Editing Funky Winkerbean (section)

==Characters and story==
Centered at Westview High School, influenced by Batiuk's alma mater of [[Midview High School]] near [[Grafton, Ohio]],<ref name=abj20221230>{{cite news|first=Mark J.|last=Price|title=Farewell to Funky: Cartoonist Tom Batiuk says goodbye to 'Winkerbean' comic strip|url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2022/12/30/cartoonist-tom-batiuk-says-goodbye-to-funky-winkerbean-comic-strip/69760132007/|work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]]|date=2022-12-30|access-date=2023-01-01}}</ref> the strip initially focused on several students: Funky Winkerbean, Crazy Harry Klinghorn, Barry Balderman, "Bull" Bushka, Cindy Summers, Junebug, Roland, Livinia, Leslie P. "Les" Moore, majorette Holly Budd (daughter of Melinda Budd, original majorette for Westview High), and Lisa Crawford.

From 1972 to 1992, the strip was highly gag-oriented, with humor coming from physical and [[prop comedy]] and surreal situations: [[running gag]]s included the school's computer having become [[Sentience|sentient]] and subjecting the students to its obsession with ''[[Star Trek]]''; student "Crazy" Harry's ability to play pizzas like records; the school's winless football team; and band director Harry L. Dinkle's attempts to win each year's "Battle of the Bands," despite the contest always coinciding with a natural disaster (usually heavy rain).

Although the titular everyman Funky Winkerbean was the ostensible main character, nerds Les Moore and Lisa Crawford became [[breakout character]]s and the strip's primary focus. Supporting characters included obsessive majorette Holly (who never removed her uniform), "Crazy" Harry (who lived in his locker), Jerome T. "Bull" Bushka<ref>{{cite web|title=2016-10-25 Funky Winkerbean strip|url=https://v7.comicskingdom.net/comics/funky-winkerbean/2016-10-25/}}</ref> (the school's star athlete and Les's tormentor), and popular girl Cindy. Rounding out the cast was the Westview High staff, including Principal Burch, counselor Fred Fairgood, secretary Betty Reynolds (who actually ran the school), football coach John "Jack" Stropp and Dinkle.

The name "Funky Winkerbean" was a composite from suggestions from some of Batiuk's art students.<ref name=abj20221230/>