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

Who…offers chainsaws to people?

It’s funny because the sculptor would hand a working chainsaw to any random volunteer. That must be the answer, although it doesn’t explain the lack of random amputations and artistic blood-splashes.

They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning … now Ed has cut its speed in half.

Ed never liked Flipper.

Hey, look! Crankshaft’s here!

Hahaha, it’s funny because Ed wrecks everything he touches!

Also…no one recognized the elderly klutz in the red cap and jacket who destroys the town ice sculpture festival every year? They have only themselves to blame.

At least Cranky is back. For today, anyway…

Oh, Ed! Always a disaster. If he can’t set a fire, he’ll chop the head off a dolphin.

Get the superglue.

What sculptor in their right mind would do that?

Good try, good try. Next.

Takes a minute or two to make that cut. The guy stands there and watches?

Oh, no!

Trusting the title character with a power tool has been a bad move for years

And as camera is zooms in towards Cranky, he say “groovy!”

@billsplut_ And a chainsaw to cut through snow?? I don’t this one…

Such an innovative approach to storytelling today! Instead of showing Ed receiving the chainsaw, then making a mess, we see him make the mess before he gets the saw. The mundane “This will end badly” style fades in the presence of Batiuk’s avant-garde “How did this bad ending come about?” technique. Let’s hear it for how Batiuk used this trope long after countless movies, TV shows and written stories used it!

theres no way they can stretch ice sculpture jokes out all week or can they

If you want something screwed up, ask Crankshaft. BTW: did that chain saw come from Bean’s End?

Maybe tomorrow will be two minutes later, with Ed suffering a disfiguring accident! Fingers crossed (while he still has them!)

Attaboy Cranky…..never give in…………..

OK, what kind of “artist” labors long and hard on an ice sculpture, only to invite random people to attack it with a chainsaw?

Obviously there is more here than meets the eye. The invitation makes me think the artist actually has a trailer full of mass-produced (cast in molds) ice dolphins, and the actual “art” is the performance in which he lets random people destroy them with chainsaws.

Oh, Tom, you are so post-modern!

If only Ed had carried through on his stroke and cut Pmm in half. Who wouldn’t laugh at that? Poor Batiuk, always missing the chance to deliver a joke.

That saw was way sharper than anticipated!!!!!!!

Huh. Normally Shaft murders the ice sculptures with his bus.