Tom Batiuk

The Complete Funky Winkerbean: Volume 4, 1981 - 1983 - The Complete Funky Winkerbean Tom Batiuk

Marc Notes: In this fourth volume, cartoonist Tom Batiuk continues to chronicle the lives of the students and teachers at the fictitious Westview High School. In the 1980s we begin to see hints of the change in tone that will come to characterize Funky Winkerbean's later years. Starting with the coach's heart attack and his reflections on life and relationships, then shifting to teacher Ann Randall and her job loss, these story arcs intertwine with others to mark the shift from a simpler sitcom mode to a more complex narrative with subplots.

Contributor Bio:  Batiuk, Tom Born in Akron, Ohio, Tom Batiuk first had his cartoons published in his elementary school newspaper. After graduating from Kent State University, Tom taught junior high school art. During this time, he conceived the popular comic strip Funky Winkerbean. Tom lives in Medina, Ohio. Like Batiuk, Chuck Ayers was born in Akron and graduated from Kent State. He launched his cartooning career as a staff artist and later editorial cartoonist at the Akron Beacon Journal. His work has been showcased in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Forbes, and various school textbooks. He lives in Akron. Online: www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/crank/about.htm