Farley (comic strip)
Encyclopedia
Farley was an American comic strip
written and drawn by Phil Frank
, which appeared daily (except Saturday) in the San Francisco Chronicle
. The strip originally began in 1975 as Travels With Farley, a nationally syndicated strip, but Phil missed the "timeliness and joy of doing local politics" and, dissatisfied with the four-to-six week lead time required of syndication, switched to working exclusively for the Chronicle, which enabled him to quickly mine local events—usually overnight—for his satire. Phil Frank died on September 12, 2007, shortly after announcing, on September 9, that he was retiring due to illness. Reprints of the strip had been running for some months before this, as he had been too ill to work.
and California
. The title character is Farley, a reporter for the San Francisco Daily Requirement The strip poked fun at current events in San Francisco, often lampooning such events as the response to Mayor Gavin Newsom
's temporary legalization of gay marriage as well as national events such as the National Do Not Call Registry or Vice President
Dick Cheney
.
The strip also kept track of the current situation of the San Francisco Giants
baseball
team through the actions of Alphonse, one of the urban bears who is obsessed with the team. Alphonse was often shown leaving a hot dog and a beer at home plate in the middle of the night as an offering to the baseball gods.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
written and drawn by Phil Frank
Phil Frank
Phil Frank was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of the San Francisco-based comic strip Farley and the artist on nationally syndicated comic strip The Elderberries...
, which appeared daily (except Saturday) in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
. The strip originally began in 1975 as Travels With Farley, a nationally syndicated strip, but Phil missed the "timeliness and joy of doing local politics" and, dissatisfied with the four-to-six week lead time required of syndication, switched to working exclusively for the Chronicle, which enabled him to quickly mine local events—usually overnight—for his satire. Phil Frank died on September 12, 2007, shortly after announcing, on September 9, that he was retiring due to illness. Reprints of the strip had been running for some months before this, as he had been too ill to work.
Outline
Farley is a satire of life in the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The title character is Farley, a reporter for the San Francisco Daily Requirement The strip poked fun at current events in San Francisco, often lampooning such events as the response to Mayor Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician who is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California. Previously, he was the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, and was elected in 2003 to succeed Willie Brown, becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007...
's temporary legalization of gay marriage as well as national events such as the National Do Not Call Registry or Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
.
The strip also kept track of the current situation of the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team through the actions of Alphonse, one of the urban bears who is obsessed with the team. Alphonse was often shown leaving a hot dog and a beer at home plate in the middle of the night as an offering to the baseball gods.
Cast
The cast of the strip grew to such an extent that Farley, the title character, appeared infrequently. The usual cast was:- Farley, a reporter for the San Francisco Daily Requirement newspaper.
- Bruce, a right-wing raven that lives with Farley.
- Baba Rebop, mystic and the Prophet of Ocean BeachOcean Beach- Places :Australia* Ocean Beach * Ocean Beach New Zealand* Ocean Beach, Hawke's Bay* Ocean Beach, OtagoUnited States* Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, also community* Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California...
. - A quartet of urban California black bearsAmerican black bearThe American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
who run a restaurant for animals called the Fog City Dumpster. The bears originally came from Asphalt State Park and followed Farley to San Francisco. They take summer vacation in Yosemite National ParkYosemite National ParkYosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
. The bears include:- Floyd, the Fog City Dumpster cook.
- Alphonse, a die-hard San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
fan. - Franklin, who often wears a sombrero and bandoleers.
- Hilda, a female with a crush on Farley.
- The Feral Cat Colony
- Orwell, a feral cat in Golden Gate ParkGolden Gate ParkGolden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
who always is trying to get rich, sometimes by writing to Vice President Dick CheneyDick CheneyRichard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
with new schemes. - Speedbump, a feral cat, Orwell's assistant.
- Orwell, a feral cat in Golden Gate Park
- Miles, mild-mannered dog host of KFUR, a radio station for dogs and cats.
- Velma Melmac, a housewife who parks her monster RVRecreational vehicleRecreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
in Yosemite National ParkYosemite National ParkYosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
each summer, doing her best to keep nature at bay by, for example, vacuumingVacuum cleanerA vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
the nature trails. - Beppo, a homeless Vietnam vet and North Beach sidewalk resident
Books
A number of the strips have been collected and published as books.- Travels with Farley (1978)
- Asphalt State Park (1987)
- Going Local with Farley (1991)
- I'm Ink, Therefore I Am (1997) - A collection of comics from the time Farley became specific to the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Fur and Loafing in Yosemite (1999) (For the Yosemite Association) - A collection of cartoons which were all either set in Yosemite or featured the bears coming or going to Yosemite.
- Don't Parade On My Reign (2003) - A collection of comics featuring "Da Mayor" Willie Brown. Willie Brown was proud of this collection and often autographed it and sent it to people.
- Eat Drink & Be Hairy (2006) (For the Yosemite Association) - A second collection of cartoons set in Yosemite.
External links
- Farley Comic Strip (official website)
- Farley, at the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
website - Phil Frank bio