Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for December 23, 2023

Ha ha! It’s funny because The Pizza (Box) Monster signed a contract with his legal name! Hah! Oh, mercy.

Where’s Crankshaft?

Yeah, that works too, and with the names in this strip “Pizza Box Monster” was probably a step up.

It’s actually Aunt Chovy – I can’t believe nobody recognizes her voice!

I like the cut of your boxes Pizza monster

So that’s how to solve the mystery of the Pizza Monster’s identity: look up his name in the phone book, then drop by his home unannounced.

Let me get this straight: Mopey Pete Robert-Reynolds, Flintstone is going into business with a being only know as the Pizza Box Monster, who signs his/her/its check “The Pizza Monster.” (Why the difference, Batiuk? Did you want all the words to fit neatly into the balloon. And shouldn’t you be worried about more important things, like writing a plot that doesn’t insult people’s intelligences?) If I were Mindy, I’d call of the engagement and have call the state mental hospital on Pete.

When you exchange looks that say: “We’re dealing with a lunatic.”

This is boring, deleting from my favorites list!

And with that zinger, we bid farewell to my hero until (probably) next Halloween.

The mystery lives on??

In honor of the big holiday, Happy Festivus to all! And now it’s time for the airing of grievances. Oh, wait, that’s nonstop here already. Okay, on to the Feats of Strength. First up it’s Ed wrestling little “somewhere-between-the-age-of-2-and-10-depending-on-the-day” Mitch. Mitch is a 5-1 favorite.

OK guys. Can you be positive for ONCE? Try to be nice for the Christmas Season, even if it is against your personality. I’d like to enjoy reading this comic, even for just one week.

Cute.

is crankshaft getting a snowblower for xmas i hope it might stop this pizza nonsense

So now he has to come to work and spend all his days dressed like this…

Our commune (United Disciples of Mothra) had that on the group checks. Paid all the bills with them.

It’s probably the dumpy Batman T-shirt comic book guy.

The future of Montoni’s, shortly after Ed is hired to work there, is depicted in today’s F Minus!

Why isn’t Mindy wearing her engagement tiger?

So that answers the question that we’ve been kicking around. They decorated the place, did a TV spot for the restaurant and have a friend handing out “free appetizer” coupons….all before they actually bothered to sign the sales contract for the place.

To be fair to Tom Batiuk, that does seem to be totally on brand for Mopey. He has always been a little dimwitted.

I tune in to this cartoon every day to giggle about the hate for a cartoon. Some people need to get a life. Just a people watcher

Who is the Pizza Box Monster?

FWIW, today’s “Ink Pen” comic (rerun) mentions “Funky Winkerbean.”

In today’s world it makes perfect sense. I e Metta World Peace

I’ve been wanting to know who the pizza monster is too! We may never know now!

Of course, he did.

Pizza Monster stills sounds better than Funky Winkerbean