Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for October 19, 2012

Good morning all…

Sparkle’s making Measles mad. Time for Moon Maid to show up!

I like how 3rd panel from yesterday & today is basically the same locked shot but whereas on Thurs, Sparkle’s stance was toward Measles (expressing interest, slight flirtation?)…today she’s in abrupt about-face after his inquiry. Great scene both dialogue & art.

I’m glad Measles showed his true colors so quickly. Yesterday Sparkle seemed to be a bit taken with him but she changed her tune quickly. Now let’s hope the Spotted One doesn’t go into a rage over being rebuffed.

Hah! In yesterday’s comments I explained that “party favors” is a more common druggie slang than “party supplies,” and today Measles has switched to that terminology!

Staton Curtis, and Flightsuit: Experts on doper lingo.

Hmm. It’s got to happen, but I’m not sure how this is going to lead to Measles vs. Gravel Gertie…. Meanwhile, there are ever so many other strands to this “tangled web” Team Tracy weave that could temporarily intervene.

I really like the serious tone Sparkle takes in panel two. From “Mr. Measles” to “I do not partake” she’s very formal. Now, don’t go away mad, Measles, just go away.

(Dripping with sarcasm) "Hey, Measles, you need help with your sales talk. You gotta ease more into it. Oh, and don’t forget to tell her the first one’s free. They always go for that. " :PGood for you, Sparkle!

UH OH!! She turned her back on him,.. NOT a smart move!

oh, and just WAIT til Measles finds out who the “different crowd” is that Sparkle runs with! lol! Is he gonna chase her down the street into an alley somewhere and threaten her because she turned her back on him, and THEN Moon Maid makes a save? It would DEFINITELY be fun to see… especially if somehow Sparkle gets konked on the head, and as she begins to pass out a pair of thigh high’s are standing in front of her and she “sees Moon Maid thru blurred eyes” before passing out. (btw, its already 6:30am in nj.. HOW did iend up #8 this late in the morning? lol!)

I wonder why the price of gas is not on the pump…

The crowd Sparkle runs with is not the same as tweaker Measles, whose scene is lame.

I’m betting Sparkle will tell the story to Gertie and Tracy gets involved by Sunday. :)

Good Morning Detectives!Watch your back going home, Sparkle…….

@FlightsuitI noticed that right off! Give yourself an extra 3 points. (tokes)

OK, I’ll bite – Though I never considered Dick Locher a “great” writer (the writing duties sort of fell in his lap when his collaborator Mike Kilian passed-away), I had nothing but respect for him, as the Tribune’s finances were already in jepoardy and this strip could’ve been cancelled at a moment’s notice (in addition to Mr. Locher’s advancing age and health issues). In other words, he kept the ship afloat during troubled times, which brought us to where we are, today. My suggestion to everyone is to really appreciate where we are, today, we have to respect Mr. Locher’s long service to the strip. Just my .02

SDM, let me see if I can bottom line it:Dick Locher’s Tracy was the subject of ridicule for years in the Gocomics comments section, which is archived for all to see. It was okay to do it then, but now, when YOU do the same thing in the current team’s Tracy, it’s a big no-no. Also, other poster’s comments back to you are just as bad (or worse, sometimes) than your original post. So, you’ve uncovered a simple truth what everybody over the age of sixteen already knows: We are ALL hypocrites. You’ve made your point.

There is a difference between repeating the exact same drawing and repeating the same point of view. Locher, often repeated the exact same drawing cut and pasted with no difference whatsoever. The drawing today is obviously a different drawing from yesterday with the same point of view. That said, I disliked Locher’s slow paced storytelling but always found that the stylization of his drawings fit the Dick Tracy strip and style. I certainly do not expect the artists to copy the previous artist’s style. Same goes for the writing. I expect creative people to bring their own style. The new team has a faster-paced storytelling style and a more detailed drawing style. While I tend to prefer the current team, it does not diminish to me Locher’s term as artist or writer.

Locher used the cut and paste technique even during his tenure with Collins. Those with books containing collections of DT strips will see evidence of this more clearly. However it was not as noticeable due to Collins’ quicker paced storytelling. When Locher took over duties of both writing and illustrating, his work DID suffer. Perhaps it was because of his age perhaps it was his weakness as a writer. Whatever the reason, his quality was not as good. I will agree that a lot of people ganged up on him during the last years of his tenure (much like the posters at Alley Oop are dumping on the Benders). But the fact is that the strip just wasn’t as good after Locher took on the writing duties. The exact same drawing day after day in a story that moved at a snail’s pace only emphasized any weaknesses Locher had. I will say that Locher’s early days on the strip were fabulous in my opinion. I also enjoy his editorial cartoons.

I agree with most of what you’re saying, Still Da Man.If you compare yesterday’s strip with today’s you’ll see that both use the same POV (camera angle, if you will) in each frame, but panels 1 and 2 are tighter shots, more close-up as the dialogue is more intense. And panel 3 is back to the “establishing shot” showing Sparkle storming away from Measles. I have to admire your defense of the unfairly maligned Mr. Locher. He did indeed do a commendable job – 32 YEARS worth of strips is an amazing body of work for any artist.I read very few of his strips in his later years, so I shouldn’t comment on the quality of his work.But, as you say, given his advancing age, he should have gotten some slack. Also, wasn’t he doing editorial cartoons at the same time? We can all agree that writing and drawing essentially two strips a day is a lot for any person, whatever age.Points well made, Still Da Man.

I’ve been on vacation awhile and just got caught up. Some brief reactions: 1) I like the pacing of the story. 2) The art as always is great. 3) I like the Measles story a lot. 4) Sparkle had better watch her back. 5) I’m desperate to see the Blonde Bombshell in Boots again! (Whoever gave Mysta that nickname should get a prize.)

Way to tell off the junkie junk dealer, Sparkle!

I’m missing Moon Maid!

At risk of beating a dead horse…The 3rd panels, yesterday and today, are not cut and paste and tconstantine didn’t say that. They are similar in background scene and using silhouettes, but different in a very important way (Sparkle walking away). It seems to me that almost all the subsequent comments missed that point and went off on their own rants.

Measles apparently has not made the connection with Gravel Gertie. I’m not familiar with the previous story involving them. Would anyone like to summarize it?

Fair point, SDM. It does appear to be a retread, though during this reboot it seems to be more an exception than the rule.

my two cents as far as panel 3 from today and yesterday….i just printed out both strips and compared them one right above the other and there are , in fact, more than a few differences which dispel the “cut and paste theory”. for starters, its a “wider view” in todays strip and somewhat of a closer view as well (evidenced by less of the car being in view than yesterday), the smoke from measles’ cigar is completely different, the foreground leaf in yesterdays strip is gone (the one in front of the gas pump) as is the leaf in the foreground of the door to the store sparkle left as well as the leaf near the bottom of the wall beneath the window. theres more of the awning in view in yesterdays strip compared to todays, and more of the right frotn quarterpanel fo the car can be seen today. whether or not the miscoloring of the gas sign (it was red lettering with a yellow ring yesterday, today it is reversed) makes a difference, in yesterdays strip there was shadowing along the bottom left of the gas sign which is gone today, the “meter” on the right side of the gas pump at the top has more “sketch lines” in it today than it did yesterday, more of the sode view mirror (drivers side) of the car can be seen in yesterdays strip compared to todays, and even the AWNING is lower yesterday than today (the shadow fo it too)… and THATS just from looking at the two pics for five minutes. if joe DID do a “Cut and paste” as one comment suggests… wouldnt these differences NOT exist? wouldnt it have been the same IDENTICAL panel with the slight alteration of sparkle facing the other way?

sorry, i meant LEFT front quarter panel of the car, not right. ym bad

After reading the various opinions about the similarity between yesterday’s art and today’s art, I went back to look. I discovered something you all may enjoy:just for fun, go back to yesterday’s panel three, put your cursor on the arrow to return to today’s strip, and stare at Sparkle as you click. It is almost like watching a bit of animation, as Sparkle seems to turn on her heel right before your eyes! as much as I am a fan of print, that is something you wouldn’t get to see in a printed version of the strips.

As I recall . . . it wasn’t repeating but rather – - using the SAME panel several times.One in particular of Sunny Dell Acres comes to mind !Back then, one poster - Grockstein, called them – - “PASTE-UP” panels !

I would have liked to see this aspect of the story develop more slowly — it seems so rushed.

I wish you’d been so straightforward right from the start, as I emphatically agree with you.I lost my own son last December, and after almost a year, it still feels like it was only yesterday, so I can especially sympathize with Mr. Locher’s loss.And yes, I agree that tearing into him for honoring his son (who I understand was going to take over the strip from him) is shameful.

I hope that after today’s comments from Still Da Man, we can call a truce and stop the sniping.He’s raised some very valid points, and agree or disagree, I think we should put all the anti-Dick Locher comments to bed. After all, the “new team” has been doing the strip for more than a 18 months.A lot of readers have never even read Mr. Locker’s work.It’s past time that he should be given the respect given all the other past Tracy writers and artists.

I am fearing that Measles is going to follow Sparkle and that’s where the trouble will begin. Since he burned down the trailer, he has no where to go.

“It is a big “no-no” because their work is superb.”So other peoples opinions should be dismissed if they think it’s less than superb on some days? No room for discussion?I don’t believe everyone criticizes just to be “contrary” or that nothing rises to what they like; legitimate issues with individual strips have been brought up from time to time. Mike has been gracious enough to admit when mistakes have been made, here and on the Yahoo group.

I can respect your opinion about Locher. I have respect for him for keeping the DT legacy going. I don’t believe you would have been “attacked” for that reason. I can only speak for myself. My only problem is your claims you were Locher. Which, lets be honest, you did. Also, your blindsided attack on Rene Tray’s one word posts. I felt that was in called for. Just my opinion..Well said posts today, keep them coming.

About the reuse of the exact same artwork in several strips: Dick Locher did not originate the practice…Chester Gould did! I noticed it often when I first started reading Dick Tracy in the seventies. This usually happened when then-assistant Rick Fletcher had drawn a particulary intricate setting or prop. And I too am a fan of Mr. Locher’s expressionistic artwork. Very appropriate to the strip. Staton and company’s art is also very good, but very different. (and not to leave him out, I liked Fletcher too.)

SDM, you share a lot of MPH’s sentiments about the Grandmeister Locher. Matter-of-fact, you utter the very words that he would utter, if he were in your shoes. An amazing likeness of choice of words! Coincidences are really great, aren’t they? I remember also that when I first posted after your first post under the handle SDM, your first words to me were an extension of the last sentence that MPH was leveling at me over a year ago. Amazing, but "coincidental, I am sure. As Elmer Fudd would put it, MPH would refer to you as that “wascally wabbit!” I sure am glad you aren’t him!

Brooke McEldowney is a comics creator known for his work on the print comic strip 9 Chickweed Lane and the webcomic Pibgorn. 9 Chickweed Lane has been syndicated by United Media since 1993.

9 Chickweed Lane won the Best Newspaper Comic award at the 2006 National Cartoonists Society Awards. It has one collection, Hallmarks of Felinity, published by Andrews McMeel in 2002.Source Wikipedia

I disagree. McEldowney eliminated the comments section after many people became angry due to he posting that God wanted to make a certain baby be born as a cockroach. Meaning, his reasons to cancel commenting were totally different. I believe we deserve having this comments section, and I have learned a lot thanks to the comments from almost everybody here, including Tarry, tsull and SDM, and many, many others.

Not completely unrelated (see above), DT is currently my preferred comic strip here. 9 Chickweed Lane, which I also read, has ups (very good arcs) and downs (filler arcs, very shallow), and although Brooke always shows he has an outstanding command of English language, sometimes his dialogs seem to be too Thesaurus-college-research-based, and a bit out of place. Staton and Curtis, on the other hand, are doing, in my opinion, a great job. I feel entertained, and I can logically assume all of the other regular posters here feel the same way.