Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for January 12, 2024

Did the kids have time to dub in a laugh track? Or did they just paste a Groucho nose and glasses on Ed?

They’re aren’t a lot of strips that can combine two non-jokes!

“Interesting, Mr. Crankshaft, the sign over the store says this happened as you left Wanda’s Whip Emporium.”“What? I was never in any such place!”“Well, seven hundred thousand viewers beg to differ! The last time anything went viral this quickly we had a pandemic!”

Some googling says that whiplash and a concussion can be treated at home with rest, painkillers and light exercise, so Ed is doomed. The good news is that we won’t have to look at any more of these crowded, complex medical scenes.

But does it actually have the fall part or just him laying there.

Ed you’re lucky you didn’t break any bones.

I wonder what else Pam watches on TikTok. Based on what we know about her life experiences and interests, I bet that she follows… um… … .. uh…. … hm…

OK maybe she doesn’t follow anyone so maybe she just watches clips about… hm. Cats? Dogs? No, Ed had a cat, she doesn’t. Um. Sports? No, she just asks about the men in the house who watch sports. Influencers? We don’t see her buy anything trendy, nor grouse about feeling compelled to buy anything in a vain exercise of consumerism. So maybe she watches … uhm…. … hm…

Maybe it’s just me, but wouldn’t Pmm have opened the visit with “My father slipped and fell on a sidewalk grate” and maybe mention the video rather than have the doctor examine Ed first? Would switching the panels around add any semblance of reality—or humor—to the proceedings?

They got this far and they didn’t tell the doctor what happened???

No, Ed – your headache was a forehead contusion.

In the first panel, if you take the “SU” from “sustained”, the “SH” from “whiplash”, and the “I” from concussion, it looks like it is spelling out “sushi” diagonally.

I was trying to find something of interest in today’s strip. That was the best I could do.

did this almost 2 years ago, ended up at the end of January getting blood drained from my skull from my concussion. I have more hair and am younger than Ed though.

A person with a concussion may have dilated pupils, droopy eyelids, or difficulty tracking objects. Sometimes, these symptoms are obvious, but not always. Assessment tools can help a doctor check for concussions. Around 90% of people experience eye symptoms after a concussion………..this could change the whole demeaner of the strip!!!!!!

Oh, the marvels of social media.

“Regular whiplash” or “Snidely Whiplash”?

When Cranky is well again,whoever posted that video will be out one mailbox

Always the hater.

And in the third panel, “You know Mr. Crankshaft, I have a brother that is an injury lawyer. Perhaps you would like his card. I am sure he would be interested in speaking with you.”

dawn didnt reveal who shes upset with maybe her eggo waffle didnt defrost

Well, that’s a forgone contusion, of course!

“It’s a good thing you hit your head, so you didn’t damage anything important!”

Well, it beats trying to explain it to the doctor.

“foregone contusion” — good one

Doctor watches the TikTok video. “Hmm, I see Ed laying on the ground. That’s it. Besides it being one of the most boring videos on the platform, it doesn’t tell me anything!”

In several previous strips in the Mopetoni’s® arc, Ed was depicted with a Funky Winkerbean-esque smirk, which is totally out of character. Today, he’s depicted with his trademark scowl. I can only assume landing on his head reset him, like smacking the side of an old tube TV.

So something good came from this week’s story after all!