New York, NY April 30, 2012 — Cartoonist Tom Batiuk has never shied away from serious subject matter in his acclaimed comic strip Funky Winkerbean and his next storyline is no different. This April, Funky Winkerbean will examine a real-life contemporary issue affecting millions of teens with a month-long story arc that chronicles a gay couple determined to go to their high school prom together and the consequences that ensue. Launching during Funky Winkerbean's 40th anniversary year, the powerful series distributed by King Features Syndicate will appear in more than 400 newspapers across the country beginning April 30, 2012.
Over the past 40 years, Funky Winkerbean has featured a number of controversial and highly emotional storylines not typically addressed in the funny pages, such as teen pregnancy, suicide, teen-dating violence, the death penalty and alcoholism. Most notably, Batiuk's unique narrative humor was used to explore the emotional and physical consequences of breast cancer in "Lisa's Story." The ground-breaking recurring story, which followed one of his main characters as she battled with breast cancer, became a Pulitzer Finalist in 2008, and was later collected into an award-winning book by the Kent State University Press.
In the new prom storyline, we meet two gay teenagers attempting to go to the fictional Westview High prom together. The community and school quickly become divided over the issue resulting in a heated debate with one side demanding acceptance and the other side expressing intolerance toward same sex couples attending the prom. The series also delves into the generational differences that arise when this issue is brought to the forefront.
"As I sit in on the classes at my old high school, I see how the younger generation's attitude towards gays is more open and accepting than that of their predecessors," said Batiuk, "It shows promise that this emerging generation will one day bring this cultural war to an end. Until then, this story is an attempt to reach across the divide and speak to the intolerance that still exists on the other side."
GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, has called the Funky Winkerbean prom storyline "A heartwarming story of allies taking a stand for LGBT youth, and the kind that we need to see more of."
"We're pleased to see such an accurate portrayal of today's young people represented in Funky Winkerbean," said Stephanie Laffin of the It Gets Better Project.
"We commend Tom Batiuk for continuing to use Funky Winkerbean as a platform to bring awareness to serious issues that are affecting millions on a daily basis," said Brendan Burford, Comics Editor, King Features Syndicate. "Not unlike the reaction to 'Lisa's Story,' we expect the prom storyline to hit close to home with many of our readers. We hope the series brings new light to this important issue and helps parents initiate the conversation about tolerance with their children."
The 40th anniversary of Funky Winkerbean on March 27, 2012 is being marked by the release of The Complete Funky Winkerbean, Volume 1(1972-1974) from publisher Kent State University Press. The 486-page book takes readers back to where it all began chronicling the lives of a group of Westview High students including Funky Winkerbean and his friends Crazy Harry Klinghorn, Bull Bushka, Livinia Swenson, Les Moore, Holly Bud and Roland Mathews. Batiuk was also recently awarded "Honorary Service Award" from the Ohio Music Educators Association for 40 years of Funky Winkerbean and the comic strip's contributions to education.
For more information about the comic, please visit www.FunkyWinkerbean.com .
About Tom Batiuk and Funky Winkerbean
Tom Batiuk was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1947, and his first cartoons were published in his elementary-school newspaper in Elyria. He won a national scholastic art award in high school. After graduating from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a certificate in education, Batiuk became a high school art teacher.
Batiuk's teaching experiences inspired him to create Funky Winkerbean in 1972 and today the strip appears in more than 400 newspapers worldwide. What began as a gag-a-day comic strip about high school life evolved as Batiuk himself matured. Through the years, he has stretched the creative boundaries of comic strip narrative humor, introducing real-life issues such as dyslexia, teen suicide, guns in the classroom, racial discrimination, teen-dating abuse, breast cancer, alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder into Funky Winkerbean. Batiuk has won accolades and awards from his peers, as well as from educators and professional and civic organizations across the country, for his outstanding treatment of serious social issues. In 2009, University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio, established the Lisa's Legacy Fund, named after one of Batiuk's main characters.
About GLAAD: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.