The Complete Funky Winkerbean Volume 1 1972-1974

About this book

Tom Batiuk was a junior high school art teacher in Elyria Ohio when he created a comic panel aimed at teens for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. That panel was the precursor to what became Batiuks award-winning comic strip Funky Winkerbean. Since its debut on March 27 1972 Funky Winkerbean has chronicled the lives of a group of students from the fictitious Westview High School. This volume which presents the strips first three years introduces the strips title character Funky and his friends Crazy Harry Klinghorn Bull Bushka Livinia Swenson Les Moore Holly Budd and Roland Mathews. Principal Burch counselor Fred Fairgood and band director Harry L. Dinkle also make their first appearances. Funky fans will relive Less misadventures in gym class and his unintentional attendance at the homecoming dance as he remains stuck on a climbing rope high above the gymnasium floor. They will remember Crazy Harrys ability to play pizzas like records and his air guitar virtuosity and majorette Holly who never removed her uniform. They will recall the schools winless football team and Harry Dinkles attempts to win the Battle of the Bands despite the contest always coinciding with a natural disaster. Volume 1 contains a charming autobiographical introduction by Tom Batiuk that shares his early attempts at cartooning discusses his teaching career and explains the genesis of Funky. Subsequent volumes will each contain three years of Funky comic strips and will be published annually. Batiuk has been recognized for his humorous and entertaining portrayals of the students and staff at Westview and acclaimed for his sensitive treatment of social and educational issues.