Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for May 18, 2023

This is getting weird.

Another donation funded by Ed’s Penny Sock

“All we have are three pickup trucks, and my dad and mom both work until after 5:00.”

Friday: Ed has to use the bus to rush the kid to the hospital because he’s lactose intolerant.

Better make it a double-scoop for the kid as Crank will have difficulty fitting a single scoop around the foot in his mouth.

No. He Isa softy. Don’t you remember er the kids he put thrucollege

No thanks. This looks like my stop.

Feeling sorry for the kid…….

These days that would not be permitted. A child is never permitted to be alone with a male adult who is not their parent.

His parents aren’t lazy; they didn’t pick him up because there’s a school bus to bring him home. Since Batiuk has no idea why all of the other parents did pick up their kids today, none of what follows makes any sense. And the implication that they’re destitute because they don’t have a car is just bizarre.

A nice gesture

I’m new to this strip. Despite his apparent crankiness, it seems that “Crankshaft” has a soft heart.

Watch Ed adopt a grandkid…hey, I do it myself with the teens I work with.

The sweet side of a usual grouch……atta boy Cranky….

Amber Alert, Amber Alert…

Young Ed must have found a time machine, or a wormhole to come into the present.

What are the odds that the parents find out about the ice cream stop and accuse Crankshaft of being a child predator?

You already insulted the kid’s parents to his face, Crankshaft. The damage is done. Why make him spend even more time with your miserable self?

The smile says it all

JOE!!!!

Normally I object to wasting ice cream… but I’ll allow dumping a cone on Shaft.

Crankshaft, you sweetie. Good job.

“Why didn’t your parents pick you up?” Considering that every day 30 kids ride his bus, the question should be “Why the hell did every other parent decide today to pull their kid off the bus?”

Oh Ed, he’s such a softie when he does something like this. Then on the other hand on occasion he’ll abandon the kids on the bus while he votes, making them late (and under no supervision for 10-60 minutes), or he steals all their snacks out of their lunches on a field trip. What a guy!

What am I missing here? P1 is textbook Crank, but P3 appears to be a decent human being who just looks a lot like Crank. I’m soooooo confused…

Aww! :)