In today’s strip we see the rare Montoni’s customer in its natural habitat. It was believed by many that these rare creatures had become extinct in the early 2010s. They are still sighted occasionally, as we see today, but such appearances are increasingly uncommon. In fact, Montoni’s customers are seen less often these days than Barney Google, Annie Warbucks, and Irma the diner waitress from Garfield.
It is easy to see why the Montoni’s customer is on the verge of extinction, their natural habitat is an extremely hostile environment. Nearly-inedible food, abysmal service, regular appearances by coffee-gulping comic store employees and that guy with the goatee, and now frequent power outages. Those few Montoni’s customers who remain are sullen and churlish, ultimately accepting of their fate of eating a loaf Sunbeam drizzled with store-brand olive oil in lieu of what they ordered but not entirely resigned to it.
Son of Stuck Funky 
It’s really got to suck being a Montoni’s customer. I’m sure every time you go in there, you have to wait five-ten minutes for Funky to get done discussing Starbuck Jones with Harry and John. Or complaining about his decrepit body to Les. Or Les making his friends apologize for everything.
Wow, one of the weakest wordplay-based gags I’ve ever seen. I bet this joke went over well when BanTom used it when the power failed at that pizza place of his, however his pals and well-wishers were most likely just being polite.
If power outages are frequent in Westview because of the supplier, why doesn’t Montoni’s have a backup generator? Or is the real problem that the wiring in the store is substandard and Funky can’t or won’t bring in an electrician?
Well a real pizzeria would have a wood fired oven so…
Ah, but Montoni’s has a band box, just like Luigi’s in Akron, so wow, golly gee…give Batty that golden t square already.
I’m much more interested in why the power’s randomly going out. It’s not like it’s storming or anything.
And are the customers just going to sit there in the dark, until the power (maybe) comes back on? That pizza cannot be that good.
Looks like the mentality of being a passive little sheep isn’t merely confined to Moore’s social circle but to Westview at large.
Rachel: “Sorry about the power. It happens a lot. You can sit there until it comes back on, though. Don’t know when that will be.”
Customer: [querulous huffy voice] “Well! Waiting in the dark for an hour! *huff* I guess going to another restaurant or heading back home isn’t an option! *huff huff* Looks like we’ll just starve with the lights out.”
Rusty Shackleford: This occurred to me as well. “Montoni’s: Home Of The Electrically-Fried Pie!”. What, they don’t serve sandwiches or salads either? “No sir, we only serve pizza here, cooked to perfection in out state of the art electric pizza oven”. It’s insane.
I’m no expert, but it seems to me power grids are very stable these days. I don’t think wiring is the issue. Judoing by how few customers visit, I’m guessing Funky never pays the bill on time..
I might want to try some of that electrified pizza, though.
Here, we have passive sheeple waiting for terrible pizza because they don’t have any other options. On the other side, we have the ritual beefing about how evil the city of New York is from a man who associates it with evil comic book people telling him that he couldn’t write a grocery list.
Umm…Funky? I get that it’s frustrating and all, but was it QUITE necessary to position your body that way??
You know it’s Sunday at Montoni’s when Rachel is blonde.
Most of the comments here have been about how power grids a very stable and how unlikely the power would just go out. Both are very valid points which TB could have addressed in one of those wasted panels by just showing a thunder storm and mentioning how bad it was.
Of course he could have also addressed it with a bit self awareness (oh DOlz, like that would ever happen), and had Rachel in the last panel saying, “Sorry about that we’re having trouble making the ends meet since most of our business is a couple of losers nursing a single cup of coffee and I guess the power bill didn’t get payed this month … again”.
Montoni’s! You’ll come for the tilty tables! You’ll stay for the hilarious power outages! In panel 2 mom and son are tipping the table over onto dad and sis. The table legs were sold to help pay the electric bill, and the customers balance the table top on their knees. While waiting for service they play an amusing game of “tip the table”. Whoever ends up with a lap full of place mats, salt and pepper shakers, and a napkin dispenser loses! Extra points if you’ve already been given water, with bonus points for hot coffee or tea.
Someone needs a refresher course in 2 point perspective.
Just did an informal survey ot ten pizza places in my town, and based on what their websites say at least, not a single one is advertising electrified pizza! How dare they call themselves artisans!
PS to @ian’sdrunkenbeard I cracked up when I read your comment. Same thing I thought when I saw the strip. WTF, Batiuk?!? It may be called “writing” but it sure ain’t “drawing”. Or do you not pay those pencillers in the third world country where you ship Sunday strips off to (no way is Sunday done by the person doing weekly strips) enough to be able to afford basic art lessons?
“Cr@p! The power’s out again. They must have had another execution over at the state pen.”
You know the customer isn’t a regular character because no one’s pictured smirking at his “joke.”
That little girl in the last panel: the shading is such that it might be a neutral expression, but on first glance I thought “that kid is seriously pissed-off at her dad’s stupid, stupid pun”.
Batiuk is a brick-drawing fiend, but we should add tables to the ever-longer list of thing he knows naught about.
I think the Ohio Power Company just designates Westview as a low priority for their grid. After all, Montoni’s and Comics Korner are the only damn business in the town. They can do their rolling blackouts in Westview.