My Name is Funky. and I'm An Alcoholic: A Story About Alcoholism and Recovery

In 1972, Tom Batiuk created a comic strip about high school student, Funky Winkerbean, and his pals. Today the characters are adults and the comic strip explores sensitive, real-life issues such as breast cancer, teen pregnancy, and addiction. My Name is Funky … and I'm an Alcoholic  chronicles the three-year plot line of Funky Winkerbean's slide into alcoholism and his eventual recovery. Readers see how Funky's marriage, friendships, and work begin to suffer as drinking takes center stage in his life. Readers also learn about how an intervention works when Funky's friends confront him and urge him to seek addiction treatment. Readers also get a glimpse into what happens in a treatment program, how Twelve Step meetings work, and just how easy it is to relapse. In the end, readers experience the promise of recovery by witnessing Funky's commitment to living one day at a time.

In addition to Funky Winkerbean, Tom Batiuk is the creator of two other nationally syndicated comic strips: John Darling, the adventures of a fictional talk-show host, and Crankshaft, based on an irascible school bus driver. Batiuk's comic strips have been collected in 22 full-length books. His focus on social issues such as alcoholism, teen pregnancy, and breast cancer has put him at the forefront of comic art history.