The impending death of Lisa Moore, a favorite comic strip character in “Funky Winkerbean,” will end up benefiting those really battling the disease that kills her: breast cancer.

Creator Tom Batiuk, who got his start cartooning for The Chronicle-Telegram, has compiled a book about Lisa’s saga, “Lisa’s Story: The Other Shoe,” a 246-page collection of the daily strips about her struggle.

Published by Kent State University Press, the book will be sold and autographed by Batiuk at a free book launch pizza party from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Luigi’s restaurant in Akron, the real-life eatery that inspired Montoni’s Pizza shop in “Funky Winkerbean.”

Royalties from sales of the book will go to Lisa’s Legacy Fund for Cancer Research and Education, a fund established by Batiuk and his publisher, King Features Syndicate, to benefit University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center’s ongoing efforts to develop treatments and eventual cures for cancer.

The Web site www.lisaslegacyfund.org was established for the fund.

Fans of the comic strip have spent eight years laughing, crying and empathizing with Lisa, who has gone through a series of emotional and physical highs and lows since discovering she had breast cancer.

Declared cancer-free following a mastectomy and chemotherapy, Lisa obtained a law degree, opened her practice and had a baby. Just as it sometimes does in real-life, the character’s cancer returned in 2006 and metastasized. Readers have known for some time that Lisa would not survive her renewed battle with cancer.

Luigi’s is at 105 N. Main St. in Akron. Call (330) 672-8098 or visit www.kentstateuniversitypress.com for information.

Contact Steve Fogarty at 328-7139 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.

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