text: Maciej Parowski, Jacek Rodek     art: Boguslaw Polch

"Funky Koval" is regarded as the best Polish science-fiction comic, and some people consider it to be the best Polish comic in general. For the first time it was published in the second issue of "Fantastyka" in 1982 year (in black and white).     The earliest beginning of the series was a draft created by Wiktor Zwirkiewicz and Jacek Rodek. The leading hero, cosmic agent called Punky Rock, was to have episodic adventures in different fantastic realities. Name of Funky Koval was invented by Boguslaw Polch. He justified it "There are music connotations, but Koval will bring a little bit of Polish culture into a comic".     At the beginning the comic was thought up from issue to issue. Every adventure of the cosmic detective was to take place in different reality: science-fiction, fantasy, inner-space, etc. But soon authors decided to write a longer story. The hero became entangled in the interplanetary war between "Stellar Fox" agency and "Universs" company. Besides we will find alien races, corrupt policemen and journalists, politicians and military men willing to rule over. The second part of "Koval" "Sam przeciw wszystkim" ("Alone against all") appeared in the sixth number of "Fantastyka" in 1985. It continued and developed threads of the first part.     Coloured Funky from the first part we met once again in the end of 1987 in the first issue of quarterly "Komiks-Fantastyka". For the third part, "Wbrew sobie" ("Against oneself"), we had to wait until 1991. This part does not finish the series, but the forth part has never appeared. The authors busied with comic version of "Wiedzmin". Luckily Maciej Parowski intends to publish missing parts. For the time beeing we know only titles: "Do konca swiata" ("Until the end of the world") - forth part, "Dom wariatow" ("Madhouse") - fifth part, "Szalony pilot" ("Crazy pilot") - part zero.     "Funky Koval" won popularity that no one has ever expected. It was an attempt of creating a Polish super-hero, pop-culture, which had not existed in Poland before. The comic ridiculed political system in Poland, its front characters, their stances and behaviours. One of the heroes, for example, was a spokesperson, George Fanner, with protruding ears, telling lies on TV (like Jerzy Urban - the spokesman of Polish government). During martial law "Fantastyka" showed Funky fighting with policemen and exposing monkey businesses of politicians. Everything under the pretence of fantasy.     Series proved that comic does not have to be only for children, that it can be authors proposal and does not have to tell only correct stories.

Secondary importance characters - Matt Parey and Jack Roddy are Maciej Parowski and Jacek Rodek.

Many characters from "Funky" have faces of people well known from the Polish science-fiction community. Lech Jeczmyk became Paul Barley, Fynky's boss. Writers Marek Oramus and Wiktor Zwirkiewicz "played" independent journalists. At least also authors became heroes of the comic: employees of Universs agency, Matt Parey and Jack Rodey are Maciej Parowski and Jacek Rodek. Face of Boguslaw Polch can be noticed in few frames but he does not take part in the slot. Face of Brenda Lear is a face of Dana, Polch's wife (this was the reason of why Lilly Rye died in the third album). There were also some jokes in the comic, for example: policemen' car had registration number of Adam Hollanek's car, the editor-in-chief of "Fantastyka".     The authors created a complete world in the comic. Very important is perfecto, hipertechnical way of drawing of Boguslaw Polch. Incredibly polish up are details in the background. I have read "Funky" many times and every time I discovered and get to know new details. For example: Koval's date of birth (11. 04. 2050), his blood group (0 Rh +), what titles of newspaper did he read ("Fantastyka").     First two parts of "Funky" were reprinted when the third part appeared. First part of the comic was published in Hungarian fantastic magazine "Galaktika" and was to appeared as an album, it was also get to know by Czechs.

List of all parts of the comic is on the Boguslaw Polch page.

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