Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for November 09, 2013

I never much cared (or thought about) the weekday coloring on GoComics, but I have to say that this week’s strips have been excellent, both with the great (frameable art – thank you, Joe Staton) and the great coloring, as well!

Good morning everyone…

Please tell me they are not at the Science Museum!

And, Good Morning to you, Vista Bill.

Looks like the TV studio—not much better for Dick’s health. But what can the surprises be?

“We’ve recreated the greatest death traps of your career in life-size, and would like you to demonstrate how you got out of them!”

No, I’m pretty sure they’re at the TV studio. They do have a dressing room there. However, I find it hard to believe that the producers want it to be a good experience for Tracy, and secondly, I think that surprises can’t be good. This kind of situation is generally much better without surprises.

Of course Tracy is right. And I imagine something will happen to wipe that insufferable grin off Christmas Early’s face, too. No surprise on set is a good surprise.

They can’t be at the Science Museum because it looks like they all made it up the first step.

Last time it was Putty Puss. This time it’s going to be Mummy Mug.

they are going to have some surprises lined up?? I bet ole DT would rather not.

Surprises on set are generally calculated to draw an unexpected reaction from the guest. The more extreme the reaction the more ratings the TV show gets—think Jerry Springer. Tracy should refuse to appear unless he is sure of what will occur. They would have to tell him what the surprises were. What else could they do, cancel the live show?

Yes, the coloring has been great all week!

When was this Putty Puss episode by the way? Was it a recent storyline since Mike’s taken over that I’ve forgotten, or something from the Collins-era?

In the 50’s Flattop Jr. made his appearance….and when Tracy was trying to track him down, he talked to a Mrs. Flattop who talked about Junior as if she were his son. This was reprinted in “Dick Tracy: the ‘Lost’ strips.” I think that was the name of the 4 issue series that was published along with the “Dick Tracy Comics Weekly” series. I believed it reprinted the stories that featured Oodles, “Nothing” Yonsen and introduced Lizz into the strip. I do remember Flattop Junior with that eerie ghost trying to choke him.

If anyone wants to chat with me my email address is silverscorpion007@yahoo.com

Tom

SDM! What are you doing posting on a Saturday? Or did you finally get a computer at home? I know! Don’t tell me…… you got soooo excited about the current arc that you had to shout out to the world how happy you are!