — Paul Hornschemeier, author of Life With Mr. Dangerous and Mother, Come Home
"Best Emerging Graphic Novelist" — The Austin Chronicle
"Simply wrenching... Benjamin Frisch subverts the iconography of family cartooning, exposing the seedy underbelly of America's obsession with the perfect family." — Jessica Abel, author of Out on the Wire and La Perdida
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 12, 2016
About the author
Benjamin Frisch
4 books1 followerBenjamin Frisch is a cartoonist and storyteller from Williamsburg Virginia. He has an MFA in Sequential Art from Savannah College of Art and Design, and participated in the international artist residency program La Maison Des Auteurs in Angoulême France. His work has appeared on the political satire site Wonkette, National Public Radio, and in the Graphic Canon comics anthologies. The Fun Family is his first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 25, 2017
The Family Circus in Malebolge - original, funny and horrific - perhaps all too real for all too many families.
May 2, 2016
I'll be straight up honest with you from the get go. I really didn't like this work. There's a lot going on here and at times I really felt that Frisch was just trying a little too hard to bring in various different themes and deconstruct not only the long running and beloved daily comic The Family Circus, but various American ideas, ideals, and thought processes. There may be some minor spoilers in this here and there, so fair warning.
That said, I do have to say that Frisch has certainly done a good job of capturing some of the most prevalent habits of modern day humanity and showcasing how ludicrous those habits can become. Psychology and religion are two common opiates of the masses and while it'd be initially easy to assume that Frisch is ridiculing them because they exist, this isn't what he's doing here. What Frisch is doing, or at least what I thought he was doing, was showing how utterly dependent people are on either practice, following them so obediently that they rarely question or challenge whether or not they're acting in ways that is ultimately healthy for either themselves or the people around them. The only person who really challenges these ideals is the eldest son Robby, as he tries to find a way to maintain the status quo even as those around him dismiss him for his actions.
Now before you go and start to think that Robby represents the rational mind in this work, you need to understand that Robby is also representative of an unhealthy line of thought himself. Part of the reason why everyone in the book launched into their own particular, frequently dysfunctional methods of finding self-enlightenment and happiness is because the status quo wasn't working for them. They were unhappy because they were in this unchanging world and ultimately what Robby is asking for is for them to return to that life. The only problem is that once the dam opens up and the flooding starts it's pretty much impossible to return to the way things once were, especially when the one trying to restore the prior pecking order is not the person who created said order. Still, it's hard not to share in Robby's frustration when he tries so hard to achieve success and for a brief moment gets it, only for that success to falter and leave. It's especially easy to empathize when Robby sees everyone around him seemingly become happy despite their methods having aspects that are just as toxic as the lifestyle they all left behind.
I really think that this book would have greatly benefited from being far shorter than it was, but I can't help but wonder if the book's length was a deliberate nod towards the longevity of comics like The Family Circus where its never aging cast goes through the same actions again and again. If it was then that's sort of clever but it still didn't do much for me as a reader and at times I just really wanted things to wrap up. If I'd picked this up in a bookstore I'd have put this back unfinished, but as a reviewer I figured that I'd keep going.
Now something to take in mind here is that work like this is highly, highly subjective. Surreal comics of this type rarely achieve mainstream popularity, so I can't entirely dismiss this offhand. I didn't like it, but I do admire how darn ambitious Frisch was with this work. The artwork is well done in that it doesn't fit well with the story's feel, which produces a jarring effect that's actually one of the things I liked about the piece. The whole wrongness of it was just interesting.
So do I recommend this? Eh... I'm not sure. I disliked the work but as you can tell it clearly made me think, so I kind of have to recommend this as one of those "make you think" type of deals. The reviews for this work are likely to be predominantly negative, but if this work doesn't develop a cult following I'm going to be very surprised.
2/5 stars
Edit:
I'm not going to push this up another star since I didn't get three stars of enjoyment out of it, but I do have to say that I have kept thinking about Fun Family days afterwards. When I describe it to people I do say that I didn't particularly like it, but I have to say that I didn't actually hate it either. I'd actually go so far as to say that I might actually flip through this again at some point in the future if I saw it at my library. I wouldn't own it, but I'd read at least part of it again.
(ARC provided by Netgalley)
That said, I do have to say that Frisch has certainly done a good job of capturing some of the most prevalent habits of modern day humanity and showcasing how ludicrous those habits can become. Psychology and religion are two common opiates of the masses and while it'd be initially easy to assume that Frisch is ridiculing them because they exist, this isn't what he's doing here. What Frisch is doing, or at least what I thought he was doing, was showing how utterly dependent people are on either practice, following them so obediently that they rarely question or challenge whether or not they're acting in ways that is ultimately healthy for either themselves or the people around them. The only person who really challenges these ideals is the eldest son Robby, as he tries to find a way to maintain the status quo even as those around him dismiss him for his actions.
Now before you go and start to think that Robby represents the rational mind in this work, you need to understand that Robby is also representative of an unhealthy line of thought himself. Part of the reason why everyone in the book launched into their own particular, frequently dysfunctional methods of finding self-enlightenment and happiness is because the status quo wasn't working for them. They were unhappy because they were in this unchanging world and ultimately what Robby is asking for is for them to return to that life. The only problem is that once the dam opens up and the flooding starts it's pretty much impossible to return to the way things once were, especially when the one trying to restore the prior pecking order is not the person who created said order. Still, it's hard not to share in Robby's frustration when he tries so hard to achieve success and for a brief moment gets it, only for that success to falter and leave. It's especially easy to empathize when Robby sees everyone around him seemingly become happy despite their methods having aspects that are just as toxic as the lifestyle they all left behind.
I really think that this book would have greatly benefited from being far shorter than it was, but I can't help but wonder if the book's length was a deliberate nod towards the longevity of comics like The Family Circus where its never aging cast goes through the same actions again and again. If it was then that's sort of clever but it still didn't do much for me as a reader and at times I just really wanted things to wrap up. If I'd picked this up in a bookstore I'd have put this back unfinished, but as a reviewer I figured that I'd keep going.
Now something to take in mind here is that work like this is highly, highly subjective. Surreal comics of this type rarely achieve mainstream popularity, so I can't entirely dismiss this offhand. I didn't like it, but I do admire how darn ambitious Frisch was with this work. The artwork is well done in that it doesn't fit well with the story's feel, which produces a jarring effect that's actually one of the things I liked about the piece. The whole wrongness of it was just interesting.
So do I recommend this? Eh... I'm not sure. I disliked the work but as you can tell it clearly made me think, so I kind of have to recommend this as one of those "make you think" type of deals. The reviews for this work are likely to be predominantly negative, but if this work doesn't develop a cult following I'm going to be very surprised.
2/5 stars
Edit:
I'm not going to push this up another star since I didn't get three stars of enjoyment out of it, but I do have to say that I have kept thinking about Fun Family days afterwards. When I describe it to people I do say that I didn't particularly like it, but I have to say that I didn't actually hate it either. I'd actually go so far as to say that I might actually flip through this again at some point in the future if I saw it at my library. I wouldn't own it, but I'd read at least part of it again.
(ARC provided by Netgalley)
February 27, 2017
Robert Fun is a successful cartoonist who draws a popular comic strip that is definitely not based on The Family Circus. He works from home, and lives happily with his wife and their four children. Life is good, until his mother dies. Things start to unravel. His wife starts to see a therapist. He becomes paralyzed with grief and young Billy ... I mean, Robby, has to take over the strip ...
I'm still uncertain what I think of this. There's a level of Family Circus parody, but that's not really the main point of the book. It's there if you look for it, but it's not essential to the story Frisch is telling, and knowledge of it isn't required to make sense of anything. It's actually a fairly bleak book in some ways. The changes everyone goes through are over the top, but not farcically so. In the end, it's a little too straight to laugh at, and a little too silly to take entirely seriously. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.
I'm still uncertain what I think of this. There's a level of Family Circus parody, but that's not really the main point of the book. It's there if you look for it, but it's not essential to the story Frisch is telling, and knowledge of it isn't required to make sense of anything. It's actually a fairly bleak book in some ways. The changes everyone goes through are over the top, but not farcically so. In the end, it's a little too straight to laugh at, and a little too silly to take entirely seriously. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.
April 6, 2016
This has a good premise, but like a one-trick-pony it just wears out its welcome really quickly.
I get the joke, that the beloved cartoonist behind the family strip is missing a few gears, and that life is not all pure and good and happy. Great. But then to go on for 243 more pages about the divorce, and the kids and the son taking over the cartooning. I got bored I skipped ahead to the end, and was still bored.
Sorry, not sorry, but this book is not worth the non-paper it is printed on. It is not because I don't like satire. It is not because I don't like graphic novels. It is not for any of those reasons. I can see now why it was an instant download from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley for providing this book for an honest review.
I get the joke, that the beloved cartoonist behind the family strip is missing a few gears, and that life is not all pure and good and happy. Great. But then to go on for 243 more pages about the divorce, and the kids and the son taking over the cartooning. I got bored I skipped ahead to the end, and was still bored.
Sorry, not sorry, but this book is not worth the non-paper it is printed on. It is not because I don't like satire. It is not because I don't like graphic novels. It is not for any of those reasons. I can see now why it was an instant download from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley for providing this book for an honest review.
May 15, 2016
This book exceeds my expectations. It started off as the perfect 70s sitcom-ish happy family, but the happy level went south and got dark very quickly. I really like the story, but was surprised by the low ratings it got on Goodreads. Did they read what I just read? Definitely going to re-read it and recommending it to others.
Special thanks to NetGalley, for providing a free copy from the publisher, in return for an honest review.
Special thanks to NetGalley, for providing a free copy from the publisher, in return for an honest review.
May 6, 2016
Haunting and poignant. You will be thinking about this book long after you finish it.
February 17, 2019
This book was..a lot.
August 8, 2018
This is one of the most genuinely disturbing graphic novels I've read. The cutesy art mingles with a very astute take on modern family life and the nausea of existence. The characters weren't easy to connect with, but that seems to be the point. This brightly colored story suggests that happy endings may be impossible.
June 11, 2016
Read review at: http://thereadingarmchair.blogspot.gr...
The Fun Family must be one of the most misleading books I've ever read! The cover design, the vivid colours, the font, didn't prepare me for what I was about to read. The Fun Family was not fun at all! Instead of a light comedy about a family, this was a heart-wrenching comic about a family that was steadily falling apart.
This lack of communication, that appeared to be at the root of everything, began when the grandmother died. The father acted completely indifferent to any other member of the family and the mother became an easy victim of Dr. Connoy, a celebrated therapist who could change her life. Under his influence, she left her home, she abandoned her children, and cared only for her well-being. Even the youngest child, that she took with her was left aside for the sake of her own needs. The remaining children had to deal with an absent father, who refused to work, and a mother that didn't even visit them and only called to ask for her money.
This story made me question the bonds they had as a family prior to these events. Was it the grandmother that kept them together? Can grief really change people that much? The eldest daughter of the family encountered and spoke to the ghost of the grandmother and, with the ghost's suggestion, she turned the house into a church. I know that there are many who turn to religion for comfort, but this is extreme! The only sane one was the middle child, who tried to make ends meet, but what could a ten year old do?
The art style, as is apparent in the cover, reminded of another era. I would expect to see something like this in an old Archie comic strip, which I like. But I had a big problem. The eyes of characters were just white circles, and this was so weird because they seemed so empty. Especially when they were crying the image was so unsettling!
The Fun Family was a depressing read. It was a comic that made you wonder who is the sane one in an insane world. It told the story of irresponsible parents and irresponsible therapist, and what mark these behaviours left to the children. If you can get past the title and the cheerful cover, then you'll discover a deep comic worth reading.
The Fun Family must be one of the most misleading books I've ever read! The cover design, the vivid colours, the font, didn't prepare me for what I was about to read. The Fun Family was not fun at all! Instead of a light comedy about a family, this was a heart-wrenching comic about a family that was steadily falling apart.
This lack of communication, that appeared to be at the root of everything, began when the grandmother died. The father acted completely indifferent to any other member of the family and the mother became an easy victim of Dr. Connoy, a celebrated therapist who could change her life. Under his influence, she left her home, she abandoned her children, and cared only for her well-being. Even the youngest child, that she took with her was left aside for the sake of her own needs. The remaining children had to deal with an absent father, who refused to work, and a mother that didn't even visit them and only called to ask for her money.
This story made me question the bonds they had as a family prior to these events. Was it the grandmother that kept them together? Can grief really change people that much? The eldest daughter of the family encountered and spoke to the ghost of the grandmother and, with the ghost's suggestion, she turned the house into a church. I know that there are many who turn to religion for comfort, but this is extreme! The only sane one was the middle child, who tried to make ends meet, but what could a ten year old do?
The art style, as is apparent in the cover, reminded of another era. I would expect to see something like this in an old Archie comic strip, which I like. But I had a big problem. The eyes of characters were just white circles, and this was so weird because they seemed so empty. Especially when they were crying the image was so unsettling!
The Fun Family was a depressing read. It was a comic that made you wonder who is the sane one in an insane world. It told the story of irresponsible parents and irresponsible therapist, and what mark these behaviours left to the children. If you can get past the title and the cheerful cover, then you'll discover a deep comic worth reading.
April 7, 2016
I have nothing good to say about this.
This is terrible. The adults in the book never make one decision that is not solely in their own interest without regard for anyone else, most definitely not their children. The book tears down psychology and religion with no alternate answers. Everyone is just greedy and living whatever life they want to live while leaving all adult responsibilities to the children. There are no lessons learned, in fact the adults continue to get everything they want to the very last page. The book is not enjoyable, even as a warning to show the dangers of extremism. The only thing I got from reading this book is a heavy dark cloud over my head.
I was allowed an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My honest opinion is I wish I had not spent a moment of my life with these miserable excuses for characters.
This is terrible. The adults in the book never make one decision that is not solely in their own interest without regard for anyone else, most definitely not their children. The book tears down psychology and religion with no alternate answers. Everyone is just greedy and living whatever life they want to live while leaving all adult responsibilities to the children. There are no lessons learned, in fact the adults continue to get everything they want to the very last page. The book is not enjoyable, even as a warning to show the dangers of extremism. The only thing I got from reading this book is a heavy dark cloud over my head.
I was allowed an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My honest opinion is I wish I had not spent a moment of my life with these miserable excuses for characters.
June 28, 2016
I get the joke, that the "real" family behind The Family Circus is quite dysfunctional. But this book just descends into darkness and is so morose and depressing it's unreadable. It's a shame because the idea has potential, if it had been a twisted but darkly funny tale. I feel like this was just written by someone who was deeply twisted by his self-serving parents' divorce and is trying to exorcise his demons.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2017
This initially looks like just a Family Circus parody, but it proves to be much more than that. Despite the bright, cheerful art, it proves to be a bleak story of a dysfunctional family, in which one child becomes the scapegoat for his parents' and siblings' problems. It's truly depressing how Robby is the one character in the entire book who has any genuine concern for anyone else, and he gets no reward for it.
February 13, 2018
I don't even know how to describe this book..."Do you have cherished memories of Family Circus that you want to destroy?" Or let's put a positive spin on it..."Do you worry that you are a bad parent? Read this book and know that you are not." I have no idea how this book sucked me in. I don't normally read graphic novels, but I finished this in one day. And now I weep for this day that I have lost. Whatever. I need to go crawl into bed now.
November 14, 2016
I saw other reviews that did not care for this graphic novel, but I was hooked.
Yes it's dark and depressing.
But aside from the license taken (the a young boy could continue his father's comic strip, etc.,) the family dynamics are indeed realistic.
I come from a pretty dysfunctional family myself, so that may enhance my appreciation.
Very creative.
Yes it's dark and depressing.
But aside from the license taken (the a young boy could continue his father's comic strip, etc.,) the family dynamics are indeed realistic.
I come from a pretty dysfunctional family myself, so that may enhance my appreciation.
Very creative.
July 15, 2016
A fun and satirical look at the life of a cartoonist, a la Family Circus. What's more, Frisch doesn't take the easy route of obscenity and over-the-top parody. Our interview with him can be found at http://comicsalternative.com/comics-a....
July 14, 2016
Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review.
This was a dark and twisted look at a family that has fallen apart. I don't know if the comic strip The Family Circus was an inspiration but it feels like a parodied version of that.
This was a dark and twisted look at a family that has fallen apart. I don't know if the comic strip The Family Circus was an inspiration but it feels like a parodied version of that.
February 6, 2017
This is a fantastic graphic novel that everyone seems to have expected to conform its storyline and characters to its style. It's satire, and fairly well-baked at that. My only quibble is that the ending seemed rushed, and could have used more room to explore.
April 23, 2017
Awful and free of any laughs, reading this book was an instant regret. Would anyone have read this crud if the creator hadn't snatched onto coattails of The Family Circus? Hell, the very existence of The Family Circus mocks itself better than this book could ever hope.
July 4, 2016
A great work of social commentary pastiche.
October 4, 2016
A wonderfully dark parody of Family Circus, with lots of social and religious commentary mixed in. One of my favorites of 2016.
March 6, 2020
The good: the graphic novel was well drawn and the story quite well told.
The bad: I really didn't like the characters, they were annoying, stupid and I couldn't care less about what was happening to them. I was hoping for a resolution, maybe a "growing up", a message between all that mess... but in the end the only message I got was that those characters had no brain and I wasted one hour of my time reading their story.
I was left with a bucket of negative vibes.
Definitely not my cup of tea.
The bad: I really didn't like the characters, they were annoying, stupid and I couldn't care less about what was happening to them. I was hoping for a resolution, maybe a "growing up", a message between all that mess... but in the end the only message I got was that those characters had no brain and I wasted one hour of my time reading their story.
I was left with a bucket of negative vibes.
Definitely not my cup of tea.
finished-but-hated
January 18, 2024plus side: did not go into typical Stock Satire Cliches of "oooooh, all your favorite childhood characters are now drug addicts/serial killers/Depraved Homosexuals/domestic abusers/prostitutes/riddled with incest WAKE UP SHEEPLE!"
downside: everything else including a plot that goes off the rails in the last 20-odd pages and an ugly art style that makes me want to spraypaint hair back onto the sides of everyone's heads and stick the mother's head in a vice to squish it back into a normal shape.
downside: everything else including a plot that goes off the rails in the last 20-odd pages and an ugly art style that makes me want to spraypaint hair back onto the sides of everyone's heads and stick the mother's head in a vice to squish it back into a normal shape.
July 18, 2018
Lovely art & a biting story, just very much not my thing. While I can see the satire, it just a hair too real to be enjoyable for me. Despite my reservations with this book it was an interesting concept executed well & I'd be happy to read anything further Frisch puts out.
October 30, 2017
I thought this was a promising concept, but it went very steadily downhill.
Want to Read
April 18, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
April 2, 2022
Was it a great story? No, but the artwork was really good I liked how deranged the whole situation was.
July 22, 2023
This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It took a depressing turn almost immediately. I thought it was going to be a lighthearted read but it wasn’t.
November 7, 2023
Great graphics, it's like Family Circus' twisted sibling, fun read.
July 5, 2025
As someone with a long-term love/hate relationship with Family Circus, this was a delightfully weird graphic novel that left me feeling gross after reading it. 10/10.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews