Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for May 30, 2014

The bullet didn’t kill Angus. It only grazed him. It was the sudden stop of him hitting the Earth that did the trick!

Again … the Armed citizen saves the day.

Hopefully they’ll look up and he’s gone…

I like the glow in the dark bow tie and neck ties, really cool.

After being taken down by Angus in the studio, I’m surprised Montana Joe could see straight to fire. Concussions are nasty things (been there, done that, oooooo…).

Good morning fellow DT fans!*

Couldn’t Montana Joe have called out to Tracy and Sam to alert them?

Good morning VistaBill!

I think Joe saw that there wasn’t time to warn them, so he did what he had to do. I think he learned something when Jerome Trohs stole that horse from him… or did the horse steal Trohs?

MJ has to feel good about saving the day. I am personally glad that TA is history, I wonder who will get his race horse?Glad ole Sparkplug didn’t spook & bolt with the gunfire and all.

The mention of the Nitrates reminded me: I bet that story ended as it did because of scheduling problems.If that story ran another few weeks (as it likely would have), then it would have delayed the Angus story, and delayed the start of the big summer cross-over story with Daddy Warbucks’ search for Annie until mid-June or later.(We know that one’s due to start next week, and will probably run through August.)So we’ll have to wait until autumn (at least) to see about the Nitrates’ fate. Too bad, the story really picked up when Silver struck his sister, and the tension between them was building. Going to be hard to re-create that.

Good morning, I hate to say it, but I don’t comment on the strips much because of arthritis in my fingers, but sometimes I do—this is one of those times. In most states, Tracy would have top confiscate Joe’s rifle and charge him with illegal transporting a rifle. Most states require that the rifle bolt be in a different location than the rifle when transporting and it must not be loaded. In a car this would probably be rifle in trunk and ammo and bolt locked in glove compartment. Since Joe has a truck, the rifle would be in a rack behind the seat in some states and in others locked in a case since there would be no trunk. Tracy would be required to take Joe in, though a judge could release him on his own recog. A court date would be set on the charge of illegal transportation of a rifle in operating condition. That’s not what they call it, but it describes the offence. Hope I got all my mis-strikes corrected

Here is my understanding of what has happened.

Tracy and Sam are on the way to question and if necessary arrest Angus, after hearing Clarks confession.

Angus has seen the morning paper, and is out riding his horse, Sparkplug, while he tries to figure a way out of the mess he is in. Talking it through with the horse helps him to think, and helps him to keep his cool. He realizes he has been out and about for longer than he thought and that Sparkplug is getting thirsty, seeing the radio tower he decides to ride over and ask if he can get something to water his horse.

He meets Montana Joe, who says that sure he can help and tells him to come inside.

They enter the building just as “The Sounds of Plenty” get ready to start. Carl sees them walk in and says, over the air. “And here’s Montana Joe and a friend?”Montana Joe says, "Yes, Carl it’s our good neighbor Tabby Angus! " Tabby realizes that his location has just been broadcast over the radio. He does what any wanted criminal would do in that situation, he freaks, striking Montana Joe and presumably Carl, knocking them both out. Gertie and Sparkle scream, and Angus tells them to be quiet. He is unaware that the mic is still on. At this time all Angus can think about is escaping from the radio station as fast as possible. He pulls his gun and tells Gertie to give him the keys to the truck he saw outside.He discovers that the truck is Montana Joes and that they don’t have the keys. He then decides to take their car and use them as hostages if needs be. Just then Tracy arrives and they have their fist fight.

Meanwhile, Montana Joe has come to and slipped out the back door (the same one he and Angus came in) he walked around the building and approached his truck from the passenger side opening the door and getting his gun from the rack. About this time Tabby walks out the front door, but doesn’t see Montana because he is on the drivers side of the truck. Angus has retrieved his gun, but doesn’t think he can get away on Sparkplug with two armed cops just behind him, he notices the ladder and decides to climb up high, figuring Tracy and Sam won’t expect him to be up there.

Montana thinks about sneaking up behind him and hitting him over the head with the rifle butt, but then notices he is holding a gun. He decides to get his ammo from the glove-box instead, and loads his rifle while Angus climbs the ladder.

Rifle loaded, he takes a bead on Angus, and gets ready to tell him to drop the gun and come down. At the same time Tracy and Sam come running out of the station. Montana decides he doesn’t have time to warn them of Angus just above their heads, so he fires and kills Angus.

Angus falls, and that is the end of the story.

Does it make any more sense now?

Of course with both Abner and Tabby dead, two leads to the Blackheart gang are gone too, Does Tracy even KNOW they’re out there?

So is there any chance that Angus’ appearance at the radio station was not random? That Montana Joe might actually be part of the Blackhearts? Angus’ appearance was intended to take Joe out, but failed? And Joe took out Angus instead?

I know, kind of a long shot, but it makes more sense that what we have seen so far….

A little exposition helps clarify the events of the last few strips. Thanks, Joe!…………………………………………Tarry Plaguer has spelled it out in long form, in case Montana Joe’s version was too condensed for some of us….

I like how Staton shows characters in shadows whenever something “shady” is going on, like when someone is giving a confession/explanation about a potential crime that’s been committed. I’m thinking of the recent interview with Diet about the missing space coupe.

Another example:

And now, a potential farewell, for now, at least..The feline bull story (Tabby Angus) has ended, not shedding a lot of light on characters introduced a year ago in the Moon Maid story – other than to let us know that Richard and friends are probably still quite blissful about their existence..And while Moon Maid appeared briefly, alas, it was only a tease. I don’t even think she got out of her trailer long enough to make a trailer!.I was then, and still remain, the loudest voice asking for a return of the real Mysta the Moon Maid..I’m still quite a bit uneasy with this Mindy “evolving” into Mysta ploy. I used “evolving” because one of you used that word, though I don’t know which of you, and Go Comics makes it nearly impossible to look up past comments..Indeed, Go Comics has become very frustrating of late. Let me get this straight: It’s my responsibility to download or purchase sophisticated ad blocker software in order to enjoy my daily funnies?.Perhaps all the lingerie ads aren’t for lingerie at all – they are all paid for by ad blocker software websites, knowing that they will annoy us into purchasing their products!.Last, and certainly least: I have to admit that of all the classic comic strips of the last century, Little Orphan Annie is probably the least interesting to me. In particular, I was disturbed by the direction Harold Grey was taking his characters as he ended his tenure with the strip..So, where have we gone in, what is it, two and a half years?.Well, last year, we had the return of one dominant, strong-willed female character. This year, we will examine yet another strong-willed female character..Along the way, we have had a healthy dose of nostalgia. One thing nice about the last couple of days is that Montana Joe now has a new face – and apparently will return to Dick Tracy as not-just-a-comic-relief character..But, thanks in part to Mr. Kollosal, I don’t think I’m ready for more characters with blank eyes..Though I will still be on the lookout for more Moon Maid sightings..Not to mention, more J. Straightedge Trustworthy!.I don’t know why I’m drawn to this Vera Alldid character. Perhaps it is because he is so off-balanced that he brings more unpredictability to the strip than almost any other character..And he’s not a criminal! Misguided, a misfit to be sure, but I think he has the most potential to shake up this comic strip!.So, I’ll be on the lookout..But for now, adieu.

Owlhoot? Gabby Hayes lives!!!

True story: I live in Texas where we believe in the 2nd Amendment to the core! Several years ago, there were two deer hunters stopped across the highway in a roadside park. Across the road, a DPS officer had pulled over a man to question him on a possible violation (he was from California) and wanted for murder. He got the DPS’ revolver away from him and emptied the cartridges into the downed officer who by this time was wounded from the struggle. As the scene took place, one of the deer hunters took aim and dispatched the killer. The deer hunters made the law aware of what happened. Long story short the Texas Rangers presented this man with a Colt 1911 inscribed from the cadre of officers involved with law enforcement in Texas. True Texans do not believe in calling out for someone who is bound and determined to end your life to drop their weapon nor do we ask to try and tell them they must have had a bad life and we know they should be rehabilitated. What trauma! Colt made his company on the backs of the Texas Rangers and a General fighting the Mexicans (thus the Patterson and Walker Colts). Let us remember the Alamo and the courage of many Texans in battle such as Audie Murphy! Don’t mess with Texas!

Sorry I wasn’t clearer. My nephew was killed.

After Joe took the trouble to design the costume for Mysta in the Moon Maid movie and release a poster of it, it is a shame that the making of the movie did not play more of a part in this arc. Or, that we did not get to see more of Mysta in the costume. Perhaps other investors will pick up the slack and the movie will be made in the future and (hopefully) will play more of a part in the strip.

I wrote a note to mod yesterday asking for his re-installation. ________________________

When did Avenger09 get booted? I don’t know which conversation you are referring to concerning this flagging? I was not aware that a lot of flagging was going on. I know that there are sometimes disagreements but it seemed to me that things were pretty affable on this particular board.

Gweedo, I honestly don’t know anything except he disappeared. I never flag him, or anyone else, for that matter. Mattie used to flag the entire board, it seems, and it never did any good. I do remember when Mattie went on that rampage and a few people flagged him, but I figure the moderator read half of the first sentence and pulled the plug on him. Of all the people who got permanently benched here, I suspect the true identities are somewhat less. But I don’t know the details of where the boy disappeared to. Twasn’t me, either! I enjoyed jousting with him, as you all know. Anyone who takes this stuff seriously has a big problem.

Here, the Sheriff would refer the case to the D.A.. Then, the D.A. would exmine the evidence and decide whether he has enough to convict. If so, then he refers it to the Grand Jury. If the Grand Jury “no bills” Joe Montana, which is a 99% sure thing, he gets his rifle back and goes his way.. You are from Houston; look how the Grand Jury no-billed Joe Horn when he gunned down a couple of Mexican burglars who were burglarizing the house next door!

Montana Joe must be the fabled “good guy with a gun.” he is, astute readers will note, fictional.