Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for January 19, 2010

Who holds a cellphone with their knuckles?? And anyway, he looks like he’s about to melt. He’s making me sick!!

Plus he’s wearing sun glasses at night too.

Is that Marty Feldman in panel 1?? He’s making me sick to with those big bulgy eyes. They look like they about to come out of their sockets. I gotta stay away from this cartoon.

My dear little Roseanna, you’re back! He looks like a melting Sontaran. I’m feeling a little urpy myself…

I think he’s composing The Sontaran Sonata.

I was gone for the weekend Aunt Marg. I had tickets to watch Mr Drew Brees and company send those cardinals AND their sinuses back to Arizona!!!!! How have you been dear aunt??

Thanks for the correct spelling, Flight Suit.

Oh, I got the lumbago, but things are good. Those Cardinals got spanked.

I’m sorry to hear about your back, but I think you need someone to walk on your back. Della Contessa from the last episode maybe? Would that hurt?

I think a small Japanese woman would be much better, Dear.

Doty, your argument now hinges on the notion that there might be some continuity from one day to the next. Yes, there are only four strings on that violin today. Tomorrow there may be six or seven or five.

However, I do agree that it’s always been drawn as having four.

Marguerite, what did I spell right that you’re thanking me fore? “Sontaran,” or “Sonata?”

These faces are get more ridiculous by the day.

Looking forward to the clash of son and dad at the ambachadors party!

Virgil the Hut…

the play on names gets one hooked…and the comments are priceless…..

but, still, why am I reading this silly thing!

As far as Sontarans are concerned, I expect the TARDIS any minute.

\\//_

leakysqueaky712 said, about 5 hours ago

I was gone for the weekend Aunt Marg. I had tickets to watch Mr Drew Brees and company send those cardinals AND their sinuses back to Arizona!!!!! How have you been dear aunt??

I remember that old TV commercial! Something like “Taking Dristan is like sending your sinuses to Arizona!” A giant suitcase would close around a man and fly to what purported to be Arizona! Ah, the golden age of advertising!

Hey! Said absurd commercial is on Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6i-cB44qp8

Must be seen to be believed.

Panel 1: Wish this guy would decide which side of his face his mouth is on. Sort of reminds me of the Teevo jaw-bone look when Locher launched him in early 2007 (Teevo was one Locher character that seemed to fit the hilarious description of - “mistake”, mistake, I’m a drake - I’m a drake”)

Panel 2: Now at last, I’m seeing the shadow of the string on the violin that Dotty spoke about. Perhaps I should apologise - for what at first seemed like an absurd observation (?) But there it is, clearly to the right today. Only problem is, the depiction of the instrument shows a paucity - only 3 real strings! (wish Brozman could make up his mind).

Panel 3: Has anyone else noticed, that all the new characters have long flowing hair except “bald as a baby”, Virgil Fat So (?) … and, after that early depiction with long tresses (12-10-09)?

Perhaps, it was just a wig “blown off” in the speeding get-away car, or an unfortunate casualty as Locher “firmed up” his design?

Like a horror movie.

In spite of its many faults, this strip is managing to build suspense in my mind. I am hoping that when the plan is revealed, it will not be a huge let-down. For now, although I’ve advanced a couple of theories, I’m pretty much stumped. I will keep reading, just to see what happens. In that respect, for me at least, the strip is almost as good as “Annie.” But I sure hope it lives up to the tension.

leakysqueaky712: “Who holds a cellphone with their knuckles??”

I tried to hold a phone the way “Virgil Ohso” is holding it.

I now have a broken phone.

Of course, perhaps Sontarans have sticky pads on their knuckles, and this is just another subtle clue. Remember, Macy, the breathing hole is on the back of the neck!

Doesn’t Chris Chendo want to test the violin first?

Marg I don’t know you, if you back gets bad enough get with a Dr. Me I’ve had MRI’s on my neck and lower back cause is nerve pains. A year ago I had surgery on my neck have to to specialist about affecting my shoulder. If all watched MJ service the whole family wore sg seemed odd but late MJ was odd and he wore sg a lot.

Is Virgil wearing a Santa Claus outfit?

Ray C:

Don’t hold your breath…the tension that plays out in these stories usually putters out into senseless endings that go flat like a punctured ballon.

I haven’t read one yet that didn’t…

RayC, I’d agree partly with you. There is an element of anticipation building on what seems like a certain Father and Son clash. I’ve lost confidence in Locher’s abilty to surprise us and make something of it and not just have the usual mawkish, “humdrum” presentation.

I’ve been hoping (fingers crossed for 16 yeqrs), that “K & L”, now Locher will give us an “amazing shocker”. But I’ve been dissapointed 99% of that time. And meanwhile (unlike Annie), the pacing remains the worst in the business.

There was one major “exception” in 2007. The sort of thing you’d think Chet Gould himself had choreographed. Go back in the Archives and read it (it’s worth seeing twice), Sunday, June 24, to July 15, 2007.

Don’t worry about Aunt Marg’s back. If it dont get any better, all her friends in the comment section of Go Comics will take turns walking on her back. Kinda like that movie “Murder on the Orient Express”………We might even title it “Take a Walk on the Wild Side”

”leaky”, No worry … I’m sure there will be many volunteers *;)*

http://shockdom.com/open/carl/

Frank Carter strip number 10 is online. :)

Sydney, if it weren’t for the violin, I’d think that this would be a father/son clash, someone is killed, and Tracy gets to stand by while the real murderer finally ‘fesses up. However, the violin seems to be the center of the mystery here. He’s paid $2 million for it, plus whatever the “adjustments” cost; and he needs to get that back. I’m thinking that an embassy ball, with all the ladies showing off their finest jewelry, could easily net him a huge profit. This is why I’ve been theorizing that the violin is somehow “tuned” to hypnotize people while the crooks go merrily through bagging up necklaces, rings, and other baubles. That may not be it, exactly, but the violin has to “earn its pay” so to speak, otherwise it’s the most elaborate red herring in the history of comicdom.

Kind of to the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody

Is this a real strip It is such a travesty Caught with a blindside No escape from banality Close your eyes Don’t look to sides and flee He’s just poorly drawn boy He needs our sympathy Because it’s really dumb, really slow Never high always low If anyone knows which way the story goes Won’t you please tell it to me To me Oh God, it’s still the same The art is really bad The story is oh so sad Caramba, there’s more to come I wish it would all just go away Trauma, oooh, I often have to wonder why I ‘ll be coming back to this again tomorrow It’s so wrong, oh so wrong as if it really matters

I think I see a little silhouette of a plan What a douche, what a douche, is that Chris Chendo Stradivarius and wiring, are very, very trying to me Allegretto, allegretto, allegretto, allegretto, allegro Pontifico -o-o-o-o-o He’s just plot ploy, whatever that may be He’s just a Sontaran boy from a Sontaran family Now he’s trapped in this monstrosity How he came, will he go, will we really ever know Dismal, ah, no we will never know We want to know Dismal, ah, we will never We want to know, know , know, know Oh Mama mia, mama mia, what’s Abba doing in this song Dick Locher, he really can’t decide, can he, can he, can heeeee

I hope Chris Chendo tightened all the screws on the back of the violin. There’s noting more embarassing than to have the back fall off while you’re playing classical music.

Carlo, great work, as always! I just wish you’d give us more of it, more often!

wndrwrthg, sir, you’ve done it again!

Carlo Coratelli, another good strip. Those ‘businessmen’ in the last panel look mighty evil to me.

Flight Suit, the word ‘Sontaran’.

**Thanks for all the offers of ‘back walking’. I really did get an MRI today to see what’s going on.

I’ll have to take a pass on the comics tonight, as we have to get up much too early tomorrow for a three hour drive. I’ll miss seeing all your comments!

leakysqueaky712 said, about 17 hours ago

Who holds a cellphone with their knuckles?? And anyway, he looks like he’s about to melt. He’s making me sick!!

They aren’t knuckles; they’re the suckers on the end of his tentacles. And he’s not melting; that’s just because without either an exoskeleton or endoskeleton, it’s a little hard to keep your shape.

margueritem said, “I’ll have to take a pass on the comics tonight, as we have to get up much too early tomorrow for a three hour drive. I’ll miss seeing all your comments!”

Hope your MRI will find something that’ll help. Good luck.

Good luck and good health, Marg!

Imagine Virgil Osho and Della Contessa dancing together at the embassy reception.