Category Archives: media

by | April 16, 2013

Les' Story

I don't know how Hollywood works, nor do I pretend to know. Some of you readers, though, seem to have some insight into the movie-making process, and it's fun to compare and contrast that with Les' Hollywood "experience". I know even less about the network news business, so I'll just share my musings about today's strip.

For starters, how long has Cindy, I mean, Cynthia Summers been an anchorperson? Guess she's no longer "embedded". And is it just a little premature to be reporting this "news from Hollywood," considering that not even one page of the screenplay has been written? Do plans to make a made-for-cable-TV movie even qualify as "news from Hollywood"? And are news anchors allowed to report hometown gossip as "news"?

36 Comments

Filed under Cindy, Funky, Hollywood, Les, Lisa's Story, media, Montoni's, pizza, writer's block

by | September 21, 2012

My Snark Will Go On

Not to sound too dire, because I don't know how this will turn out…

This week King Features Syndicate finally wised up, and went to some kind of dynamic coding scheme that generates a crazy, non-human-decipherable link to the FW strips; replacing the old format in which a human could easily edit the date string to view past, present, and next weeks' strips.

The old format allowed me to preview each week's story arc, and write and schedule each days' posts in advance, scheduling them to go live each day (ok, the night before each day; maybe that was asking for trouble).

I don't think this affects the availability of  FW strips already on the web. However, it's likely that the daily strips will now "go live" only at midnight or even later every day. I'm going to have to post "on the fly", and that's not going to be easy, what with having to be at my real job every morning.

In order that the snark may still have a home, I will continue to schedule a "placeholder" post each day. You all collectively create the bulk of the content here anyway (as well as the funniest). I'll add my own daily observations as time permits. On the bright side, my newspaper carrier delivers my Sunday funnies with my Saturday Bergen Record, so even though I won't be able to link to the strip, I can lay eyes on it first.

So this kinda sucks, but SoSF is still my favorite place on the web, and hopefully one of your favorites as well.

Thanks as always, and stay Funky!

TFH

33 Comments

Filed under Funky Winkerbean, media, publishing, Son of Stuck Funky, writing

by | May 25, 2012

Batiuk Interviewed by "CBS This Morning"

Better late than never, CBS This Morning. As the gay prom arc draws to an end, here's a profile of you-know-who. Basically the standard TB interview that we've seen over and over again ("the weight of substantial ideas") but notable for some footage of Luigi's of Akron, the real-world inspiration for Montoni's. Also worth watching just to hear the reporters try to say "Funky Winkerbean".

19 Comments

Filed under Funky Winkerbean, media

by | March 12, 2012

Goodbye, Columbus

Today's strip, I guess, is for the benefit of those who don't pick up a newspaper on Saturday or Sunday. Hence, TB hastily whips up a couple more generic Channel One reporters to provide a "wrapup". Apparently the lady reporter was a forceps baby, judging from her distorted head, while the male reporter—Westview really does need its own Marty Moon—sports an intriguing pinky ring. He also calls the AnnieGoats "the state division one champions", although the trophy seen in Sunday's strip clearly says "Division III". Just sayin'.

21 Comments

Filed under basketball, Channel One, Keisha, media, sports, squiggly lines, Summer

by | February 7, 2012

Upright, Outta Sight

Save the Snark Update! Thanks to those who have responded to SoSF's first-ever (and hopefully last-ever) fundraising drive to help cover web hosting and miscellaneous expenses. Snarkers who wish to show their appreciation may use the PayPal button in the right-hand column…I'll show my appreciation by wrapping up the begathon at the end of this Friday.
Thanks all, and Stay Funky!

When he's not just making up words to make himself sound "impo'tant", Bull likes to mix up his sports jargon. Maybe he really is talking about "putting the basketball through the uprights"; this would cause the backboard and hoop to come crashing to the floor. While this wouldn't win any games, such a feat of strength would certainly strike terror into the hearts of the opponents.

Cayla, meanwhile, is amazed to see her Caucasian doppelgänger holding the Channel One mic.

17 Comments

Filed under basketball, Bull, Cayla, Les, Les' yellow shirt, Linda, media, sports, Westview High School

by | February 6, 2012

Malapropriation

The dramatic turnaround of Westview's girls' basketball program has drawn some media attention, and Coach Bushka is inspired to channel Damon Wayans' Oswald Bates character from the old Fox series In Living Color:

24 Comments

Filed under basketball, Bull, media, sports, Westview High School

by | September 20, 2011

Funky News: New Tom Batiuk Interview

I just stumbled upon a fresh interview with TB on an "entertainment industry analysis" website called The Trades, occasioned by the upcoming 40th anniversary of Funky Winkerbean.

A lot of the interview is taken up with the biographical information we're all pretty familiar with: how the strip got its start as a feature on the "Tuesday Teen Page" of an Elyria, Ohio newspaper…how TB first applied to (and was rejected by) Marvel and DC…and a couple reminiscences of Batiuk's own high school days and his personal experience as a cancer survivor. He also talks about retconning, I mean, "filling in the gaps" left by two time jumps, and he again states that Crankshaft is now 10 years behind the Funkiverse. Also included are gems like TB's comment about Les: "I guess I always kind of gravitated to him. I identify with him a lot." (Real shocker there!)

Best of all is the conclusion of the article where TB gives a preview of upcoming plotlines, including fulfillment of a "bold-ass prediction" that snarker and guest-blogger David O made here nearly one year ago, and a special sneak peek at the March 27, 2012 40th anniversary strip!

20 Comments

Filed under Funky Winkerbean, media

by | September 10, 2011

The Way We Were

Sigh. I don't want to pick on TB's 9/11 effort…but I must.

Remember in Act II when the Westview High School Band performed at Carnegie Hall? Me neither. But let's just say it happened. So excited  are Wally and Becky that their faces have become frozen masks of maniacal glee! Of course, that was before shit got real. Flash-forward to — today? Or sometime in the past ten years. Sgt. Wally (we assume) in his dress uniform, is going to or returning from Iraquistan, by way of New York City…looking glumly at the "new normal" skyline, his smirk turned upside-down.

Meanwhile, over at Crankshaft:

More careless time-jerking from Batiuk. Late last month TB posted on his "blogs":

"I jumped everyone in the Funkyverse ahead in time in 2007 and I didn’t do the same with the cast of Crankshaft [emphasis mine]."

But in today's CS, Cranky sits in  front of the TV, watching a news program entitled "9•11: TEN YEARS LATER". The reporter is none other than Cindy Summers, reporting from Ground Zero; apparently following the attack, since she's surrounded by the ruins and ashes of the Twin Towers. Cindy must work for the only U.S. news outlet using pink and yellow in their 9/11 onscreen graphics instead of red, white and blue.

24 Comments

Filed under air travel, Becky, Cindy, media, New York, photo album corners, Wally, Westview HS Band