Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for March 20, 2025

Admit it. The only thing you laughed at in this strip was “I remember buttressing my case.” TOM, KIDS READ THIS, they don’t want to hear about YOUR BUTTRESSING CASE

Yeah, sure, a kid who’s never read a comic book before would certainly pay attention to the Comics Code Authority cover stamp. 99 out of 100 kids who bought comics from 1954 to 2011 didn’t even know what the fakakta stamp meant.

Again, this is the third chapter of Skip Bittman’s interminable interviews with Mr. Thomas for an alleged profile in his self-published Centerville Sentinel, an series of food-based chats that began last August! Boswell didn’t spend this much time interviewing Johnson!

It would have killed him to read Robert Heinlein’s novel “Space Cadet” instead? (Published in 1949, IIRC; the TV show ran 1950-1955, so we’ve got a handle on when this happened)

He “had” to read it because an authoritarian body approved of it? Philistine! I would have gone for Mad magazine instead.

“Geez, Dad—Who holds a funnybook like that?”

I remember Tom Corbett as a TV series, but not as a comic book.

And a friend of mine once had a conversation with one of the actors from the show.

Skip smiling and amused by his talk, I’m not! Let go back to the corner booth and check in on the 3 old wiseguys of what they are talking about.

Why does Batty make himself look like an old man version of Mopey Pete?

The good Housekeeping seal of approval.

I started with Heinlein’s “Space Cadet”—-it was only much later that I heard about the debased TV version with spinoffs like comic books.

SKIP: “Cor blimey! They sure as make some fine rat tea here, oi guvnah?” BATTON: “I love how the tails stick out of the mugs! It’s rabies-tastic!” (they die)

Make it stop.

What case? Did he have to convince the store clerk to sell it to him?

skip is so amused by battons humor he might do a handstand

As good an excuse as any for buying a comic book!

So … NOT Starbuck Jones? Heretic! Splitter!

Don’t think Skip will be able to reach for the check while he drinking his coffee

Me like space cadet or space adventures kinda komix and movies or shows too. Thems is always interesting and wonderfull. But me no like watching steenky fantasy fiction movies at all. Nopes. Nopes. But however finally one day someone was convincing (forcing, actually) me to watches Lard of the Reengs. Somehow me bear watching it but then around halfway through the movie Tolkien John began talking bout his boring life story in a diner. And that is when movie was becomes really unbearable.

Looks like two “space cadets” in the cafe!!!!!

And Ma and Pa Kent always loved Superbaby, no matter how many times he accidentally burned the house down with his heat vision

They should of called that stamp, the NANNY stamp. Self righteous do good-ers protecting the little children.

Has Batton noticed that Skip doesn’t even take notes or record this “interview”? I think Skip decided this story was a bad idea and it will never show up in his paper.

How long before we get to the Grand Revelation of Flash # 123?

Read that comic too!

I had every Tom Corbett book that was written but I’ve never heard of the comic book until today. The books had a few illustrations so I knew what Tom Roger and Astro looked like. Astro was kinda scary.

Someone licensed Tom Corbett for a comic book? Of course in the begining of the comic book industry there where almost literally a ton of publishers, doing a variety of book types.

pumpernickel eating DQ sent me a comment the other day that i come hear to insult everyone ? well besides her and cheap tommy who else do i insult ? i have giving dozens of likes to many people here but DQ says she is the voice of positive . she also says she only kids with bill spult ? interesting

Buttressing?