Comics aren't just for kids.....

[poltr1]

Has anyone been keeping up on the "Funky Winkerbean" comic strip in the past few weeks? I've only caught bits and pieces, and can't seem to find it online.

The current storyline features a comic book dealer who was charged with selling an adult comic to an adult, and is now in trial. The prosecuting attorney is of the mindset that comics are just for kids.


Boy, is he wrong.

I think he'd be shocked if he leafed through some of the manga and adult-oriented comics out there. And adult-oriented doesn't necessarily mean sex or sexual situations. Look at comics like Maus or Watchmen. Are these comics you'd want a kid to read? Heck, no!

Comic books are like storyboards. It's a series of drawings depicting the action in a story. To me, "The Matrix" has the look and feel of a comic book, with the quick scene changes and camera angles.

(This mirrors the Friendly Frank's case from several years ago.)

And they can pry my copies of Omaha the Cat Dancer from my cold dead hands.

Visit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund website for more info on this topic in general, not just the current storyline in Funky.

[Updated 12/1/05 13:08] The current storyline begins here: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/funky.asp?date=20051112.
Thanks and a tip of the hat to joecoustic for the info.

P.S. Anyone who thinks animated cartoons are for kids obviously hasn't seen Ralph Bakshi's The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat or Cool World.

Comments

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

Most sites only offered limited access or subscriptions but I found a site that has a small archive too.

I haven't seen it but just glancing at it here has intrigued me.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/funky.asp?date=20040830

[poltr1]

I tried that site, but it wouldn't display the comics for me. Then I saw the note about Norton Internet Security 2004, made the suggested changes, and I'm now able to read them. Thanks!

[ocean-star.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting story line. And quite scary, because I could easily see this happening in real life.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Not only can one easily see it, the story is practically ripped from the headlines. Funky is written and drawn by Tom Batuik, who is close friends with such notable comic book icons as Tony Isabella and John Byrne. While the current FW storyline isn't probably based on a specific comic book lawsuit, it's very true to the sorts of lawsuits that comic shop owners have been facing over the last 15-20 years.

[ocean-star.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that about Batuik. Thank you for sharing. As both a fan of comics and Funky, I found the whole plot unnerving, unsettling, yet very well done.

[poltr1]

You may be interested to know that there's a medium-sized comic and comic book convention in Columbus every Thanksgiving weekend: Mid-Ohio-Con. Many comic strip and comic book artists and writers attend. Since I believe Batiuk lives in/near the Columbus area, he's gotta be one of the regulars.

One of these years, I'll finally get to attend. And maybe I'll finally get to fill in some gaps in my collection, like Zot! #31 and the few issues of Cerebus I missed.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Byrne actually appears in the current story as a witness during the trial. This story is in fact based on a specific case, though apparently the outcome was very different in RL :-(

[poltr1]

If I remember correctly, Batiuk lives in/near the Columbus area.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Actually, the story is based on a specific case. Several of the key lines have been taken word for word from the RL trial. See Peter David's blog, and read the comments there, for much, much, more.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

The big misunderstanding on the part of those who think comics are just for kids is the same misunderstanding they have about animation being just for kids:

Comics and animation are not genres. They're mediums.

Of course, that's probably too subtle and esoteric a point to really get acrosst to many of them. But it really is the heart of the matter.