TFHackett

Kili-Krankshaft Krossover

Has Coach Bull already abandoned the “project” of whipping Les’ sorry ass into shape? He’s nowhere to be seen today. No matter: here comes motivation in the form of none other than Ed Crankshaft! Yes, it can be no one else; just peep this Crankshaft comic from July 2009:

The above strip is from that weird flash-forward arc where Crankshaft becomes unstuck in time, leaping Billy Pilgrim-like between scenes of his present-day, younger and older selves. This appearance lends support to the theory that Crankshaft, while also set in Ohio, takes place ten years in the past.*

Note to Cayla: if the prospect of being left to plan your wedding on your own, while your fiance goes off with his daughter to climb Kilimanjaro, doesn’t convince you that you’re making a huge mistake, well, you’re on your own.

*…while the Crankshaft strip from September 11, 2011 disproves this theory.

A "Pun"-ishing Workout

No pun intended? More like “no pun detected“. What’s Les talking about? Even Bull is confused…but that’s nothing new. “Top” shape as in “top” of the mountain, I guess. That’s not a pun, Mr. “Language Arts” Moore. And what’s with Les’ samurai headband? Is he getting ready to climb Mt. Fuji?

Endure Thy Father

Here is Funky’s idea of showing his father a good time on Fathers’ Day: schlepping him to the food court at Mammoth Mall. What do you expect from the cheap bastard who celebrated his wedding anniversary at Montoni’s? Hell, Montoni’s would’ve been a nicer place for lunch than the crowded, noisy food court. Their “nice chat” consists of poor Pa’s persistent proffering of his too-big sandwich, and Funky’s polite refusals. Batiuk might have used today to have Funky at least attempt a conversation with his father, and given the reader some kind of insight into this relationship, rather than using the old man as a prop to make us feel sorry for Funky.

Opposites Detract

Raise your hand if, like me, you’re roughly the same age as Les, Funky, and Crazy Harry. I know that’s more than a few of you. Now get up, go across the room, and grab your high school yearbook. What’s that? You don’t have it right at hand? It’s been packed away up in the attic for 20, 30 years? Yeah, mine too. Come to think of it: what’s Cayla’s yearbook doing on the shelf in Les’ house? Have she and Keisha moved in already? What has become of Darin and Jess?

Les the Good Times Droll

“Very droll“? Very dull is more like it. Day five of Cayla and Summer teasing Les about what a dork he was in high school, pointing and laughing at a yearbook that we’re not allowed to see; not even so much as a photo-album-cornered, sepia-toned “classic” flashback. The “stuck on a rope” gag actually did occur in Act I. Don’t know what’s “very droll” about pointing out Les’ misfortune, nor do I know what it is Cayla thinks she sees.