Posted online by special permission of King Features Syndicate.
"Funky Winkerbean" -- say it 10 times fast, and by number 6 you'll have to earmuff any nearby children. A comic strip with a title as quirky as that is sure to be a barrel of laughs. That's how it started out, back in the 1970s, when it was first created by cartoonist Tom Batiuk (rhymes with "attic"). But over time, Funky Winks, as I've taken to calling it, has tackled some weighty themes, including abuse, alcoholism, and guns in schools. And last week, one of Batiuk's main characters, Lisa Moore, died of breast cancer. What do you think, TOTN bloggers? Should comic strips be funny? Or is there room for seriousness in the strip? Mull it over. And in the meantime, check out Lisa's Legacy Fund, which was created in the character's memory, to support cancer education and research.
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