Barking Up a New Tree

67 thoughts on “Barking Up a New Tree”

1. Pretty good character dive on Bulk, but I’m somewhat disappointed that Chien or Mooch Myers didn’t get a character dive this time around (Bulk isn’t that interesting to me compared to both Chien and Mooch)

   1. 😉

   2. Mooch Meyers came up in my retelling of the burnings. He’ll figure into the next installment. Not a deep dive, but a revisiting at least.

2. The irritating thing is that he took back getting over feeling insecure around athletes.

3. Those are some dreadful strips. What did a football player do to him? We didn’t have that kind of rivalry when I was in high school. Heck, the football team used to come to the band parties because ours were more fun. Maybe others had issues like Batty, but I never did. I never thought about them, and they didn’t think about me. But Batty has some deep resentment.

   1. And if we did have issues like this, we got over them by age 20 or so. Batiuk lets them define him and his life’s work at age 78. It’s sad, honestly.

   2. It’s almost like he enjoys football, but hates himself for it, and always mocks it in the strip as some sort of warped, deranged penance. Even after he went to great lengths to rehabilitate Bull, he couldn’t keep himself from repeatedly kicking away at him, even after he was freaking dead.

      1. I’m guessing Christopher Meloni would give him a fatal case of cognitive dissonance. Unstabler is a jock AND a fanboy and asks “What dichotomy?”

      2. Yes, he gushes over sports and invests time and energy in them—not my thing, but nothing wrong with that.

         I could be wrong, but I think Summer was the only jock to be portrayed in a positive light.

      3. When somebody finally asked Batiuk why he became a Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan, he said something to the effect of “because there were no NFL games due to labor stoppage.” This was in 2011, which resulted in a grand total of one NFL game not being played. And that was the exhibition Hall of Fame game, which is the first week of August.

         You have to be pretty addicted to football to need a substitute for the Hall of Fame Game. Especially when your team isn’t even playing! (It was Rams-Bears.)

         I ran a football gambling community for a few years. This is the kind of game we would playfully call each other “degenerates” for having any interest in. As with his comic books, Tom Batiuk’s rather extreme level of fandom hints at something darker.

4. Interesting to discover Batty’s history of forgetting names for his characters, (but forging on regardless) stretches back this far.

   If it weren’t for the title of the strip constantly reminding Batiuk what his lead character was called, he may have morphed him into Funky Wockenfuss, then Frankie Funkenhaus, and finally — as the universe always intended — Skunky Funkybuns.

5. I suppose it’s possible that Stonehead and Marblehead are different characters, since they have different designs (the nose in particular is vastly different between the two; Stonehead has a wide, flat nose, while Marblehead has a thin, pointy nose). On the other hand, Batiuk completely forgetting what a character is supposed to look like is also on-brand, so who even knows? (Do we ever get to see Ironhead on-panel?) (I wonder if Batiuk wanted to call him “Blockhead”, but then decided that inviting comparisons to Peanuts wasn’t in his best interests?)

   Bulk, at least, seems like he was (or could have been) an interesting character, the sporto who was also smart and decent… so of course he had to get shuffled off and ignored.

   1. Ironhead is an off-panel nightmare. Like the dark twisted mirror of Charlie Brown’s Little Red Haired Girl.

   2. Quite possible there were several different Morton brothers with different nicknames. TB did once explicitly write that there were multiple Wedgeman brothers over the years, so we know he likes the idea of interchangeable jock siblings.

6. Today’s Crankshaft

   I dont know why but Crank’s malaproper in today’s strip was painful to read

7. In the “senior class trip” Sunday page, why does Bulk have a huge antenna coming out of his ear–an antenna that just happens to match the edge of the building?

   1. I think that Bulk’s wearing headphones

8. So FW had four sets of WHS characters over its fifty-year run. The original gang, the Act II Darin/Pete/Jessica class, the Summer/Cory/Owen/Cody class, then the short-lived Bernie class. It got me to wondering, how many different WHS student characters had speaking lines in FW’s run? It has to be at least fifty or sixty, right? And it’s kind of amazing how few of them I even remember.

   1. More than four by my count.

      You’ve got the Act I crew, though that gradually changed over the twenty years of Act I. Early Act I students like Livinia, Roland, and Mary Sue Sweetwater disappeared and were replaced with late comers like Barry Balderman, and Cindy Summers.

      From 92-98 we got the Wally, Becky, Sadie, Monroe, Susan Class.

      From 98-07 we got the Darin, Pete, Jess, Chien, Mooch Class.

      Beginning of Act III we’ve got the Summer, Keisha, Maddie, Cory class. They graduate in 2012.

      The Owen, Cody, and Alex class overlaps with them, but is younger. They’re freshmen in 09, and graduate in 2016.

      Then you have the last class with Bernie, ‘Thatsnought’ Malcom, Emily and Amelia, and Logan. They overlap with the Cody and Owen class for a year, and graduate in 22.

      1. I agree. Despite the handful of overlaps, I generally regard FW to have had 6 distinct classes/generations of high school students in those exact groupings. I also found it interestingly peculiar how TB created more new generations of high schoolers in Act II and then Act III while simultaneously spending less and less time depicting them.

         1. I always maintained that trying to go real-time in Act III was a terrible idea, and it is interesting to see that most of the other generations had roughly twice the time to run than the golden child Summer’s class.

            I imagine he had notes for himself (& Ayres) on the others but the website profiles of the cast at the beginning of Act III gave me the impression he put more thought into that group, yet he burned through them and then discarded the real-time conceit. Madness.

         2. I missed the Susan Smith class, for the most part. I pondered whether Summer and Kiesha were part of the Owen/Cody class, and I can see why they are not. I mean, Owen and Cody had like four or five more years after Summer graduated, so there is that.

9. A bit of a tangent, but Anime News Network has a review of the series Grisaia: Phantom Trigger The Animation, (based on the visual novel) and… well, the review almost makes it sound like Batiuk is writing anime now…

   It’s almost impressive how simultaneously over- and under-explained this series can be. How do you even do that? Was that intentional, or a complete accident? Whether they want to or not, most series that fall into either camp are firmly in that camp. It’s not often one encounters an anime that, against all odds, can “accomplish” doing both at once. I’d be in awe if I wasn’t so profoundly bored by Phantom Trigger.

   This anime has two settings when trying to set up a storyline: either telling the audience virtually nothing and hoping they just roll with it, or giving us every imaginable piece of information short of everyone’s social security number. As if that wasn’t frustrating enough, little—if any—of this excess information is generally even relevant. So either way, you’re left confused about what’s going on. It makes this whole show, which sounds like it should be so exciting, so sleep-inducingly boring.

   It’s this dichotomy of the over and under explained that many of the rest of Phantom Trigger‘s issues stem from: poor writing, characters who don’t always feel like they make sense, a sense that you have no idea why things are happening the way they are—you get the idea. I’d say it’s directly responsible for all but one: to an even further extent than previous Grisaia entries, it’s like this series is aggressively trying too hard to meet an edginess quota. The problem isn’t an abundance of edge—the problem is how forced it often comes off as. It’s like Phantom Trigger is constantly and arbitrarily trying to pile misery upon excess misery onto its protagonists, and crucially, doing so without giving the audience a reason to care about those same characters since we barely learn anything else about them.

   It’s not just me, is it? That really does sound like some of the major complaints against Batiuk’s “it’s called writing”, right?

   (The full review is here: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/grisaia/phantom-trigger-the-animation/anime-series/.223347 )

   (Hmmm… I suppose one could use Ren’py to make a Funky Winkerbean visual novel. Could be like Doki Doki Literature Club, only really warped and twisted… might have to look into that…)

   1. No, you’re right: that very much sounds like a criticism of the Funkyverse.

10. Today’s Crankshaft

    GODDAMNIT NOT ANOTHER SIDEWAYS STRIP

    1. GODDAMNIT NOT ANOTHER COMIC BOOK COVER

       1. Now, now, this is an actual book cover, the face of Lizard Lil’s latest whodunit (or, in her case, “whydoit”). On the other hand, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see LIl showing up at the Atomik Komix offices one day to sign a deal to make “graphic novel” adaptations of her oeuvre.

          1. It looks like the cover of a bad young adult novel. As if Lillian is writing Dollar General’s answer to the Goosebumps franchise. Or one of those crappy AI books that are all over Amazon now. The bad design, the spoopy Halloween cliches, the compound fracture of a title, and L. McKenzie’s pretentiousness all scream “amateur hour.”

    2. forgot to wish everyone a happy easter so happy belated easter everyone

11. Ah yes, what a wonderful Easter Sunday comic strip: Putting bookstores in the sacrificial role of Jesus or something as the strip indulges in back-patting continuity shoutouts.

    Y’know I’m really finding myself thinking about the storyline in retrospect as current affairs gets me frazzled up, and if I can say one thing in regards to that, the Funkyverse missed a step by not making a library a central location to any storylines. That would arguably be more at the forefront of “banned books” talk, tbh, that’s where most book ban arguments happen at as opposed to freakin’ bookstores. Or does it have to be bookstores in danger just as a vehicle for the strip to be able to still advertise “Les’s” Lisa books and “Batton’s” “Three O’Clock High” comic collections?

12. Today’s Crankshaft

    I have no idea what’s going on in today’s strip

    1. Theories that have been suggested so far, including some of my own:

       • This was supposed to be the 4-20 strip, and Pam’s high.
       • This was supposed to be the Easter strip, and Pam has stigmata.
       • This was supposed to be a tribute to the death of Pope Francis, which Batiuk somehow predicted exactly 11 months in advance, a la the Skunky Funkybuns 9-11 strip.
       • This is the beginning of the Pete-Mindy marriage arc, and Pam feels it in her ring finger or something, because all women have Spidey-sense for marriages.
       • Pam finally murdered Ed, and this was supposed to be the “out out damned spot” scene from MacBeth, but the strips are out of order.
       • This has something to do with comic books.
       • This is something dumber than any of that.

       1. Banana Jr. 6000 wrote: This is something dumber than any of that.

          I know which way I’m betting. (With a bet on “this has something to do with comic books” to cover.)

          1. I’m just not sure what “dumber than comic books” would be. It’s like betting the Super Bowl will be won by “a team shittier than the Browns.”

             1. In a world of uncertainty, I have confidence in Batiuk’s unwavering commitment to find new and dull ways to be extremely uninteresting. Can he do “dumber than comic books”? I say, of course! Hey, he just spent a week on a bus rodeo of epic stupidity…

       2. And the correct answer was… nothing! Sheesh, we should have guessed that.

          1. This is Batiuk. The new dumb thing and/or the comic books will reveal themselves. Kick back, relax, and let the saga unfold tomorrow, and tomorrow and the tomorrow after that….

             1. I’m going to continue to assume Pam finally murdered that bastard Ed Crankshaft, since that’s the only sensible explanation for we’ve seen so far. I will keep assuming Ed is dead until the strip says otherwise. Today, Jeff suggests going in public, so he and Pam can be seen by others before Ed’s corpse is found. Smart move.

             2. Only flaw in this theory: it’s interesting.

13. “Look at my hands. They’re old man’s hands. How did that happen?” Doctor Who did it better and at least Old Billy had the good graces to die shortly afterward. You think Pam will show us that sort of consideration? I very much doubt it.

    And I just saw Sunday’s strip. One more regret to add to my growing pile.

14. I don’t even remember Bulk Dombrowski…??

    I must have been living someplace where the local paper didn’t carry FW at the time…

15. RE: Tues. 4/22’s C’Shaft:

    Umm, did Jff forget that his son and daughter-in-law manage a movie theatre, so they could get free admission and then get frisky in the back row of an undoubtedly empty Valentine?

    “Okay, honey, let’s take in a movie. What’s playing?” “Err, ‘Manos: The Hands of Fate‘ and ‘A Wrinkle in Time.'” “You son of a…”

    1. We recently saw Mindy pick up and order a pizza from Montoni’s, apparently forgetting that she and Pete now own the place. So, yeah, I can believe that Jeff simply forgot his child owns a movie theater. Or that Tom Batiuk forgot both these things.

16. Today’s Crankshaft

    Pam and Jeff are going to the Valentine for a movie, I know it

17. Okay, I did an FAFO and I gave myself a 2 week time out, hopefully we can just move on?

    What the heck is THIS?

    https://tombatiuk.com/komix-thoughts/the-ray/

    “Back when I was in the seventh grade, I created a character I called The Ray. The story was a mash-up between Tarzan, Congo Bill and old fashioned science fiction. An ape in the jungle is struck by a ray of light and is transported to a prison ship in space. Thanks to the strip mining (pun intended)…”

    Bloom: “What pun?” Bialystock: “Shut up, he thinks he’s witty.”

    Because “The Ray” is a name no one but Chief Tommy could ever come up with. Some guy in 1940 stole it from him! But he gets humble and simply says “Along with this cool find was the added coinkydink that we had both chosen prison settings for our stories. Once again, great minds. At least, that’s what I’m going with.”

    Tom Dialog: “There’s a body in here!” “Like I said, I told you so.” “B-but–Were did it come from” “I dunno” (punctuation as written) Then some unreadable Tom panels. Next we see the cover of SMASH Comics (and only the cover, of course!), which includes not just the beloved The Ray, but other characters cleverly named, like pilot Wings Wendall, a spy named “Espionage,” and Bozo the Robot.

    Bozo.

    “coinkydink.” The last time I heard that, it was said by Shari Lewis’ LambChop.

    1. Batton Lash’s Supernatural Law ran a story called “The Co-Inkydinks.” It’s a very clever satire on Stephen King. (Stevie Gink, take a bow!)

       I’ve known of the Ray since I was in fifth grade when DC reprinted one of his adventures in the “flying heroes” Super-Spectacular (Superman #252).

       A year later, he and five other Quality super-heroes (known as the Freedom Fighters) appeared in the annual JLA/JSA team-up in Justice League of America (#107-08).

       And he’s just now learning that there was a Ray in the 1940s? DC created three other Rays in 1992, 2006 and 2011!

       Oh, well, it’s probably too painful for him to remember that 1966 issue of Captain Marvel (#4) in which the android Captain* who was neither the World’s Mightiest Mortal nor a Kree warrior fought a character called the Ray, who’d originally been called the Bat.

       (Jeremiah was a bullfrog, but Tinyman was the District Attorney.)

       For all of his love of super-heroes, Batiuk doesn’t seem to have a good grip on their history; however, in his defense, I will close with this story.

       In 1960, editor Julius Schwartz asked writer John Broome to bring a Plastic Man-like character into The Flash. Broome created the Elongated Man, and as someone who’s liked Ralph Dibny since I first saw his nose twitching in a story about a money tree, I have no problems with that.

       But what neither Schwartz nor Broome realized was that they didn’t have to create a Plastic Man-like character. DC had Plastic Man himself, having acquired him and other Quality properties in 1956.

       *

       He had a magic word of sorts, but it was “Split!” It allowed him to detach and send his body parts into individual action and owed nothing to Saturn, Pluto, Laocoon, Iasion and Tiresias, the way “Shazam” does to Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury.

       May your moley always be holy!

    2. It’s like he’s still auditioning for that comic book job. And he thinks his childhood scribbles prove his ability to do real professional work.

       Also: SEVENTH GRADE????? This looks like the work of a 7-year-old, maybe. It’s too bad Maddox isn’t still active: I’d love to see the “I Am Better Than Your Kids” take on it.

       1. The Ray is like a crash course in Tomming.

          The Concept: We could argue till we’re blue in our Dinkles as to whether “Tarzan in Space” is a stupider and less sustainable concept than “Rip Tide: SCUBA COP!” (RIP: “Curse the foul fiend who stole all of Moncton’s herring! He knows my only weakness is–LOW TIDE!” (sploosh sploosh as Rip morosely trudges along tidal pools in his scuba flippers) Does Space Tarzan fly from jungle planet to jungle planet fighting Space Rhino poachers? I guess we’ll never know, because

          Clarity in Writing: “There’s a body in here!” Whose body? The apeman? Why does the spaceship want apemen? Then follows the Tom-est of all dialog: “Like I said, I told you so.” He’s not just doing the opposite of “Show, don’t tell,” it’s “Tell don’t show about telling and not showing.” I’m surprised Bats didn’t claim he invented “meta” when he was 12. Did he also invent the movie “Memento”? How many times did that first guy get told, YAH, a body, jeez man, it’s right there. Spray some Febreze or whatever.

          The Art: We get 2 exterior shots of the spaceship, and in the second one–is that the ship’s front or back? Next, THE RAY in all his lipsticked glory. It’s hacky, but Tom was only 12–oh, that’s the fine Louis Fine art. Next, page 2, and the Tomliest dialog of ever: “Yeah and I’m right across from the door so I certainly would’ve seen if they did.” Drawing a door opening, whew, that’s too much work!

          The story: How the fuck should I know? Is the “body” the apeman, now dressed as Robocop (“LOOK! A gun.”)? And…is that last bit a sound effect? It reads like “Good Tush.” He’d need an actual ass for that to make sense, but maybe Tom hates hot asses as much as the 9 Chickweed perv hates chins.

          “YAAA” “HMMmmm”

          It’s that “Fine” art again, as The Ray dislocates both his shoulders and maybe his head as fights 2 Satans. Not sure who that guy in the hood is, but given the disdain on his mug he’s “Risible Justice.” “Crimeny, dude, beating up guys with coat hangers for hands?! I, the mighty RISIBLE JUSTICE, declare this lame-o.”

          To conclude: Incomprehensible plot, bad art, dialog no one would ever say, and it doesn’t end, it just stops. And yet, DC and Marvel turned him down. Here’s to 50 future years of Funky Glory!

18. Many people here agree that, in recent years, the comic strip Crankshaft has devolved into a zombie comic strip. The main difference between Crankshaft and a typical zombie comic strip is that Tom Batiuk is still alive.

    Lately, Crankshaft has become as dull as dishwater. Not funny. Not much happens. Blah, blah, blah. Talk, talk, talk. Dull, dull, dull.

    It’s been a while since we’ve seen Ed do “Crankshaft things” like running over Keesterman’s mailbox or destroying Loathsome Lil’s property. The present strip has sunk to levels below Beetle Bailey or Blondie bad. It has fallen to the level of Hi & Lois dullness. Both strips now deliver day after day of unfunny and often indecipherable humor. We often ask ourselves, where’s the joke? Instead of Hiram Flagston’s obsession with his golf clubs, we are forced to witness Ed’s obsession with Beans’s End or Jeff Murdoch’s obsession with comic books.

    The only existing level lower will be the dreaded Marvin level. Crankshaft will further devolve into a comic strip featuring Ed’s bodily excretions. Like Jenny changing Marvin, Ed will count on Pam to change his adult diaper. When Ed misbehaves, Pam will make him sit in the corner. Marvin has his baby carriage, and soon Ed will be transported via a wheelchair. Like Marvin’s indeterminate education level between nursery school and the first grade, Ed’s cognitive abilities will come and go, allowing him to spend time at home and the Bedside Manor. We will alternatively witness Ed speaking verbally and also telepathically with thought bubbles like Marvin. Dan Davis’s half-assery reaches new levels as he copies and pastes Ed’s head over Marvin’s on old Marvin strips. What a coincidence that TB will soon sink to the level of mediocrity as his former John Darling illustrator?

    I’d also like to point out, that as terrible as the Marvin comic strip is, The Comics Kingdom and other websites celebrated the 40th anniversary of the strip. Funky Winkerbean‘s 50th anniversary came and went without a peep from the Comics Kingdom or Batiuk’s peers. I’d like to know what that was all about.

    1. Perhaps they knew that it was ending with its fiftieth anniversary and saw no reason to “hail” when they would have to “farewell” a few months later?

       Ave atque vale only goes so far.

       The Romans used to say “de mortuis nil nisi bonum” (of the dead, say nothing but good), and perhaps the industry thought it best not to say anything about the dying.

       Ms. Lith wants you all to know that the 40th anniversary is the Ruby Anniversary.

       1. Anniversary recognitions don’t have to be organized by the syndicate. Remember when Charles Schulz died? He got a ton of warm tributes from all over. Other strips got nods from creators when they ended or hit major anniversaries. Funky Winkerbean got absolutely nothing. Not a press release from the syndicate, not a congratulation from any colleagues, not a tribute from any younger artists who found it inspirational to their own work. He did get a drawing and a grocery store bakery cookie from Ayers, which he proudly showed off on his blog. So it’s not like he was downplaying it.

          The FW 50th anniversary wasn’t even noted by Tom Batiuk himself. And if he doesn’t care, why should anybody else?

       2. The ending of Funky Winkerbean is a mystery to me. When did Tom Batiuk decide— or was he informed—that Funky Winkerbean was ending? The comic’s 50th anniversary occurred at the end of March 2022. If I remember correctly, the announcement regarding its conclusion didn’t come until mid-November. Shortly after that, it was announced that Batiuk would be leaving Comics Kingdom for GoComics about a week later. Certainly enough time for an announcement from the Comics Kingdom. Had Batiuk already had a falling out with the syndicate by the end of March?

          There is so much surrounding Batiuk that is peculiar. What’s up with the lack of recognition? Why isn’t he receiving the recognition other cartoonists get? We’ve recently seen it discussed here on SoSF, why hasn’t Batiuk been awarded the Golden T-Square Award? What requirement or qualification is he missing?

          Also peculiar, a while back, we discussed the Great Comic Strip Switcheroo event that happened on April 1, 1997. Why didn’t Batiuk participate? Couldn’t he find a partner? Does Batiuk not play well with others? The way Batiuk crafts his blogs, you’d think that he lives in his own little world.

          I often ask these questions and make these points, not really expecting concrete answers, but hoping to start a conversation. It’s probably too late now for this blog post.

          Lately, for some unfathomable reason, I’ve been unable to think of a comment to post on a SoSF discussion until days after it has gone live. Most of those times I decided not to bother. Not many people would see it, so why bother? The moment has passed. On the other hand, the last major post I created took about 45 minutes to build because I had to gather some old strips, upload them, and copy the direct links. Even though I posted my comment a mere two days after the blog went live, a new blog entry was published just five hours later. I’m pretty sure not too many people saw it. I can’t win. Telle est la vie.

          Merci pour votre aimable réponse, monsieur. À plus tard.

          1. we discussed the Great Comic Strip Switcheroo event that happened on April 1, 1997. Why didn’t Batiuk participate? 

             I think that Batiuk wrote the “Les Finds Out Who Murdered John Darling, Who Was Murdered” a year ahead

             1. April 1, 1997, was a Tuesday. Batiuk was so unflexible he couldn’t pause his precious story for one day to partake in a little fun? Things like this make it easy to understand why he doesn’t have much camaraderie among his fellow NCS members.

                I wonder what the April 1, 1997, Crankshaft strip was about? GoComics still doesn’t have any Crankshaft strips before March 2003.

          2. “Shortly after that, it was announced that Batiuk would be leaving Comics Kingdom for GoComics about a week later.”

             Someone at Comic Kingdom said, “Hey, let’s take a look at what we bought.”{

             1. Are you saying the Comics Kingdom had a feature review session and Funky Winkerbean received a big 👎?

                The feature was euthanized? Batiuk’s FW contract was not renewed, so he took Crankshaft and left in a huff to Andrews McMeel? I don’t know about that. Comics Kingdom has many features that are worse than the comic strips created by students for my college newspaper.

                Perhaps the CK offered Batiuk a lowball offer, which hurt Batiuk’s pride? In a snit he took his football and went home?😭

                Another scenario is the Comics Kingdom saw what Batiuk had in the can for December 2022 and said, “I think we’re done here.”🤣 The likelihood of this scenario is aided by Batiuk’s eleven-month ahead policy.

          3. De rien, chere Madame!

             The end of Funky Winkerbean becomes even more baffling when you consider that the program book for Comic-Con had an entry on its golden jubilee.

             My recent reading included William Redfield’s Letters from an Actor. It reminded me of the superstition that you weren’t supposed to play Hamlet more than 100 times, which John Barrymore broke with 101 performances. Richard Burton broke it even further with 137.

             Polonius tells us that he acted in his younger days, and was Julius Caesar, whom Brutus killed.

             “I was John Darling, who was murdered, Plantman murdered me…”

             While William Dawes was the man whom history forgot

             I am a wandering, bitter shade,

             Never of me was a hero made;

             Poets have never sung my praise,
             Nobody crowned my brow with bays;
             And if you ask me the fatal cause,
             I answer only, “My name was Dawes”

             ‘Tis all very well for the children to hear

             Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere;
             But why should my name be quite forgot,
             Who rode as boldly and well, God wot?
             Why should I ask? The reason is clear –
             My name was Dawes and his Revere.

             When the lights from the old North Church flashed out,

             Paul Revere was waiting about,
             But I was already on my way.
             The shadows of night fell cold and gray
             As I rode, with never a break or a pause;
             But what was the use, when my name was Dawes!

             History rings with his silvery name;

             Closed to me are the portals of fame.
             Had he been Dawes and I Revere,
             No one had heard of him, I fear.
             No one has heard of me because
             He was Revere and I was Dawes

          4. I posted my comment a mere two days after the blog went live, a new blog entry was published just five hours later.

             You noticed that too? A year ago I thought “If I post, within hours most likely there’ll be a new entry. If Eve posts as well, it’s a certainty.”

             (checks SoSF) “Oh. Eve and I posted yesterday, and Huh, lookit that.”

             (shrugs) If only we could comment on Crank and have the same results.

             1. Damn straight. There are coincidences and then there are patterns. Isn’t collective paranoia fun? 😉

                The finger waggers seem to have disappeared from the Crankshaft discussion. Ain’t it grand?

          5. For what it’s worth, I saw this comment. And then saw the newest blog post go about shortly after. Sometimes, you just can’t win. (Sorry.)

          6. My apologies for disrupting any discussion! I was originally trying to get something up every three or so days, but life keeps getting in the way of research, so now my posting schedule is all out of wack. 😦

             1. Oh, there’s no problem with me as far as this blog is concerned. It had been five days since it had gone live. People are on pins and needles waiting for your next one. I received some feedback after all. Nema problema.

                I’m mainly bitching about a comment I made on April 12th. First, my comment from April 11th on Crankshaft seems to have disappeared into limbo; only I can see it. Although it’s still there, no one else can read it. I haven’t been banned, as I’ve continued to post comments on GoComics that others can see. If my comment was moderated, why wasn’t it deleted like GoComics typically does? It’s a complete mystery.

                In my post on SoSF, I asked the community if anyone knew what was happening. What was so problematic about the comment that it required moderation? If not moderation, could it have simply been a glitch caused by the new GoComics website? Along with my SoSF post, I included an image of my mysterious comment from GoComics Crankshaft.

                I also included the original comment because I thought there were some pretty good discussion points that some folks might want to discuss.

                Despite your 15th SoSF Anniversary blog going live only two days before, only one person had the time to respond because the next blog came out shortly afterward. For reasons. WTH?🤷‍♀️ Everybody’s attention was now on the new blog, which ironically was about the same subject as my comment. A lot of effort went into creating that SoSF comment. That’s why it’s so annoying.

                The powers that be really don’t want anyone to see that comment I posted on Crankshaft. Is discussing Batiuk’s ghastly handling of the 2012 school bus rodeo forbidden by the Batiuk gods? I’m expecting this comment to get stuck in the torso chute or just outright disappear.

                Cheers.🤟

             2. To Eve:

                Yeah, I’m having comments going invisible as well. That was a sign of banning; now, who knows? GC recently admitted “fixing some issues.” I’m glad the Featured Comment went away, as it was easy to hack (put in the 1st comment, then comment on your comment). Now, it seems the first comment of the day always vanishes. My brutal insomnia means I never had a problem posting at 2AM EDT, but 4AM? Who the hell’s awake then, just me and the Farm Film Review guys? (“Blowed up good, REAL good!”)

                Here’s one of mine they put down the Memory Hole, and why not post it, no one’s going to read it.

                21 April, 2025

                So what’s happening? Since about 90% of the time we see her indoors she’s doing dishes by hand like every female lady girl has always done in Tom’s brain, does she suffer from –DISHPAN HANDS? (https://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/dishpan_hands)

                Or is she having a flashback from all that acid she dropped at KSU in the 60s? “My hands are MELTING! I can TASTE the MUSIC! I can SMELL the COLORS! The WALLPAPER keeps CHANGING! WooOOOoo00 No Paul, I AM THE WALRUS”

                Or is it some freakishly specific Tom thing? “I have FINGERNAIL CANCER from not letting my son read all the komix books he wanted! It’s FATAL! Well, I guess I deserve it!”

                Good reaction from Jeff. “My wife is freaking OUT!” (sluuurp) “Ugh, this coffee’s kinda cold. I’ll let her seizure go on for 5 more minutes and then maybe do something, I guess.”

             3. Ha ha! I read it! Whatcha gonna do bout it!? Hahahahahahah!

                (For the record, Pam suffering a LSD flashback was the best one)

             4. @billthesplut

                Seriously, I don’t see anything so bad about that comment. Do you think the finger-waggers could be lurking in the shadows and “reporting” our comments?

                Alternative Theory: Do you think it’s possible “Batiuk” could be a banned word?

19. Today’s Crankshaft

    Day 3 of Jeff and Pam go to the movies

    I’m still waiting for the Mopey-Mindy Wedding, IT CAN’T GET HERE SOON ENOUGH

    1. Pam loves a man with an accent!

       

       A Hyundai Accent, that is…

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