Wednesday, October 26, 2011

On the Beat with Tom Batiuk

Last weekend, I spent time with my cousins in Columbus (OH).  While there, I went to the Wizard World convention and spoke to a handful of the featured guests.
I have been to many Wizard World cons (Chicago, NY and Philly) over the years, but this was my first in Columbus.  It is always a great event.  This one was a bit smaller than the others, but a fantastic event.
I have been a faithful reader of the Funky Winkerbean comic strip for more than 30 years.  When I saw that its creator Cartoonist Tom Batiuk was a featured guest, I contacted him about an interview and he graciously agreed.
I could have talked to Tom for hours (although he probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I would).  The Funky strip has covered so much ground, from silly to serious.  There is so much material and so many possible questions and that doesn't even include John Darling and Ed Crankshaft, his other two famous strips.  We talked about how he kept the comic strips fresh, why and how he decided to deal with some serious issues, the Funky time leaps and more, including a small scoop for 2012, which will be Funky's 40th anniversary!
Tom has created such funny and multi-layered characters.  The depth of his characters and stories have had lasting impacts, such as Lisa's Legacy Fund, stemming from a character's battle with cancer.
I really appreciate talking to Tom.  Having basically grown up following his creations, it was a real pleasure and a thrill.  I look forward to what the future holds for the Funky Winkerbean strip, especially during his big 40th anniversary year.  I hope to meet Tom at a future con and hopefully he will talk to us again about the latest happenings.
I was already a big fan of Tom and his work.  Now I am an even bigger fan.  After watching our video below, please check out FunkyWinkerbean.com to learn more about Tom, Funky and the rest of the gang.  

4 comments:

The Parkers said...

Nice interview! Great camera work too!

Jessica said...

I love Ed Crankshaft. This is so cool. What a nice guy!

TB said...

I didn't realize I had been reading Funky Winkerbean for that long, but I guess so. I started reading Funky back in grammar school. It is amazing that he has kept it so interesting.

Lizzy R said...

Oh gosh I have cried so often over the Lisa story through the years. Beautiful, informative and moving.