He may be unstuck in time, but Funky’s ass remains stuck to that park bench in Olde Westview. He continues to soliloquize about how much better we had it in the twentieth century, although he concedes that GPS is a good thing. But were it not for cell phones, Funky would have one less outlet to express his jerkitude. And if not for the 24-hour news cycle, Funky’s ex would find herself out of work…
Sigh. I don’t know. If I found myself transported back to the hometown of my high school years (1972-1976), I’d be all over the place, taking in the sights and sounds, dropping in on family, friends, and old loves, visiting the places that are gone.
This tired old fuck sits on a park bench. What is it with people in this strip with park benches?
Looks like the Fourth of July festivities have ended; the good folk of late-20th century Westview have gone home to watch The ABC Sunday Night Movie, and they’ll be rolling up the sidewalks soon. Old Funky sits alone, enumerating, in order, the things that occupy his thoughts: the economy…his elderly father…and…what’s my son’s name? Oh, yeah, Cody, uhh, Cory.
Guess that’s it for the ol’ PT Cruiser!
Looks like budget cuts have hit Westview hard. No cops, no firefighters, just two EMTs and a gurney to take our “buddy” over yon grassy knoll. Hopefully the cellphone talker who caused this crackup doesn’t need medical attention; our rescuers have their hands full.
Batiuk continues to deliver the gags; today’s is not quite as chuckleworthy as yesterday’s (and not everyone found yesterday’s to be chuckleworthy), but we’ll let it go. Very edifying to hear Funky refer to himself as an “old man” (BPH notwithstanding). By my reckoning he still hasn’t hit 50 (he was about 46 years old at beginning of Act III in 2007).
Aaaaaaand:
Who is the girl in the burnt orange shirt?
I’m always willing to give TB props when he makes a funny. Today’s riff is pretty good. Buying bottled water, at least in quantities less than a gallon, would indeed be an alien concept in 1977.
As far as the artistry in today’s strip, though…granted, the drawing style has changed over three decades. It wouldn’t do to depict teenage Funky the way he looked to us back then. But his profile in the first panel is bizarre; his nose is upturned rather than down; again, rather Owen-like. Additionally, Crazy’s lid appears to have been retconned from an Fidel Castro-style olive fatigue hat into a Confederate rebel cap.
