The Funny Pages

I'm not a big fan of newspaper articles--journalistic writing is generally frustrating to me. Our local paper is the Richmond Times Dispatch. I find the editorial pages (now that Molly Ivins is gone) unbearable to read. They're leanings are far right, and I tend to be more liberal in my view. But I've been incensed enough to write a few letters to the editor. All of which they publish and most of which earned me "Correspondent of the Day" status. I wrote a letter to Barron's, too; and they published it (to my delight!)

When I was regularly in McLean, VA, I used to get the Washington Post which I loved (even the articles). I mostly loved it because of the better selection of comics. I LOVE comics (though I don't read comic books). I read them all. I don't like them all, but I read them nonetheless. In fact, that is the only thing that I read in the paper as most of the news is stale given the internet's instant access to important stuff. And it is the comics page that brings me to my post.


Funky Winkerbean is one of my favorite strips. It is written by Tom Batiuk. He tackles some very difficult story lines. The one most currently is Lisa Moore's battle with cancer. I almost wrote unsuccessful battle, because surely she will die. But I took out unsuccessful. She has very successfully battled cancer through her grace and courage and using her disease as an agent of change (through her trip to Washington, D. C.) as well as through her continued engagement with her life and loves despite this ravaging disease. Should I have to face such trials, Lisa's example will be one that I hope that I'll emulate her. If you wish to read some background, click on the Funky graphic. After reading some of the negative feedback about this morose, to some, story line, I wrote this:

I was writing in my blog today how much I enjoy your strip, particularly the sensitivity and humor in which you are evolving Lisa's story line. As I was writing my blog, I thought that I would do a search and came to this page. Because of the negativity reported in the bio/interviews, I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I'm a huge fan of your strip. I've been reading it (as has my husband) for many, many years. We feel like these characters are part of our life.Thank you for tackling the issues that you do--they are important, and sometimes the medium of comics is a way to gently get people to think about their own perspectives regarding such difficult subjects. More importantly, though, giving them a counterpoint to their perspective by offering a different, often gentler, more humane view is how one engenders change. I admire your intelligence, energy and humanity in which you bring about such change.

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