Greetings, folks, BChasm back for another tour in the trenches. And what is on the menu for today (see what I did there)?
Someone less kind than myself might note that the dialogue in panel 3 perfectly fits Tom Batiuk’s method of constructing a comic strip. After all, while the particular events in Funky Winkerbean can’t always be foreseen, certainly none of outcomes for any of the stories is ever in doubt–it’ll end in tears, or, more likely, a weary shrug, a tired scowl and a terrible pun. You can say that about every story presented in the last few years; notice that I’ve written two paragraphs already without a single mention of the characters involved in today’s comic. This paragraph could serve as a perfectly generic yet perfectly accurate summation of every strip, every day.
Having said all that, I’d like to say that Funky Winkerbean is actually quite full of surprises. There have been many events over the last couple of years that were completely and totally out of the blue–Crazy Harry losing his job, Kevin having moved on, Kerry Fairgood, the reappearance of Alex, Frankie’s return, Khahn’s store closing, and so on.
The problem, as you’ve already guessed, is that none of these surprises are handled in an interesting manner. At all. Kerry Fairgood appeared and disappeared over the course of a week. Impact on the strip: zero point zero. Frankie’s weeks-long arc was one long stretch of nothing happening. Franklyn Simpson Pierce…has no strip impact.
I guess what I’m ultimately saying is, go ahead and eat your glop, Owen and Cody. Nothing will happen to you as a result.
Funny how the whole rationale behind getting rid of the vendos was so that the students would eat better, healthier food, and look at the unappealing bilge piled on that plate! Ha ha, it’s funny because school lunches.
Lack of surprising things happening isn’t Funky Winkerbean‘s problem. Having a surprise that has an impact on the strip…now, that would be a surprise.
Son of Stuck Funky 