technology – Page 29 – Son of Stuck Funky

Houston? We Have a Problem

In case we didn’t pick up from last week’s strips that Les’ fame extends beyond Westview, Ohio, Keisha helpfully hammers home the point that this book tour is national, bitches. Summer’s glee over her father’s long-overdue success triggers a face-morph: not only do her beady little eyes light up, but her eyebrows suddenly thicken, her chin recedes, and she manifests an overbite. This startling transformation is lost on Cody and Owen as they pass by in the background, seemingly joined at the hip. Meanwhile, deep in the heart of Houston, Texas, Les struggles with getting his laptop hooked up to a projector. Where’s his “wife Mike” when Les needs him?

What the hell is Les doing in Houston, anyway? Yesterday he was in New York, on the set of the Today show, and Saturday he was calling Cayla from San Diego (there were palm trees in the background, so he sure wasn’t calling from NYC). Batiuk seemed to be hinting at a plotline involving John Darling’s widow Jan, a producer for Today, getting him booked on the show. Appearing on national TV would be a major milestone in an author’s career, but The Creator spends one day on it…SMDH (shaking my damn head)…

You’ve Got Smirk!

Children’s Motrin: like Colt 45, it works every time. Robbie’s out like a light, and now Mom gets to enjoy a little “me” time. And we, the readers, are subjected to “TB time”, in which years either pass by in a day, or, more likely, a single day can last a week or more. Guess that slip of paper from Becky wasn’t a hit man’s phone number, but a web address. Gee: do you think it was anything to do with puppies?

A reader named Ray commented on an earlier post, and I thought it was worth “bumping” his comment to today’s post because it’s pretty astounding:

Ray
November 9, 2010 at 7:18 pm

If I had to guess, the “Funky Fedora” is being tipped to [Susan Cash, marketing manager of KSU Press, and Mickey Ciriello, owner of Luigi’s Restaurant in Akron] from when TB had his book signing for “The Other Shoe” at Luigi’s (in 2007). Seems like a long time has passed to offer said thanks, but who am I to judge?

A tip o’ the SoSF derby to you, Ray, for this mind-blowing bit of information! -TFH

Not-So-Instant Message

This week’s arc has jettisoned any semblance of narrative or drama. Funky gets sassed by his physical therapist. Funky moans to Les. Funky checks the answering machine. I can’t even snark on this…it’s so boring as to fly below the snark radar.

Sub-Prime of Life

“Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while a great wind carries me across the sky.” —Ojibwe saying (by way of The Sopranos)

It’s not enough that Funky’s long strange trip has touched on themes of aging parent issues, flirtation with alcoholic relapse, the perils of distracted driving, and leaving one’s youth behind. The Great Wind that is Tom Batiuk cannot rest without piling on yet another “timely” reference to the struggling economy.

But I haven’t come yet! rimshot

The parade of men that are far more capable of pleasing Holly than Funky ever dreamed of continue to stream through the Winkerbean Household. The bar isn’t exactly set high; someone that doesn’t consider talking about the difficulties of urinating with a shrunken urethra as foreplay is a good start. By the looks of things in panel 2, Holly is chomping at the bit to get Bull to look at the “computer” back in the bedroom. As for the punchline in panel three, I think people just want to get the hell away from Funky’s days-old shirt and pee-stained sweatpants.