Today we observe that rarest of instances in the Funkiverse: our hero, subjected to the withering disdain of a functionary of the state, gains the upper hand by delivering a well-timed, snarky zinger of his own. Funky knows it, too; dig his expression in panel 3: the arched eyebrow and the entirely appropriate sardonic smirk.
I’m going to let this one pass. Feel free, the rest of you, to have at it.
Of course “you don’t qualify for the grace period”…Ohio has no grace period when it comes to driver’s license renewals. And if “last year” means your license expired over six months ago, Ohio law requires you to get a permit and then re-take the driving test. Now there’s a rich vein of humorous material to be tapped. But the word “grace” suggests “holy,” I guess which suggests, to Batiuk, “last rites” are in order for Funky’s expired as in “dead” license.
The year’s still young, but apart from Crazy Harry’s Casablanca outing, Cliff Anger’s marriage proposal to Vera, and Dinkle and Becky’s convention trip, Funky Winkerbean‘s been all about…Funky Winkerbean. The Funkman and/or wife Holly (whose hair color recently changed from blonde to the same gray/beige “greige” as Bull Bushka’s temples) have figured in 60% of the strips since January 1st. By comparison, Les has only been seen four times and been given exactly one line of dialogue! Be thankful for small favors. In any event, the titular character, love him or hate him, is getting lots of screentime.
We regularly take Batty to task for depicting milieux (mainly the comics and motion picture industries) that reflect his interests but in which he has only vague understanding. Query which is better or worse: TB’s hamfisted Hollywood fantasies, or relateable, mundane, QIRFRL* arcs like “Funky Renews His Driver’s License“?
*Quarter-inch removed from real life
Sleepin’ with your back to your loved one
This is all that we’ve learned about happiness“Check It Out“, John Mellencamp
I’ve already gone on record admitting I usually like the way Batiuk draws couples kissing. So I think today’s panel 2 is sorta cute, even if Funky looks like Mister Magoo. And, probably by coincidence, Batty has depicted the current lunar phase! The text content, though…meh. The Winkerbeans have settled in for the night when Holly offhandedly mentions a couple things she’d forgotten to tell him.
The “check engine” light, that bane of motorists’ peace of mind since the late 20th century. Usually not as serious as other dashboard indicators such as, say, the brake light. Probably 75% of the time it’s just letting you know it’s time for an oil change. On one of my cars, I ignored the “check engine” light until it burned out–problem solved!
And the expiration date of Holly’s driver’s license is somehow tied to Funky’s? Do they do their motor vehicle business together like they do their annual physical? In either case, both issues can be addressed in the morning and are nothing over which to lose sleep, or shouldn’t be to a man who’s struggled to keep a business afloat, dealt with an aging parent, or had a kid serving overseas in the military.
Funky seems confused? He’s got plenty of company among readers of today’s strip as we try to parse the supposed humor here. Exactly what disturbing “mental image” does the word executrix conjure in his mind? Is Funky envisioning his spouse as a female pilot? Doesn’t make sense, but when did that ever disqualify a gag in the Funkiverse? Perhaps the first syllables of the word have him thinking that Holly is going to “execute” him? If she hasn’t had him whacked by now he’s probably safe. Well then I guess the gag is that Funky, that dirty old man, associates “executrix” with “dominatrix”, two words with absolutely no other connection aside from the last four letters, and is envisioning the wife looking like Rosie O’Donnell in Exit to Eden. You Google it.
Son of Stuck Funky 
