Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for December 16, 2024

Does Crankshaft have any gifts to wrap?

Is this the point where the Syndicate says “It’s a wrap”?

PHEW! I got worried yesterday when the strip got hijacked from the Beloved Dinkle by some old guy in a red jacket! Now, we’re right where we need to be: FUNKYTOWN! With another Beloved Character, and a joke from 1992 Jay Leno. Any bets as to what she’s wrapping turns out to be Dinkle’s book, or “Lisa’s Story”?

You sure it’s not her “smirking” music?

“The Village Booksmith? I thought they burned that place down!”

So, no two consecutive days of Ed, just Lillian the Lizard and a “wrap/rap” joke that was first used by The Waitresses back in 1981. Wonderful.

Me, I’d be more concerned that for the last month it’s been snowing softball-sized blobs.

No, the cussing and vulgarities are coming from Ed, who ran out of tape and is using a hot glue gun.

Do bears wrap in the woods? Oh yes of wourse we does.

Why would a small operation like Lillian’s need TWO gift wrapping assistants? And why are they dressed like elves? They aren’t in a shopping mall.

Dang it, I was hoping Ed bought a wooden tree, it caught a huge fire that destroyed both Ed’s house and killed most of the cast. Then Batiuk can retitle this THE NEW ADVENTURES OF FUNKY WINKERBEAN and put this garbage out of misery.

Christmas music, or is Schroeder playing Beethoven?

Meanwhile down at ….

Oh nevermind.

Hitting bottom with this worn-out, lazy pun.

It’s called Make it Rain Kerosene from Fahrenheit 451.

Ah, Dinkle-free …

Best pun I’ve seen in a comic strip since I don’t know when.

I’m wondering… is this an attempt to make a joke about Spotify’s end-of-the-year “Wrapped” thing, where the streaming service tells you how dull and repetitive your listening choices were? Or is it a much older joke about hip-hop music?

Either way, where Batty’s concerned, we know the “c” in “wrap” is silent.

Ho…..Ho….Ho…….

ed is crying to mary worth while eating fresh baked muffins WHY IS LILLIAN IN THE STRIP MORE THEN ME !!!!!

My favorite strips have the blonde women, don’t bother to read the dialog. Reminds me of watching Charlie’s Angels with the sound turned off.

How about Murder in the Band Director’s Office for a book?

The music also repels Cranky from being a nuisance near Lillian.

As they would say in Hollywood, in a cheesy low budget movie, “That’s a wrap, put it in the can.”

“That music is nice… aren’t you glad we decided to skip that concert at the high school and spend the evening wrapping packages?”

“Oh yeah. Though it was kind of a no-brainer after they let that idiot Dinkle lead the band.”

I’m trying to decide how old the twins look this week. Are they in their twenties? High school? Middle school? Is one still married or has she gone back in time again?

Don’t these girls know any cool guys they could be hanging out with? It’s nice of them to help the old bat, but wouldn’t it be better to see a refreshing new story line? – fer instance – They are cruising with the cool guys in a souped-up jalopy when Crankshafts school bus runs through a stop sign (trying to outrun a group of mothers and schoolchildren) and plows into the jalopy.

Back to that stupid bookstore (eyeroll)

Holiday Hip-Hop