Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for September 14, 2024

It looks like Batiuk remembered how old Amelia and Emily were before 2023 because they’re back to what they were in FW

So, Lester picked up all the copies of the book he wishes to distribute to his students from the burned-down bookstore in Westview, put them in the trunk of his car, and—with help from Mopey Pete & Min-dull and the Grady Twins—drove them to a bookstore several miles away in Centerville so that said students can at some point head out there—somehow—and get them from Lizard Lil? What a flawlessly uncomplicated plan! No wonder this guy has an Academy Award!

Also, what on Earth are Mopey and Mindy doing there? They’re neither students nor parents of students and should be busy running Montoni’s. How did they get roped into Lester’s shenanigans? And why do the twins—who were de-aged to tweens following Timemop’s 2022 retcon—appear today to be back to high school age? They were 11 or 12 when they were in this strip last year! Can Batiuk keep any part of his continuity intact as he goes all out for that elusive Pulitzer?

For some reason I want to know if the banned book list includes “The Stepford Wives.”

Mopey, your comic books were not banned. It’s just that nobody wanted to read them.

He already had the books in his car he could have just let the students open his trunk and take them out at the school

This just so preposteridiculudicrous.

How is Petey like turquoise jewelry, a shawl, or chained eyeglasses?

All are old lady accessories.

Since this is absurd, pointless, and nuts, while still appearing underhanded and sneaky, it is safely within the normal behavior of Les.

Say just because a books is not part of a syllabus in one little school, does it means that they is banned? Is not they available in shops and online orders? Why these clowns is taking half burnt books to sell em in another town? Of what use is books which ain’t part of a syllabus and not a single question from it is gonna appears in exams is even useful for students and why it even be teach in school by teacher when it not part of syllabus? What they gonna do when the whole batch of students is fails the examination because they was reads some book which not part of syllabus instead of book which is part of syllabus? What Less is gots some sortsa commission per book sold if he selling these books? Is Less goings to setting questions paper himself so he in full controls over them questions papers? He also leaking the questions paper information to students in return for a hefty bribe? Is that what this all really about? What this some sorta sneaky scam? Why else they telling them students to sneakily comes to another town away from theirs to gets em so called banned books eh? It’s called scamming?

These are Dinkle’s band books

3 blonde women, all with the same face and hairstyle. Are they related?

Two kids in Les’ class:

“So, did you read that dumb old book?”“Nah. I read the summary on the internet. Did you?”“Nah, I watched parts of a movie of it on YouTube.”

Shades of 1933, banned books—or burned. What many ameriKans want these days.

I have a theory about the twins and their variable age. Ever read the book Slaughterhouse-Five or see the movie “The Time Traveler’s Wife”? Like the heroes of these works, I think the twins have come unstuck in time. From their standpoint, today might be followed by sometime next year, the day after that by sometime before The Invasion. From our perspective they’re high school age one day, grade-schoolers the next, that pair of “Doublemint Twins” adults the day after that.

Must run in the (extended) family, as Mitch seems to suffer from the same problem.

Notice MoPete’s “I READ BANNED COMICS” shirt. In the Funkyverse, this statement has history. You can find the whole story at SoSF (meticulously researched by CBH, I believe), but the gist is that DSH John was arrested and charged when he had an “adults only” Japanese comic on display where children could reach it. Naturally the “trial” centered on “how comics changed my life” and not on whether DSH had broken a quite reasonable law, and he was of course fully “vindicated.”

The story is based on a real event that happened in Texas (by Batty’s own admission). The comic in question in the real world story was what’s called “tentacle porn,” a genre featuring graphic sexual activity involving slimy aliens and young women and girls. You will need a lot of brain bleach if you open one of these comics (or so says CBH; just reading Batiuk’s strips already maxes-out my brain bleach budget).

So when MoPete shows up in that shirt, we know what “banned comics” he reads. I wonder if Minty knows.

O’Malley. YOU are the bad actor here. lol

Tell anybody the book (or any type of media) is banned (or censored) and it’s a sure thing it’ll be watched or read. Like the “blue” movies being brought out in the late fifties when there were “X-ratings”. These were the most touted movies claiming to have “lots of sex” in them. But when you saw them – it was bogus and you felt foolish going to the movie. The French imports were the big draw but not much really happened in them but acting.

Anybody see Crankshaft in the park today? He was talking to the minnows in the pond. Or maybe whispering to an unseen contact!

Lemming of MI-5!

oh boy the canadian monk fish shows up for the first time in a month with the classic lol oh so funny lol say hello to mr clever lol

dq badmouthing crankshaft comment people over at luann

As would l my young friend…..

From today’s Comics Curmudgeon:

On Wednesday I compared legacy comic strip Funky Winkerbean to a parasitic snail. That comparison was mean-spirited and grossly unfair. I have heard and understood those to whom I’ve caused incalculable pain and harm. I am profoundly sorry, and extend my sincere apologies to parasitic snails everywhere.

Haha… watch the rickety stairs collapse from all the extra weight

How many students are in Les’s English class? It looks like they have enough books for the entire school.

Impressive. Assuming there are 10 books per box (considering it’s a paperback that’s reasonable), there must be over 120 kids taking this class. All the kids love Les.

These people need a life…………Crankshaft……had a life!!!!!

This is so poorly executed and lacks common sense. Commenters suggested Les distribute the books from the trunk of his car. That makes sense so of course, Batyuk doesn’t use that plot. Instead, they load Les’s trunk, drive all the way to another town, and unload the books at Lillian’s bookstore. So Les’s students are inconvenienced to find transportation to Lillian’s bookstore to pick up their free copy that could have been distributed in Westview. For a book that was on a “not recommended” list.

Why not distribute the books from Les’s trunk? Is there an obscure law in Ahia that requires books to be distributed in a bookstore? First, it was the Booksmeller now it’s the Village Booksmith. Les seems to be awfully selective about which rules he decides to follow.

The presence of the uber-dork Mopey Pete is the cherry on top. The t-shirt. His dorky enthusiasm. I had to laugh. Congratulations, Batyuk. I’m giving one of your strips a “like”.

Monday’s news: “Attempted arson at used bookstore!” But it turns out it was just Ed trying to barbecue.

A back-alley hand-WHAT?!

If you end up in jail, will you still be proud?

Where’s Cayla?

Plausible deniability? Polishing Best Actress Award Winner Les Moore’s Oscar? Operating the Dead Saint Lisa Museum?

Where’s Ed? He lives right next door to Lillian and her bookstore. Can’t Batty throw us a bone and show the cantankerous old bus driver? At this point, I’d settle for a friendly wave.

Ed Crankshaft, two appearances in 42 days!