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Tom Batiuk's Funky Winkerbean (February 3, 2012)Funky Winkerbean is a long-running. Distributed by, a division of, it appears in more than 400 newspapers worldwide.While Batiuk was a 23-year-old middle school art teacher in, he began drawing cartoons while supervising study hall. In 1970, his characters first appeared as a weekly panel, Rapping Around, on the teenage page of the. In 1972, Batiuk reworked some of the characters into a, which he sold to.Since its inception on March 27, 1972, the strip has gone through several format changes. For the first 20 years of its run, the characters did not age, and the strip was nominally as opposed to a, with humor derived from and the eccentricity of the characters.
In 1992, Batiuk rebooted the strip, establishing that the characters had graduated from high school in 1988, and the series began progressing in. In 2007, a second 'time warp' occurred, this time taking the strip ten years into the future, ostensibly to 2017, although the events of the strip still reflect a contemporary setting. Since the 1992 reboot and especially since the 2007 time jump, the strip has been recast as a serialized drama, though most strips still feature some humor, often based on wordplay. The more drama-oriented Funky Winkerbean has featured story arcs revolving around such topics as terminal cancer, adoption, prisoners of war, drug abuse, post-traumatic stress, same-sex couples attending the senior prom,.
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![A Riveting Universe Characters A Riveting Universe Characters](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126314282/603658264.jpg)
Contents.Characters and story Centered at Westview High School, the strip initially focused on several students: Funky Winkerbean, Crazy Harry Klinghorn, Barry Balderman, 'Bull' Bushka, Cindy Summers, Junebug, Roland, Livinia, Leslie P. 'Les' Moore, majorette Holly Budd (daughter of Melinda Budd, original majorette for Westview High), and Lisa Crawford.From 1972 to 1992, the strip was highly gag-oriented, with humor coming from physical and and surreal situations: included the school's computer having become and subjecting the students to its obsession with; student 'Crazy' Harry's ability to play pizzas like records; the school's winless football team; and band director Harry L. Dinkle's attempts to win each year's 'Battle of the Bands,' despite the contest always coinciding with a natural disaster (usually heavy rain).Though the titular everyman Funky Winkerbean was the ostensible main character, nerds Les Moore and Lisa Crawford became and the strip's primary focus. Supporting characters included obsessive majorette Holly (who never removed her uniform), 'Crazy' Harry (who lived in his locker), Jerome T.
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'Bull' Bushka (the school's star athlete and Les's tormentor), and popular girl Cindy. Rounding out the cast was the Westview High staff, including Principal Burch, counselor Fred Fairgood, secretary Betty Reynolds (who actually ran the school), football coach John 'Jack' Stropp and Dinkle.1992 relaunch In 1992, Batiuk changed the strip's format. It was established that Funky, Les, Cindy and all the rest of the previous cast had graduated from Westview in 1988; their college years were skipped, and the story continued in their adulthood.
Subsequently, the characters aged in real time and underwent significant life changes. Funky married Cindy in 1998; they are now divorced. Les and Lisa married in a -themed 1996 story that saw them dressed as and Robin. Funky now co-owned the local pizza parlor with Tony Montoni, Les taught English at Westview, Crazy Harry was the local mailman, Bull the Scapegoats' coach, and Cindy a national-level television newscaster.
The strip followed their stories as well as those of a new generation at Westview, including Wally, Becky, Darin and Monroe. Overtly whimsical elements were now downplayed in favor of more grounded real-life incidents and stories, and some of the series' running gags from the 1972–92 years were recast in a more serious light. For instance, Bull's hectoring of Les became the focus of a storyline on domestic violence and child abuse when it was revealed that Bull abused Les to cope with being abused by his own father.Though humorous storylines remained mainstay, Batiuk also examined real-life contemporary issues not normally seen on the comics page, such as:.: Lisa became pregnant as a teenager; she placed the child for.
Her son was, unknown to her, adopted by the Fairgoods, was named Darin, and is a current character in the strip. In July 2007, the two (unbeknownst to each other) filed paperwork in an attempt to contact one another. They meet shortly before Lisa's death.: A student named Susan Smith becomes deeply enamored with Les, but the crush on her teacher is unrequited due to his commitment to Lisa. Susan then attempts suicide, but gets medical attention in time. Later, Susan—apparently accepting that Les was unavailable—helps him get his marriage license when he fails to obtain it in time.: After her appearance in the suicide storyline, Susan begins dating Westview High star quarterback and 'big man on campus' Matt Miller, who is abusive and possessive with her. Les and Lisa are able to intervene and empower Susan to end the relationship. It is also revealed that Lisa's ex-boyfriend, Frankie, had abused teen-aged Lisa during their relationship before he got her pregnant.: John Howard, owner of the Comic Book Emporium, is persecuted by moralizers who accused him of corrupting children.
Lisa successfully defends John in court.: Westview's top student, Barry Balderman, fails to take his exams, and thus to graduate. He is required to enroll in summer school, where he realizes one of his classmates is having trouble.
Being dyslexic himself, Barry is able to diagnose the problem correctly.: A student brings a gun to school, where it accidentally discharges. Principal Fairgood refuses to accept the student's 'it was a mistake' rationale and suspends him.: Les is frustrated and exhausted by his efforts at weightlifting, and has a dream of himself becoming instantly strong by using steroids. While he has some benefits such as being able to rip the infamous gym rope from the ceiling, his attempts to join the football team are rejected when the coach says it is obvious Les has been using steroids, and he starts seeing the side effects such as, which then scares him enough to wake up.: Batiuk compiled the story of Funky's struggle with alcoholism and recovery in the book My Name Is Funky and I'm an Alcoholic. The book also provides information on how to help someone suffering from alcoholism.: A teen-aged Wally Winkerbean and his girlfriend, Becky Blackburn, get drunk at a party. On the way home, Wally drives off the road and the car rolls over. Becky is critically injured and eventually has her arm amputated, as part of a story arc exploring the consequences of Wally's actions.
in: In 2005, Batiuk sent newlyweds Wally and Becky to as a part of an anti-landmine effort by the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation; Wally nearly dies after stepping on a mine. He is saved when his Afghan companion Kahn manages to knock the mine away (which was a design that launches the explosive to chest level), only to be punched out for selling the that killed his fellow troops. The couple returns with an adopted daughter, Rana, who was left orphaned after her family was killed by a.Lisa's story. The band box at Luigi's (Akron, Ohio), the restaurant that Montoni's is based upon.Montoni's Pizza is modeled after Luigi's, an Italian restaurant and pizzeria in downtown. There is a framed and signed Funky Winkerbean strip hung in the restaurant.
The band box frequently shown in the interior of the shop above the entrance is an actual fixture in the restaurant.After the second time skip, Batiuk designed the comic book store around the shop he frequents, Ground Zero Comics and Cards in. That is frequently shown in the background is on the mantel in the shop.The character Harry L. Dinkle, the self-proclaimed 'World's Greatest Band Director,' is based on the director of. Professor Dinkle is based on a composite of past directors Dr. Paul Droste and Dr.
In addition, a 2006 article from the Cleveland Free Times asserts that Harry L. Dinkle is based on Harry Pfingsten, a retired band director from, who was the band director of the junior high school that Tom Batiuk attended.
In 1989, Harry L. Dinkle was the first comic strip character ever to 'march' the., a brand of shoe designed for marching bands, is named after the character and claims to have been endorsed by Dinkle since 1986. Musical Batiuk assisted in the writing of a stage adaptation Funky Winkerbean's Homecoming, set in the era while Funky was still a Westview High student.
Popular among high school drama groupsthe musical was co-written by Andy Clark, who appeared as himself in the comic strip in December 2006. Clark is a publisher of the, and has published several Funky Winkerbean collections dedicated to the character of Harry L. Compilations. Batiuk, Tom (2012).
The Complete Funky Winkerbean: Volume 1 (1972–1974).:. Biliczky, Carol (March 27, 2012).
Retrieved March 28, 2012. '2016-10-26 Funky Winkerbean strip'.
Missing or empty url=. King Features. Archived from on 2008-05-17.
Retrieved 2007-11-05. King Features.
Archived from on 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2007-11-05. King Features. Archived from on 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2007-11-05. ^ Berkowitz, Lana (2007-05-08).
Houston Chronicle. Archived from on 2007-05-12. Retrieved 2007-05-12. ^ Klimkiewicz, Joann (2007-05-14).
Retrieved 2007-07-17. The Daily Cartoonist. King Features. Archived from on 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2007-11-05. Batiuk, Tom (2007). Kent State University Press.
King Features. Archived from on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2007-11-05. Batiuk, Tom. Retrieved 2007-11-05. E&P Staff (2007-09-28). Editor and Publisher.
Archived from on 2009-05-09. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
Batiuk, Tom. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
Batiuk, Tom (2010-02-01). Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-02-12. Truitt, Brian, 'Funky Winkerbean' comic takes a same-sex couple to prom,', April 30, 2012. Accessed. Gustines, George Gene (September 9, 2019). 'A Tragedy in the Classic 'Funky Winkerbean' Comic Strip: Spoilers Within'.
P. B2. Gardner, Alan (2007-02-26). The Daily Cartoonist. Retrieved 2007-11-05. Willis, David (2007-04-16). Retrieved 2007-11-05.
Retrieved 2009-05-26. Lui, Claire (April 10, 2008). Retrieved September 15, 2009. Batiuk, Tom (2007-05-23). Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-11-05. Batiuk, Tom (2007-09-30).
Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
Retrieved 2010-07-19. Comics Casserole. Archived from on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
', Funky Worthless, 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2010-07-19. Batiuk, Tom (2009-09-15). Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-12-28. Retrieved 2009-07-19. Comics Casserole.
Archived from on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2010-07-19. Batiuk, Tom (2009-09-17). Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-07-19. Pastis, Stephan (2008-07-11). Retrieved 2019-11-13.
Pearls Sells Out, Andrews McMeel 2009, p. Retrieved 2011-07-25. Batiuk, Tom. Retrieved 2011-07-25.External links. at.
From the original on April 16, 2012.
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