National comic strip takes on gay kids and prom
Cartoonist Tom Batiuk has written the Funky Winkerbean strip for the past four decades, and since 1986 has periodically surprised readers by taking on mature and controversial topics including, teen pregnancy, suicide, cancer and teen-dating violence.
Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, the daily cartoon strip is taking on its first LGBT-related issue: gay kids attending prom. The storyline launched April 30 and will conclude at the end of May.
The storyline has garnered a positive response from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and from Stephanie Laffin of the "It Gets Better" Project. Batiuk said GLAAD's response was gratifying and means that he achieved what he set out to achieve.
