Old Lager Yeast, is it viable

I need some help and the search function can't quite seem to solve my issue.

I got some yeast from my local Gordon Biersch. The lager yeast they use I believe is the Weishstaphen Lager.

Anyway this was Feb 10. Its been in my fridge since then waiting for me to start my lagering. I am ready now and want to make an Oktoberfest

This morning I went to build a starter. I decanted off the wort from my GB yeast. It is mad funky, foul smelling. I continued on and made my starter.

Its darker than all my wyeast/white labs starters like dirty water but those were pure yeasts and ales.

It appears to propagating. Am I ok?

if the starter smells and/or tastes truly foul, you'd be foolish to use it. starters often have pretty different smells due to oxidation or other causes. I commonly get some acetaldehyde from a starter, probably due to the high yeast-to-sugars ratio. these are still fine to use, and don't have the same characteristics in the batch of beer.

If it's off the wall funky, dump it.

+1. You wouldn't brew with cheesy hops, pool water, or moldy malt. Don't brew with compromised yeast.

Its funky but I guess my question is, are lager yeasts typically more funky than ales?

It seems like that is true from looking at some older threads

a lager yeast brewed at ale temps will be a bit different than you're used to, but not horrible. Does it smell like beer? or foot? vinegar? wet dog?

A Dead Foot?

I am going to go get some new yeast at LHBS to be sure

I checked it this morning and its growing but I think I am just growing bad yeast