Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for October 29, 2023

Except Batiuk isn’t going to show us who it is, is he?

After first panel, Mindy replies, Ex girlfriend!

’"Bartender! Another round of SMUG HALF-SMIRKS FOR EVERYONE!"

Where’s Crankshaft?

“Hey! Have you seen ‘Lisa’s Story’ yet? It’s a triumph of mediocrity!”

Hey Kids….a walking pinata. Here’s a baseball bat for each of you.

“Pleased to meet!” Like “outside the realms” and “what brings?”, Tom once again shows us the value of not speaking the entire phrase when trying to sound like the hu-mans.

Advertising for restaurants was the only work The Unknown Comic could find after The Gong Show ended.

Mr. Writer sure seems to be dying to reboot Funky Winkerbean. How long will it be before we see Mr. Funky, Mr. Les and the whole gang? Heck, with Mr. Cosmic Time-Traveling Janitorial Wizard Guy at his disposal, he could even bring back Ms. Lisa, Mr. Bull and Mr. Darling. The possibilities are endless…and how come Mr. Pizza Box Monster Guy felt the need to put on white gloves?

HIS Eagle Will Soon Soar Again! One Nation Under GOD! GOD Bless America!

Mindy seems especially thrilled.

And… SMIRK!

They are trying to have fun with this storyline!

Show business?

I’m trying to decide whether that’s a no-show business or a no-business show.

And Pete KNEW he’d be here. And Mindy has lived in this town all her life and never knew about this?

The color of their garb changed drastically today. Continuity be darned.

Well, it can’t be Mason Jarr.

I like the pumpkin monster in ‘Drabble’ better.

i bet that’s the talking bear from ‘gasoline alley’

Does Batiuk think people actually talk like that, leaving the last word off of their sentences? Nobody says “Pleased to meet”.

There’s no business like show business like no business I know

Everything about it is appealing, everything that traffic will allow

Nowhere could you get that happy feeling when you are stealing that extra bow

There’s no people like show people, they smile when they are low

Even with a turkey that you know will fold, you may be stranded out in the cold

Still you wouldn’t change it for a sack of gold, let’s go on with the show

The butcher, the baker, the grocer, the clerk

Are secretly unhappy men because

The butcher, the baker, the grocer, the clerk

Get paid for what they do but no applause.

They’d gladly bid their dreary jobs goodbye for anything theatrical and why?

There’s no business like show business and I tell you it’s so

Traveling through the country is so thrilling, standing out in front on opening nights

Smiling as you watch the theater filling, and there’s your billing out there in lights

Good thing the Pizza Box Monster just happened to be moping around the closed Montoni’s at the same time that Mopey was debating about buying it while he also visited the closed building for some reason. And naturally that led to a business agreement somehow.

Pleased to meet me! The pleasure is all yours!

Pete and Mindy have been engaged for quite a while now. You’d think he would introduce her as his fiancée not girlfriend.

It’s the same guy that bought the movie theater right..

PBM (after the fifth panel): which, is second only to snorting coke every day!

Pete: Get the f@*& outta here, you schmuck!

Haha! (＾▽＾)