Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for September 10, 2023

Don’t worry, Ed, I’m sure you’ll be there for the Apocalypse, not matter how hard Batiuk works to keep you off-stage.

No matter how many times you have your characters utter the phrase “Climate Damage”, it’s not something which actual humans say, Tom.

(Thanos nervously glances at Darkseid): “Your new friend the Antichrist is kinda weirding me out!”

Not to fear, Ed, you won’t miss it!!!

The end of mankind might seem like an apocalypse to us, but from the Earth’s point of view, it could be described as the end of an error.

If you want to proselytize about “climate damage,” maybe don’t use as your mouthpiece the character who drives a diesel school bus, gardens with a flame thrower and starts massive blazes every time he has a cookout.

From Book Club drivel to climate “damage” nonsense.

GOD Bless America! HIS Eagle Will Soar Again!

Timing.

Climate damage is actually down. Might want to pick a name that facts don’t support.

Don’t forget Cruciversary2K in 2034 when Jesus comes back.

Sorry, Crank. The world doesn’t start and end at your door, old fool.

Now this uplifting humor is why I come to the comics!

Climate damage….they are way ahead…name change….always happens every few years…..changing the name is not going to change the perspective. Bunch of ole dinosaurs at the diner.

What does it matter if the world ends, when it’ll be recreated a moment later?

There are some scientists warning of a possible Ice Age.

\\//_

Ed DOES have a point, but then climate change does not exist. Just ask the Orange Pumpkin. The one with MANY criminal charges pending.

More even than the orange one, I hate Sandra Day O’Connor who single-handedly gave the 2000 election to W. — President Gore would have started the battle against climate change 23 years ago.

Crankshaft is his own man! The book club just reads the same book over and over again.

Why does Batiuk keep using the term climate damage? NObody calls it climate damage. It’s climate CHANGE.

It’s funny because Ed wants everyone to die with him.

Climate Damage is a serious threat!! We need a few more global summits where world leaders can fly in in private jets, and travel in big motorcades of gas-guzzling SUVs, so they can tell us it’s the US’s fault and ignore China being the world’s worst polluter, and tell all us little guys we can’t cook or heat with natural gas and have to drive an electric car.

While it’s nice to see Ed Crankshaft again, why is it almost always with his backside bio-fused to a Dale Evans booth? Is it just me, or is Coffee Club is almost as dull as Book Club?

Didn’t Ed bother with a garden this year?

As long as I can have my omnibus editions of classic komix delivered to me I’m fine with climate damage.

War and war games calculate the chance of success by the ability of the players to recognize the opponent. When you get to the 50% level, it is too late. Climate change has gotten to the 20% of idiots that can’t see it.

Two other points that I want to bring up:

1) There are a non-zero number of people out there for which today’s strip is literally their truth. They believe that the end times are within our lifetime and they actively want to see it happen. As Steve Dallas alluded to in a prior comment, it actually would be within Crankshaft’s character to be one such person. But since this is Tom Batiuk’s writing, we can’t be sure if Crankshaft’s words today are meant to be taken as a joke or not.

2) I would advise anyone to not fall into the trap in engaging in any kind of discussion about climate science in response to this strip. If there can be anything one can say that Tom Batiuk is actually good at, it is creating comic strips which use a lot of words to say absolutely nothing of substance nor take any kind of debatable stance, and everyone else fills in the void with their responses. Therefore, he looks like he is some kind of genius artistic provocateur with his strips because of the “engagement” which comes as a result – even though “we” are doing the heavy lifting of actually providing the data and debate which the strip itself deftly avoids. Don’t give him that power and satisfaction. If you want to have that kind of discussion and debate today or any day, I would advise to not do it here.

Ask A.O.C. how much more time you have left. She’s never been right yet.

“This is how the world ends… Not with a bang… or a whimper… but with a bad pun and a smirk.” —Tom Batiuk

Bring your camera.

Wow that was dark

Gotta say, the reactions to this strip and “climate damage” are exactly what I would expect. The people who’ve let Exxon convince them that climate change isn’t happening are the same people who think Crankshaft is funny.

The climate is always changing. It’s mostly due to that big yellow thing in the sky.

Haha! (＾▽＾)