Family Tree comics by Signe Wilkinson serve up a delightful blend of humor, heart, and eco-awareness through a family that’s as relatable as it is quirky. This comic review highlights ten standout strips from the series, showcasing why Wilkinson’s work continues to charm fans years after its original run.
About Signe Wilkinson: Cartooning With Purpose and Punch
Signe Wilkinson is a trailblazing editorial cartoonist best known for her sharp wit and bold takes on social and environmental issues. A Pulitzer Prize winner in 1992—the first woman to ever receive the honor for editorial cartooning—Wilkinson launched Family Tree in 2007. Syndicated by United Media, the strip ran until 2011, focusing on the life of the Tree family. Even after its conclusion, Family Tree remains a fan favorite, continuing to engage readers through reruns on Go Comics.
Profile info Facebook | Go Comics | Website
1. The Plant Shop Hustle
In this strip, Maggie attempts to sell evergreens to Bud Snipes—a notorious browser who never buys. With a combination of sharp social maneuvering and gentle guilt-tripping, she flips the script, pushing Bud toward an odd-numbered purchase because “odd numbers always look best.” Classic retail wisdom meets suburban psychology!
2. DIY Gardening Hack
When a mom needs to start seeds indoors, Maggie suggests using a cable box to warm the seed tray. It’s a genius (and hilariously thrifty) hack, but the punchline lands when the same cable box is shown in use—plants thriving while the kids just want to watch TV. Resourcefulness at its funniest.
3. Organic Performance Enhancers
One man’s mission to grow the county’s biggest tomato takes a strange turn when he seeks “performance enhancers.” Maggie delivers—with a box of organic fertilizer, pest spray, and compost. He proudly declares he doesn’t need an asterisk in the Gardeners’ Hall of Fame. A sly nod to doping scandals—garden edition!
4. Vegetable Voting Rights
Maggie wants input on what veggies to grow, but her daughter deflects responsibility, claiming it’s “your garden.” The punchline comes from a teen demanding cookies, chips, and ice cream plants. A spot-on parody of food preferences clashing with home-grown effort—equal parts funny and familiar.
5. News, Ads & Current Events
Twig’s mom calls her in for “current events,” but Twig tunes out when ads pop up. Erectile dysfunction? Leaky plumbing? Not her current events. The strip humorously critiques ad-saturated media and generational info gaps. The last panel’s line—“You’ll miss war, disease, and hatred!”—is satire perfection.
6. The Fast Food Fruit Fantasy
Teddy recites a ridiculous list of junk foods as “fruit and veggie servings.” Raisins on danish? Figs in Newtons? That counts, right? This strip is hilarious nutritional denial wrapped in a child’s logic. When someone corrects his math, he’s told to “eat peas—they boost math skills.”
7. Seeds No One Eats
Maggie outlines her ambitious planting plans—zucchini, leeks, radishes—but the kids are unimpressed. The final jab? “A lot of work for stuff no one wants to eat.” It’s a brilliant take on generational food preferences, wasted effort, and the eternal fight for healthy dinners.
8. Don’t Waste the Peas
Maggie tells Teddy not to waste his peas. His response? Snorting one across the table into his sister’s face. Technically, he didn’t waste it! This comic is mischievous perfection—equal parts gross-out gag and sibling warfare. You can practically hear the “snort” sound effect.
9. Chips and Catalogs
Another moment of veggie aversion: Maggie’s deep into seed catalogs, planning healthy crops. But the family’s attitude? Can you plant chips and cookies? It’s a repeat scene, and for good reason—it hits on a universal truth. Gardening is noble, but junk food always wins.
10. Living History Museum
Twig stares in awe at a clothespin. “What’s this, Nana?” Maggie explains clotheslines and life before dryers. Twig’s amazed response? “You’re like a living history museum.” A brilliant generational gap joke that gives a wink to simpler times—and gently roasts the kids who can’t imagine them.
Final Thoughts and Credits
Family Tree comics by Signe Wilkinson are equal parts satire, heart, and hilarity. Through gardening jokes, generational tension, and eco-conscious quips, Wilkinson crafts a world that’s as entertaining as it is thoughtful. Every strip has a spark—thanks to her expressive art and wickedly sharp writing. Big thanks to GoComics and Signe Wilkinson for these timeless gems. For more hilarious comic reviews, check out TheHumorSide.com and keep laughing with us!
