I know that newspaper comics tend to change over time, but what’s up with the guy who draws “Funky Winkerbean”? It seems like practically overnight (over the past few weeks, actually), the look is radically changed. It’s almost like the guy took a recent course in “drawing dramatic facial expressions” and he wants to show off his new talents.
Additionally, of course, the comic is no longer funny. It used to be one of my favorites. Why I continue to read it I have no idea. I have a routine, I guess, where I read every comic in my morning paper (37 in all) except for Apartment 3G and Cathy. I even read Gil Thorpe, for crying out loud.
Any other people notice changes for the worse in some of your favorite (or formerly favorite) comics?
I don’t know that Funky was ever a joke-a-day comic. There have been many storylines that weren’t funny. So I think it’s still as good as it ever was and read it every day (YMMV). That said, I have noticed the difference in the art - all of a sudden it’s just…different.
As for other changes, I used to love Foxtrot but either it’s changed or I have. It just isn’t as funny anymore. Maybe because it’s the same old jokes over and over.
“Foxtrot” is one of my favorites, along with “Jump Start”. They both fequently crack me up. I’m a computer geek by profession and Jason is great. And, as a father, I love the way the kids in “Jump” have their own little world.
I think “Funky” started its transformation years ago when he fastforwarded to after high shcool. Now it’s more of a soap opera with a “message”. It’s almost as heavy-handed as BC for crying out loud.
The difference in the art is because John Byrne, of comic book fame, is spelling Tom Batiuk for a while. I don’t recall the exact circumstances, but Batiuk was laid up in the hospital for a while, so he asked Byrne to do the art for him for a while (Batiuk is still writing the strip).
I had just assumed that somebody else was drawing Funky now. I mean, it’s not as though the rest of the comics are all done by their original creators, either. (IIRC, Blondie’s been around since the twenties.) FWIW, I don’t like the new artist either.
But I love Zits.
Funky got some praise for doing a story about breast cancer several years ago, and it went to Batiuk’s head, and since then it’s been a self-important serious comic.
Stupid, predictable jokes that he’s done a million times before, and weren’t even funny the first time (examples? Pretty much every strip about the school marching band).
Long, boring, preachy, predictable melodramas, intended to prove that Batiuk is “more” than just a cartoonist- he’s a chronicler of difficult realities facing contemporary teens. Kinda like ABC After-school specials… except that the After-school specials were often hilarious by accident. Batiuk is never funny, even unintentionally.
I noticed the difference recently. I think the drawing is slightly better, although I don’t know who is doing the drawing right now.
I have said more than once on this Board, Get Fuzzy is a comic strip about this loser guy who has a not-to-bright dog and a smart-assed cat that is actully funny.
