Month: November 2013

Filler Up

Today’s strip.

Here we have Tom Batiuk doing one of the things he does best: dragging things out needlessly.  There’s really no reason for those first two panels; the house and door we see aren’t anything remarkable enough that seeing them is necessary.   It would be one thing if the house was unusual (scary, grandiose, or decorated in Starbuck Jones style), but that would require some imagination and a need to (for lack of a better term) amuse one’s readers.

Credit where it’s due, however:  this arc seems to be one of the rare Funky Winkerbean stories in which the characters actually do something.  Sure, it’s comic-book related, again, but at least Holly is taking positive steps, rather than follow the usual Westview path of quietly bemoaning one’s fate with a pun and a smirk.

Cory, We Hardly Knew Ye

Today’s strip.

My God, Holly’s dialogue in panels one and two is brain-busting.   Except for the need to fill a pre-existing, drawn-a-year-in-advance word balloon (my pet theory, I hope you don’t mind if I harp on it constantly), I’m hard-pressed to think why such a fetid stew of verbiage would get vomited up.   Every time I try to think  of a way to shorten that mess, my mind goes blank.  But let’s try:

The actual point of the strip, hinted at yesterday, is that yes, Funky was a fan of Starbuck Jones.  Since it seems Cory is too, perhaps they’ll have an actual reason to contact one another and chat.  Of course, Funky being Funky, the idea of communicating with a fellow human being, other than to express contempt, is inconceivable.  Note the tense of Funky’s verb:  Funky was a fan of Starbuck Jones. Was.   Then, he grew up, hardened his gaze, and never looked back.  He was many things.  He is…Funky Winkerbean.

Holly then offers up another “If only we’d gotten to know him better” lament.  Well, Holly, that wouldn’t have happened with Funky (being after all, Funky), but you know, Cory is your biological child.  You’ve known him all his life.  You have pretty much no excuse not to know more about your own son than you do.  So, yeah, I guess you can feel sorry for yourself.  No one else is going to.

Bonus “Utter Insanity” note–look at Funky in panel three.  Specifically, look at his neck.  You see the tag there?  The tag that typically signifies “size” and “washing instructions”?  See how it has flipped itself up?  This…this is amazing.  Tom Batiuk, an artist who cannot be bothered with panel-to-panel consistency, makes certain that Funky’s t-shirt tag is realistically flipped up.  And they say there are no miracles.

Funky Say WHAT

Today’s strip.

Greetings, fellow snarkers, BChasm back for another stint (I almost wrote “stink”) in the Funky Winkerbean guest-host-o-rama.

For a comic strip that continually confounds me, today’s episode is a grand-slam home run.  I have no idea whatsoever what is supposed to be conveyed by Funky’s expression and dialogue in panel three.  His words say “I’m astonished to the point of horror” but his face is swept with the bemusement that, aside from the smirk, is the most prevalent facial expression in Westview.   Replace Holly’s dialogue with “I found a dozen pies” and his expression suddenly makes perfect sense.

Taking a wild stab here, I’m going to assume that Funky is a fan of Starbuck Jones (wasn’t that the comic he urged his younger self to buy?) and is amazed that Cory has even heard of such a thing.  Perhaps the two of them actually share a characteristic, other than unending cynicism.

This is quite a surprise to me.  The reason it’s surprising is that in all my recent reading of Funky Winkerbean (since the tail end of the Gay Promeggedon) I cannot recall a single area in which Funky expresses any interest at all.  Well, there’s Steve Earle I suppose.  But other than that, Funky seems to have no interests, hobbies or anything that distinguishes him from the pizza dough he endlessly kneads.  Other than owning the only healthy business in Westview, he seems to have no purpose.

Well, okay, he does serve one function.  But “He was one of Les Moore’s foils” is not going to be much of an epitaph.

Dimming of the Day

I hope everyone enjoyed Epicus’ guest stint these last couple
of weeks! Tune in tomorrow when Beckoning Chasm
takes a turn in the SoSF wheelhouse.

I was tempted to go with a “dark/light” theme in the post title, but thought better of it. Whatever other complaints can be laid at Batiuk’s doorstep, he’s always presented the biracial aspect of Les and Cayla’s relationship in a matter-of-fact style (of course, his eradication of almost all her racial characteristics is another story). But Cayla has spent most of her nearly five years with Les competing against rivals living (Susan) and dead (Lisa), while Les remained completely oblivious to her devotion. That’s why when TB decides to show Les and Cayla getting romantic, it just rings totally false.

Notice Les’ face in panel 2: instead of a contented smile, he offers a haughty, sidelong glance as if to say, “Good Lord, woman, what are you talking about now?” Cayla is observing the end of Daylight Savings Time (Crankshaft is observing it too, in a strip that at least tries to be funny). Les musters what little charm he possesses, and he shares with his Cayla what he likes about the early dusk: it allows him to sit with her in the dark and imagine he’s with Lisa.

The Pun Never Ends

Today’s Strip

I have to assume that this is what happens to TB too: he starts a task, then gets distracted by his undying love for unspeakably awful punnery and sadistically terrible wordplay. On the plus side, however, at least Funky is seated, which spares us the sight of his bulbous, humongous ass. When you read FW every day you have to find the small victories wherever you can. Check out those snazzy bifocals though, such amazing attention to detail.

Coming next week: Funky discovers a rare, autographed first draft copy of “Fallen Star”. He puts it on Ebay and sells it for seven cents to the high bidder, a “Ohiocancerfan65”. Hilarity ensues.

It’s been an epic two weeks here at SoSF…pills, bullying, Metamucil, Halloween, Funky’s attic and old FW gags from 1978. It’s been a blast as always, but it’s time for me to step aside to make way for the fantastic comedy stylings of the one, the only…BeckoningChasm (beginning Monday)! See you in the comment section gang and, as always, stay f*cking Funky!!!