Today’s strip wasn’t available for preview, so I’m just guessing that involves a now very awkward appearance Stan Lee dropping by Atomik Komix and promising to do a signing at Komix Korner.
Does anyone doubt that the entire purpose of this week was this “gag” right here? “Haha, I can have a crane company named after someone named Crane! It’d be hilarious. Hmm . . . what’s a plausible reason why someone in this strip would need a crane . . . I guess I could have Funky lifted out of his house because he’s so fat. But no, I’ll save that for the finale . . . I’ve got it! Comic books! Someone could need to lift something heavy into the comic book store!”
If someone sent Batiuk a copy of “The Mammoth Book of Corny, Slightly Punny Names” I have a strong feeling he’d use it as material for the rest of his strip. Stuff like this is what would be a background Easter egg in a Pixar movie that most people wouldn’t even notice. But Batiuk tends to put it front and center and repeat it over and over. “Get it?! It’s funny!” What are the odds we’re going to see “Buster’s Crabs” at least once the next time there’s a Hollywood arc? And Crankshaft is doing a bowling story so I’m pretty sure we’ll be seeing “Margo Lanes” over and over. I also look forward to the next couple of weeks, when they hire the “Frasier Crane Co.” to remove Holtron from the Komix Korner and the “Niles Crane Co.” to put it back in Atomik Komix (how did they not have any issues getting it down the multiple flights of stairs in that building?).
