Clue #9 was also about Charles Schulz. He hated that the publishers changed the name to Peanuts. Gary, as the clue states didn't care at all. The original name of the Far Side was "Nature's Way".

Never hoid of Gary Larson. But then, I don't read comics or cartoons.

Https://www.thefarside.com/

Clue 10 brought him to mind, just through the sheer volume of work.
I remember he released some new cartoons last year I think.
One of my high school friends and I loved the Far Side, had a bunch of books and calendars.
I still laugh about the one with a baby sitting at a rough looking cowboy bar and a cowboy is saying to him, "You must be the one they call "the kid.""

1. I was born on December 1, 1940, in Peoria, Illinois.

2. I grew up in a brothel run by my grandmother, where my alcoholic mother was a prostitute.

3. After my mom abandoned me when I was 10, I was raised primarily by my grandmother, a tall, violent woman who would beat me.

Richard Pryor.

Correct Alan!

My next clues were that: he was one of 4 children raised in that brothel, was sexually abused at age 7, and served in the Army from '58-'60, but spent most of that time in prison.

According to a 1999 profile about Pryor in The New Yorker, Pryor was incarcerated for an incident that occurred while he was stationed in West Germany. Angered that a white soldier was overly amused at the racially charged scenes of Douglas Sirk's film Imitation of Life, Pryor and several other black soldiers beat and stabbed him, although not fatally.

I had no clues past this, but he had a long career in comedy that included his string of movies with Gene Wilder and once set himself on fire while freebasing cocaine.

Richard Pryor was an amazing talent with a very interesting life story!

On to the next challenge...

1) I was born in Puerto Rico in 1974 to American parents, both from the U.S. mainland.

2) My parents were members of a religious cult until I was 3 years old.

3) My current surname is not original to either of my parents. After leaving the cult, they changed our original last name in order to symbolize a new beginning in life.

Perhaps some more clues...

4) I started acting at a young age, as did my older brother and younger sister.

5) In my earliest roles, I was credited with a first name that I gave myself. I later went back to my original first name.

6) My son is named after my famous brother.

Joaquin Phoenix?

You nailed it, Cliff! Joaquin Phoenix is indeed correct.

After the 3rd clue I had it narrowed down to two potential families. Clue 6 did it for me.

I will be back with the next set before too long!

Here we go...

1. I was born in 1943
2. I am from New York City
3. My family was not wealthy, but comfortable and I hated how pretentious they were.

4. Many people do not know my first name. I am known by a nickname and my real last name.

Joan Rivers?

Not Joan. Interesting guess though.

5. In high school I had a reputation as a practical joker. Sometimes mean spirited too.

6. Due to my antics, when I graduated from high school, I was also being strongly considered for expulsion.

7. I went to Haverford college where I claimed to have gotten expelled for having a live cow in my dorm room.

8. While in college and after I was a member of more than one small time band, I can play both drums and keyboards, but I am not known for either of those skills.

9. I went to Bard college after Haverford tossed me out and got a degree in English with a Pre-Med focus. (I never went to med-school)
10. After college I took various odd jobs, truck driver, cab driver, delivery person, what ever I could do to pay my way.