Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for September 01, 2024

“Control is vital to humor. Don’t use comical names like Throttlebottom. Don’t make the same kind of joke two or three times—readers will enjoy themselves more if you make it only once. Trust the sophistication of readers who do know what you’re doing, and don’t worry about the rest.” – William Zinsser, “On Writing Well”, Chapter 19 – Humor.

Red Herring?

Spiffy. Now Batiuk is ripping off “A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.”

“Kindle Light?” Okay. The other two? Feh. But for Batiuk, one out of three is absurdly good.

Clever play-on-words title.

I like the cover artwork.

Lizard Lil offers her famous rum balls at the signing table—Because everyone prefers their expensive hardcover books be covered in powdered sugar and greasy fingerprints.

But… why would you name the detective in a murder mystery “Red Herring”? Does Batiuk even know what the term means, or did he just hear it used about a mystery story and not bother to find out what it referred to? It doesn’t make any sense.

Also, “Case Load” sounds like a… hm, let’s say “actor in adult films”, since I’m not sure what the filter will let me call him.

You guys…actually made the effort to read this? Well, good on ya, I ain’t bothering.

OWWWW! Mine neck!

Murder by twisted necks.

First clue: the murder weapon looks like an obsidian knife the Aztecs used.

Puns a-plenty

Annoying in so many ways.

If they wrote a book about Crankshaft…..maybe we could see Crank in the strip….after all it does have his name…….beginning to wonder…….

get out from behind that tree dirty oldman crankshaft you dont want sally forth to call the police

I don’t endorse the daily criticisms of some readers, but I do find it hard to rotate my extra large monitor screen.

This would be so much more enjoyable if I didn’t have to strain my aging neck to read it. Is there an easy way to rotate the image on an old Mac?

Yeah, we had decent caseloads but when we were in trial, but the other attorneys would pick up our calendars and help out….

See? Because it’s NOT a comic book cover, this isn’t a blatant rip off of his trope from Funky Winkerbean. It’s a BOOK cover! She wrote another book. Another book themed book. What is that now, SEVEN?

It’s not one. Not two. But three bad puns in one panel. Quite a feat. We’re proud of you Batyuk.

Can we please put Batyuk in the Rabbits Against Magic punintentiary and throw away the key?

Batyuk, I’ve read Stephan Pastis for years. I know Stephan Pastis. Stephan Pastis is a favorite of mine. Batyuk, you’re no Stephan Pastis. (Prolonged shouts and applause.)

Another Cold Case in less than 48 Hours … a Red Herring murder case, chasing after no legit leads … assigned to Case Load.

It will be our luck to be assigned to Judge Ito and the evidence won’t fit and the Judge will aquit. Just when is Columbo and Hamilton Burger due back from their vacations?

Let’s not turn the comics sideways, please!

Not only does Batty’s alleged prestige arc blow thus far, today, the disappointments continue.

Crankshaft readers left dozens of comments, hoping to see Ed at least once a week in the Sunday comic during the several-week-long slog known as “The Burnings.” Instead of a comic featuring Ed, we get a sideways book cover featuring Lillian, who has been in almost every strip this past week.

As I wrote yesterday, Batty’s ability to give his readers exactly what they don’t want is uncanny.

If Crankshaft were a Sit Com and rarely appeared in it would be a flop….

So “The Burnings” couldn’t even stay on track for 7 days because Batty couldn’t wait another week to kick out a dumb Sideways Sunday focused on two of the worst Pun Names he’s ever come up with.

If only the woman getting murdered in the sideways strip was Lillian McKenzie

Super-Fun-Pak Comix is displayed vertically today. Why can’t Crankshaft be oriented the same way?

“That’s not very funny!”

- Red Herring from A Pup named Scooby Doo

It was always funny how little Freddie accused him of everything lol

I thought if I avoided the strip all week I would be rewarded on Sunday, oh well, at least Harry took a day off. So which Funky character will be featured this week?