Wed Jun 20, 2007 — by Mike Gold

Deathwatch: Funky?

Current cancer storyline might not end well...

The trade publication Editor & Publisher reports the Lisa Moore character in Funky Winkerbean will die this October, siting an article in the Cleveland Free Times. Cartoonist/creator Tom Batiuk has shown Lisa dealing with a worsening case of breast cancer over the past month; her treatment was delayed due to a mix-up at the lab. Lisa will undergo another round of chemotherapy before stopping. She will struggle with how to tell her  daughter about her situation, and testify before Congress for more cancer-research funding.

No stranger to controversy, in the past Batiuk has addressed such concerns as suicide, guns in the classroom, and teen-dating abuse. After this storyline, Batiuk  will again age his castmembers by a decade, repeating a concept he employed in the early 1990s. No Nancying around for Funky and friends.

One of the main characters in Funky Winkerbean is the owner of a comic shop and frequently wears a Batman t-shirt. Cartoonist John Byrne has been known to help out on the feature.

Artwork copyright 2007 Batom, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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