Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for December 15, 2024

You know, it shouldn’t be that big a deal when the character a comic strip is named for and supposedly about makes a physical appearance in said strip. That being said, WELCOME BACK, ED! You have no idea how much you’ve been missed after two smirk-filled weeks of Dinkleberg. And you know what else? Your punchline today was pretty good. Please tell me you’ll be doing your “Santa drunk on rumballs” routine this coming week and we won’t have to endure Smuggy McSmugface for a while.

It’s as if SkyNet became self-aware, looked at the world and hit the snooze alarm.

There’s Crankshaft!

The trees already been cut so you might as well buy it.

If the tree is too tall Ed will cut a hole in the ceiling to make it fit in.

Tradition!

Just off panel, Linus Van Pelt asks “Gee, do they still make wooden comic strips?”.

Come on Cranky. This is the age of artificialness. Artificial intelligence, artificial peoples, artificial concerns, artificial theenking, artificial feelings, artificial smiles, artificial tears, artificial foods, and all kindsa artificial cra… Well a artificial little tree ain’t no beeg deal now see.

The first 2 “throwaway panels” are actually pretty good. The others are so lame that even Tom can’t muster “last panel smirks.”

Ed Crankshaft … have chainsaw … will travel … usually to the emergency room.

Why didn’t anybody thing to bring a tape measure? That way they would be able to find a tree that fits.

You can always make a real tree shorter.

Welcome back Ed. Hope you didn’t get indigestion from two weeks down at the Dale Evans.

Crankshaft, Christmas and a Sunday strip. Tradition finally returns.

i once left my Christmas tree up for 9 years

Since this is the age of saving the environment, it would be beneficial to save the trees we have and go artificial. There are very life-like artificial trees now that do cost a lot but, in the long run, it saves money and, in some cases, aggravation and frustration with falling needles and putting on lights. Of course, this is a small town of Centerville and there are die-hard traditionalist living here so I guess Pam loses this argument and a real tree will be had.

Artificial trees also don’t need to be watered, and don’t leave a trail of pine needles on the floor.

please remember the guidelines only pleasent and clever comments or i will have a hissy fit LOL

Measure twice…..cut once!!!!!

And Ed are you going to follow the old fashioned tradition of putting the tree up on Christmas ever and leaving it up for ONLY the 12 days of Christmas and take it down on Epiphany, or are you going to do the full blown, just for show American thing and put the thing at Thanks giving and leave it up until mid January so it gets so dry that it will possibly self combust and burn the house down?

Ahhhhh Christmas traditions……

Attaboy Cranky…nothing beats tradition……

I live in an apartment complex where we can’t have real trees. Can’t say I really miss it. The last time I had a real tree, it was such a pain to keep it watered and sweep up the needles.

Why not let Charlie Brown pick out your tree? d;o)

Is Crankshaft back?

I have become Crankshaft, destroyer of wordplay.

Crankshaft traditions live on!!

Or, you could measure the space you plan on putting the tree, and, measure the trees on the lot that interst you. But that makes to much sense for Ed.

I have one small fake Christmas tree and strung up with lights. All I do is bring it up from the basement and set it on a table and plug it in. No decorations on it at all. When I am done for the year I unplug it and bring it back down in the basement. Simple, bada bing badda boom. And no I never had the cannoli either