It seems Al Franken isn’t the only comic (I’m sure he’d prefer “satirist”) who’s gone into politics.

Do you remember that guy over on the left? It’s Funky Winkerbean. Frankly, I’m not particularly familiar with the comic strip. I’m sure I’ve read it a few times, but the only thing that stands out in my memory is that name — Funky Winkerbean.

I did a little research, and found out a couple of things that really set it apart from most other comics:

• It takes place in an actual place: Ohio
• It’s dealt with some serious issues, like war and the rights of the disabled
• It had a major character die of breast cancer

But the thing that really struck me is that the characters have actually aged. Funky is no longer a high school student. How long has Archie Andrews been trying to get his diploma? That’s Funky Winkerbean on the right, at the age of 46, the co-owner of the pizzeria where he used to hang out. Off the top of my head, the only other comics I can think of in which the characters have aged are Doonesbury (rah!) and For Better or For Worse (blah).

What if Funky Winkerbean was some 20 years older still? I believe that may be him on the left, still living in Ohio. In fact, he’s serving as the mayor of Toledo.

Naturally, he’s changed his name. You can’t be mayor of a “Business Friendly City of the Future” with a name like Funky Winkerbean. So it just follows that, when he decided to sell the pizzeria, move to the big city and get involved in public service, ol’ Funky would drop the comical moniker and go for something a little more sophisticated.

Say hello to his honor, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner.

Narrator: In A.D. 2007, war was beginning.
SEM: What happen?
Webmaster: Somebody set up us the PR drop.
Designer: We get signal.
SEM: What!
Designer: Main screen turn on.
SEM: It’s you!!
CUTTS: How are you geeks!!
CUTTS: All your paid link are belong to us.
CUTTS: You are on the way to a penalty.
SEM: What you say!!
CUTTS: You have no chance to profit make your nofollows.
CUTTS: Ha Ha Ha Ha ….
Designer: Captain!!
SEM: Take off every ‘AD’!!
SEM: You know what you doing.
SEM: Move ‘AD’.
SEM: For great link juice.

Hey kidz, it’s International Talk Like a Pirate Day today, and you know what that means. It means you’re supposed to talk like a pirate, smartass.

And don’t forget to pay a visit to Cap’n Dyke, the Lesbian Pirate Queen.

Yar.

I found this at You Aint No Picasso, who found it at Boing Boing, who found it at the site of the Stanford University Law School Center for Internet and Society, who got it from Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University (lovely page, professor), an English professor who runs the school’s Film Studies program. That’s Faden over there.

What is it? Why, it’s a brief explanation of US copyright law, presented by characters from Disney films.

Hey Kidz! Put down those boring books and let Uncle Karl and his pal Freddy explain it all for you the fun and exciting way!