He’s grown up in the funny pages – a teenage boy trying to figure out this thing called life. He’s matured through hard work, honesty and humor.
It’s hard to tell if we’re talking about Funky Winkerbean or Tom Batiuk. Batiuk is the creator/cartoonist behind Funky Winkerbean, the nationally syndicated comic strip.
Meet Tom Batiuk at Lorain Public Library System’s Columbia Branch Library on Saturday, March 2 at 11a.m.
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The Columbia Branch Library is located at 13824 W. River Road North in Columbia Station.
Batiuk will share information about his cartoons and career in his own humorous style.
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“I’m looking forward to meeting some Funky fans,” Batiuk said. “You’re like a hermit in this profession, always in your studio. This is an opportunity to interact with readers.”
The Funky Winkerbean comic strip made its debut in 1972. It now runs in more than 400 newspapers nationwide.
What began as a humorous comic strip about high school life has evolved. Funky Winkerbean has tackled serious issues, including alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and teen pregnancy.
As for Batiuk, he was born in Akron in 1947. After graduating from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, he taught art at a junior high school in Elyria.
In 1970, Batiuk began drawing a panel for the teen page of The Chronicle-Telegram in Elyria. Those strips led to the creation of Funky Winkerbean just a couple years later.
“I like the process of making a comic strip,” Batiuk said. “I enjoy the writing, inking, lettering and drawing. It’s what I like to do.”
And that writing made Batiuk a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2008.
Hear more of Batiuk and Funky Winkerbean’s incredible story at the Columbia Branch Library.
Batiuk will have books available for purchase and signing at his appearance at the Columbia Branch Library. The selection will include The Complete Funky Winkerbean, Volumes 1 and 2.
For more information about this free program,
call the Columbia Branch Library at 440-236-8751.
Read our story here: http://www.lorain.lib.oh.us/news_article.aspx?NewsID=379&PID=5