Is Frankie messing up their names on purpose? “David” from Darin, and “Josie” from Jess? What’s happening to Frankie’s head? It starts out big and seems to grow bigger in panels 2 and 3.
bobanero
May 20, 2013 at 9:03 am
So are we actually going to ever find out exactly who this Lenny guy is, or is he just going to continue lurking in the first panel of every strip for the rest of this story arc?
Well, at least one of our questions gets answered today: Lenny can talk. Whatever kind of “show” he’s talking about, Darin has clearly heard enough. Jess holds on to him as he starts heading for the exit with that curious strutting manner in which all men in the Funkiverse walk.
Son of Stuck Funky 
With his “that’s it, I’m outta here” stance in the last panel, Darin is the one coming across as a complete jerk. Is that the result you wanted, Mr. Batiuk?
That TomBat and his zany curveballs! None of us could have possibly guessed that Frankie and Lenny were actually TV producers, scouting locations for their new show, “America’s Most Depressing Places”. It all makes perfect sense now. They must be planning a feature about “the death of the American dream” featuring Boy Lisa and Jessica as the corpses.
One thing has been made crystal-clear this week so far: Lisa really like a good, solid smirk on a man, didn’t she?
Batyuck attempts to build-up a big dramatic story line with twists and suspense….but in the end it all comes down to nothing more then a wet brown paper bag filled with shit… I know I know…but it’s really great shit Mrs. Presky
Lenny “Gant?” Thought for sure BatPun would call him “Lenny Gro.” I’m disappointed.
The fucking up of names is already a stupid schtick. For one thing, this guy researched the people and the town to a tee. He knows the names. But — WHOOOPS! — BatYuck is doing an INSTANT RECON, and wants him to look uncaring by messing up everyone’s name.
So the scam du jour will involve putting on a show. This just gets jiver and jiver.
there making Westview Shore,like that Jersey Shore show only creepier an no shore
“Live from Montoni’s Pizzaria in Westview, Ohio, the gloom and doom capital of the world…it’s The Frankie the Rapist Show!!!! With Frankie the Rapist! Lenny Gant! The June Taylor Dancers! Harry Dinkle and his Orchestra! Art Carney! Sheila MacRae! This is Johnny Olson speaking.”
Merry Pookster, you are a genius!!! I just did a Danny Thomas spit-take when I read “wet brown paper bag full of shit”! The perfect description of Tom Batyuck’s opus nauseous.
Lenny…. if your trying to do a Maury Povich style ‘Whose Your Daddy”, show…. There three things your doing wrong.
1. It only works if the biological son actually is skeptical of his lineage. That way you can do the surprise DNA test result which results in all out family brawl on stage.
2. You need to do a better job of conning said son onto stage. Perhaps instead of actually having Franky present himself over a phone call. Maybe you might want to….I dunno actually do this in front of a camera, so you can catch his reactions!!! The face he makes in the header alone is worth a couple of nielsens.
3. You also might want to make sure you have women with bigger breasts involved for the obligatory T & A. Obviously no one in Westview has any interest in improving the physical appearances. Though who can blame them. I guess the one plastic surgeon in Westview is too busy on masectomy reconstructions.
I hope choosing Montoni’s for a location shoot puts to bed those suspicions of Franky and Lenny being involved in the pornography business. Even porn must have some shred of dignity.
Darin is just going to powerwalk his ass out of there.
Tee hee hee hee! He keeps getting everybody’s name wrong! This is comedy gold, Batiuk! I can’t wait for Freddie and Lefty to meet Lars, Thumper, Greasy Larry, Duckbill Joe and the whole gang at Montego’s Pizzeria!
I can’t wait for FTR to mispronounce Funky Winkerbean.
I’m sure if Darin explained to Funky that this man was a stalker/rapist, Funky would turn down the idea of filming there… Which is why I know he won’t.
Batiuk seems to have forgotten the single most important rule of story telling: Show, don’t Tell.
This isn’t the most perfect example, but it still fits because in his efforts to make it clear that Frank is a villain he has never shown Frank doing anything actually villainous or wrong. Forgetting people’s names? That isn’t Showing him being a villain, that’s effectively Telling us ‘assume he’s a villain because he’s impolite’.
With his “that’s it, I’m outta here” stance in the last panel, Darin is the one coming across as a complete jerk.
Are you kidding me? Durwood is the only character who’s got a grip on this…Bio-Dad has shown himself to be a turd on two feet, and Dagwood is outta here…truth is, he never shoulda got in there.
And, uhhh, Pookster, I liked the nod to Firesign Theatre!
I can’t believe it. He really is going to have Jessica’s gullibility, vanity and greed be the thing that makes this happen. Darin would have walked away if it weren’t for his stupid wife who was stupid and behaved stupidly.
It’s one of those traps bad writers fall into. It’s as if Batiuk doesn’t realize that he can have complications and have circumstances change according to the plot’s needs. Nope, Frankie’s stupidly, transparently evil, and he doesn’t fool Darin for a second. So he needs to put more stupidity on the pile because he’s got to tell the story he evidently has no interest in telling. He either doesn’t want to devote the attention he’d need to make Frankie convincingly nefarious, or he’s simply not capable of doing so. Or, there’s a third way: He has such a low opinion of women that he genuinely thinks that this is a reasonable alternative.
Since I am old, I promptly flashed to one of those old Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland movies. “Hey kids! Let’s put on a show in the pizza barn!”
@MKay – so did I. I’m not sure what that says about TB’s writing except that it not very “contemporary .”
Look out Duck Dynasty! My Unpleasant Estranged Son is coming to your time slot.
Pilot episode: Two Smirks, a Blonde, and a Pizza Place… with special guest stars Les Moore, John Byrne’s pool cleaner, and a guy who may or may not be related to former Braves all-star Ron Gant.
“Lisa’s Story – The Birth Of A Death Cult”…a new documentary film by Pierce/Gant Productions. Our documentarians blow the lid off Les Moore’s “death cult” and the shameless marketing surrounding his wife’s illness and death fifteen years ago, while tearing down the “Lisa myth” and exposing her for the hard-partying young hell-cat she once was. Narrated by Gary Busey.
I’m holding out for “Lisa’s Story: The Musical”. It should be a guaranteed flop. All I need is to find a bunch of rich old ladies to finance it.
The film BROADCAST NEWS made the important point that those who misrepresent themselves to further their own ends are not obviously evil.
They work hard at being charming, personable, engaging and appealing.
I’m calling it now: Far from being flattered at Frankie’s attention, Tom’s going to retcon it that pure, perfect Lisa never even wanted to go on a date with him, he and a teenaged version of “Lenny” here drugged and forced her every step of the way!
Yeesh.
@ Jeffcoat Wayne-
the “Springtime for Cancer” number will rivet them.
Holy Cow…. Lenny is Cayla’s Brother….. He just turned into a Caucasian like her.
Gimme a break
it’s going to be a crappy-ass reality show, isn’t it? Something about a man who made mistakes trying to do right by the son he never knew.
C****t what an asshole
Maybe Frankie and Lenny are documentary producers, and want to do “Lisa’s Story” as a documentary before Les and his dramatized version get all the money.
Sorry I’m late, but how did Lenny get a “race lift”?
Yeah, WTF is up with that? I could’ve sworn that dude was dark-skinned as recently as yesterday, was he not?