Funky – Page 176 – Son of Stuck Funky

Twilight Saga

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.

Meanwhile, Back in 2010…

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.

B “Pee” H

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:

Merry Pookster
July 7, 2010 at 4:05 pm

Who is the girl in the burnt orange shirt?

Water, Boy

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.

My Name is Funky

You would think that fortyfiftysomething Funky, having already been through two abrupt time warps, would finally be at ease with being “unstuck in time“. Instead, plewds fly from his befuddled brow. Teenage Funky should be hurling droplets of sweat too: he’s sporting a flannel shirt on this Fourth of July.

As this comic evolved over three decades from a lighthearted gag-a-day feature into Heart of Dork-ness, the visual style morphed as well. I’ve come across a couple strips from FW Act I, circa 1976:

(Note that Crazy Harry’s eyes are visible; like Merry Pookster, I recalled they were always obscured by his cap)

Admit it, folks: the punchlines back then were groaners, too. But TB was at least trying to be whimsical.