One of the themes in Funky from day get-go was dealing with bullying. It’s something I’ve written about and tried to understand for a long time. So imagine my surprise when, during my sojourn through the New York Sunday News comics sections from the early fifties, when I came across cartoonist Walter Berndt dealing with the subject in his charming Smitty strip. It’s a thoughtful introspective take on the subject that Berndt runs over four consecutive Sundays, which I’ve never seen him do. The quartet of Sundays are quietly impactful and powerful and I was impressed with them. So much so that I’ll be running them here over the next four days. Considering the era and the venue, I think you’ll find that it’s very interesting work that deserves another turn.
