Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for January 31, 2010

That crimestoppers textbook sure coincides with our story.

Please someone, ANYone, educate me. What is the purpose of these peoples faces changing colors? What is it suppose to represent?

Crime slobber test Book: The guard punches the next guy that gets out of line.

Panel #5: The Maestro is purple with passion.. Panel #4: the guard has jaundice.

I thought the security procedures were designed to make fun of my nekkid body.

lmao@ Aunt Marg.

By not getting upset, you’re stopping crime!

The Maestro should be happy now. He got his fiddle back.

According to real security experts (The Isralies) U.S. “security procedures do nothing more than incvenience people. Thats why I don’t fly anymore.

Hey, this one isn’t too bad!

Look at the fingers - they are at least 2/3rds normal!

I should think he would want to know if his precious violin has been fiddled with.

How does he know that it’s HIS stradivarius?

This storyline works. It’s not a masterpiece, but I don’t see plot holes anyway.

Wow!! All this time I’ve been whining about why they needed a Strad. Now I see. Brilliant!! Security (or someone in authority) will excuse it from being scanned. Still, you have to wonder how Virgil knew this would happen. Did he know about the gala back when this started? Did he know the string quartet would be invited? Reasonably plausible, I’d say. But the presence of the rock band with the son was surely not anticipated. This will complicate matters.

But wait: The Strad takes up the entire belt for the scanner. How did they get the cello in there? And they have aroused Tracy’s attention. This has got to spell doom for their nefarious plot.

Nit-picking Department : Does the arm of the Violin (panel 1) look “bent” after it’s attachment to the sound box ? Perhaps that’s how Phil H. instantly recognised it (?) And further, it seems to have flipped ends by panel 5 and note those clumsily drawn shoes and “knees together” legs just above them.

The building (sorry, the “Palace”) doesn’t seem have heating or “aircon”, so uses powerful fans instead, hence Ludwig’s scarf continues to fly and flap in the wind (panel 3).

His well known rage explains the “purple” on Phil’s face but I can’t think of any reason for the others.

And we all wonder how Dicky entered foriegn territory through the scanners while packing “heat” (?) The Wrist Geenee with it’s Taser Gun would have made a lot more sense. But I guess Locher, in the heat of producing “1-a-day” Editorial Cartoons doesn’t have “time” to “think” of these simple and sensible considerations

I’m so glad the scanner has the word “SCANNER” above its entrance, so people will know why their stuff is going through a conveyor belt.

Grimegobber’s Tipsbook: Security procedures are designed to annoy you enough to convince you the gummint is protecting you from terrorists, and disarm you so you have to trust in the stoopid gummint – so be annoyed, and be disarmed, and trust!

-Cougar :{)

Return of the Antigravity Scarf! Looks like there’s some antigravity hair going on, too, but that could be just static electricity. Do you see anyone running around rubbing a balloon on people’s hair, or charging them up with a Van de Graaff generator? Keep an eye out….

-Cougar :{)

Like breaking the Olympic High Jump record on the Moon !

The “round about” story line of buying a Stradivarious for $2. mil in advace of a reception to rig an exposive device and hoping it will “find it’s way” to the Reception, AND that the Ambassador will be standing near to be “killed” when the “explosive” note is struck - is all ONE GIANT STRETCH ! Particularly, to assume that Phil’s String Quartet will be THE Group providing music there with the Strad. If they had done their home work they must have been “known” that the Ambassador liked Rock Music.

It’s another GIANT stretch for Ludwig’s newly formed Band (with no “history” or performance record) could (amazingly) get a plumb assignment, just on the strength of a CD (?)

Not only is it an astronomically EXPENSIVE plan, with success based on a series of incredible, implausible ASSUMPTIONS. This must really be a “one horse” town with only ONE instrumental band, and the “only” rock band around, to make sure all their undivided ideas clicked.

And (if so), as I’ve noted before, why blow up a $12 million violin ? Fix the other one. Getting the Strad to pass security was entirely dependent on Phil Harmonic a)* attending the function, being at security to “instantly” recognise the Strad, and *b) that he would succesfully “prevent” it going through a Security check.

Woe is me - to believe in this multiplicity of “stupidity”

Frankly, it’s ALL facicious nonsense, the “pitfall” of making it all up “day to day” as he went along, without any semblance of a cohesive plan.

It’s disgraceful scripting … really a crass insult to this great comic strip, and sadly there is worse to come !

Pimpslapper’s blackbook: Take off your shoes, lowlife!

@leakysqueaky: It’s heavily stylized shading, meant to draw focus and show where the tension is. It’s similar to the lack of shades of grey in the dailies. Dick Tracy has style, even when it doesn’t have substance!

@Carlo: No plot holes? How about a) somehow, a band’s whole demo record was recorded and digitally mastered overnight and dropped off at a talent agency, b) the talent agency is now recommending a band they’ve never even talked to on the phone based on a CD they got that morning, and c) the string quartet and rock band will play in the same room at the same time? That last one should be blindingly obvious even to people not in the recording industry.

So, um, once it’s explained to them are the security people going to say, “Oh well, since that violin was stolen and has been missing for several days and mysteriously just turned up again, it can’t possibly have a bomb in it. We won’t bother to scan that one. Next!”

-Cougar :{)

Ludwig said, >How does he know that it’s HIS stradivarius?

Because he carved his initials in it, of course. The Strad does not contain a bomb. It has a sophisticated sonic weapon which causes everyone within 100 yards to lose control of their bodily fluids. However, in a clever plot twist, it will turn out the rock band is even worse.

Barticle35, thanks for clearing that up for me.

I notice that Tess and Dick take turns having a tan.

Detective by INVITATION ?

Seems Locher has coined a new writing style for Police stories. Everything (including clues) emerges by ”invitation”.

@ Perfume story - Jan.’09: Invited by Tess to help launch a home made perfume.

@ One Eye Jack - Mar. ‘09: Invited by Gertie to investigate B.O’s gambling habit.

@ Pig-on-wheels story - July ‘09: Invited by Bonnie to attend the Circus and it’s crooked characters.

@ Virgil Ohso - Nov. ‘09: Invited by Tess to attend a concert at Symphony Hall leading to a father and son fight.

@ Virgil Ohso - Dec. ‘09: Invited by Chief Lizz to go to an Embassy Reception where a crime is likely to be commited.

QUESTION: Who will make the next INVITATION, and when ?

And for good measure I could note that last year Diet Smith invited Tracy to meet his new “Robot” and before that Tracy was invited to Sleep in a Haunted House for Charity.

You can’t beat the “hospitality” style of Dick “Invitation” Locher. Don’t be surprised if he is invited to write a few stories for “Law and Order.”

This isn’t quite as bad as airport security, although one step less try courthouse or city security now that is scary. With airport security, and I don’t fly I don’t go anywhere can’t afford to go anywhere, takes all day to go through security with so many foreigners trying to blow airplanes up. People have to be safe.

Ray C, didja catch my response to your Richard Boone reference yesterday?

This is really getting exciting! I don’t know if I can stand the suspense!