Quote of the day:
"We are all of us resigned to death: it's life we aren't resigned to."
--Graham Greene
Today’s the day for Lisa in “Funky Winkerbean.” What a gracious, simple and respectful way to portray this.
I hear that the cartoonist, Tom Batiuk, has been getting a lot of flak from readers who are either upset or annoyed that Lisa has passed away. Why would anyone get worked up about this?
I guess part of is what I talked about back on September 20th. Lots and lots of folks are of the “I-don’t-read-the-comics-to-read-this-kind-of-stuff” ilk. They prefer fantasy and jokes.
But “Funky” has always been about life, and has been at its best when portraying real human situations in both an honest and lighthearted way. Other strips do this regularly, too. I think of my favorite “For Better or For Worse.”
One argument is that kids shouldn’t see this--as if it’s threatening to children or will scare them in some way. If Batiuk wasn’t so skillful and sensitive I might be concerned about a child’s reaction. But I can’t imagine any child being frightened at these comics, except if he or she sees a parent being afraid or having a conniption about it.
Another reason some people get rubbed the wrong way by this week’s “Funky Winkerbean” is that the thought of death is so disturbing to them that they avoid it at all times and at any price.
But it’s one thing we all have in common, and it is a 100% inexorable part of life. That’s such a cliche, but still the thought of it brings up big-time fear in many of us.
That’s why we need artists like Tom Batiuk and comics like “Funky Winkerbean.” It’s a gift.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Funky Winkerbean: Lisa's Last Day
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3 comments:
Although I don't read the comics very often (only because I don't take a newspaper that has any), I am familiar with "Funky Winkerbean". I do agree with Craig that Batiuk does treat these issues with humor and sensitivity but my biggest complaint is that he keeps killing off characters young and doesn't seem to let anyone have a happy life for very long. As I recall, now both Les and Funky have lost wives young.
Interestingly enough, the elderly characters in "Crankshaft" (Batiuk's other strip) just keep going and going, even though one has had Alzheimer's for god knows how many years!
Good point, John. We seem to prefer comics that are frozen in time. Mr. Wilson must be about 120. And the kids in "Family Circle" are all in their 30s.
Too much changes all around us, so I guess we need these frozen fantasies.
Not to mention the "Peanuts" characters who are all in their late 50s, at least!
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