Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for November 08, 2015

“Vic Smith” …

Not ringing any bells.

“Hangman” is also a word game.

A clue …?

Could be an inside job. Could one of the actors have done this? Who that might be has access to the set.If the trend continues, we will have b/w again tomorrow

Vic Smith was a good friend of mine, he liked to hang aroundSo cheerful and good natured his feet rarely touched the ground.Worked hard for his clients as an agent literaryTo find him swaying on the set unsightly, sad and scary.At first mistaken for a prop, his corpse was a dead ringerFor an inert bag of bones, none knew he was a swinger.Coroner soon cut him down, Vic Smith returned to earthAustin shed a tear for one who had increased his worth.A note pinned to his pocket claimed that soon more would be deadUnless production was shut down, film project put to bed.None may threaten Dick or Lizz who remain on the caseThey follow clues, both hate to lose, they relish a good chase.Lizz secures the crime scene, for Smith is no piñataTook a drop. A man not prop. Detectives really oughtaStrive and race to solve the case lest Hangman kills once moreThe set’s a place for shooting film, not stringing up fresh gore.

So, our criminal has a name — or a least a nickname — “The Hangman,” and Dick Tracy is on the case. This story is rapidly coming together.

I guess Adam Austin’s agent shouldn’t have been visiting the set today (if that’s where he was killed). It doesn’t seem to have turned out well for him.

The Unofficial GoComics Staton/Curtis Death ListAs compiled by boboscar and Tarry PlaguerNOTE: Names with a + were found dead or killed prior to the story start.+ Wormy & Thistledew (Reported dead in armory fire)03/21/11Flyface 04/22/11The Fifth & Eddie Garcia (at the same time) 04/25/11Earl (Flaky and Hot Rize’s innocent co-worker) 05/12/11Hot Rize 05/28/11Emma Parks (A.K.A. Ponytail Mk I) 06/14/11The 2 terrorists who tried to hire and double cross Morning Gloria 08/13/11Big Frost 10/20/11Apparatus Member (Killed by DoubleUp) 10/25/11 & fed to Tonsils 10/27/11Flaky Biscuits (never confirmed, but implied) 10/29/11+ Sizzler Sitzes (Hired by Kadaver to kill Charles Adams A.K.A. Baron Clovis in a hit and run. Was then shot and killed by Kadaver to keep him quiet) 10/31/11 identified 11/09/11Cueball 01/31/12 Mr.. Levitz (Doubleup’s main henchman in his first story; later killed by Kadaver to get Doubleup off) 03/13/12+ Vincent Vinyl 05/05/12 confirmed 05/11/12The 3 supporting members of the Mumbles Quartet 05/20/12Lt. Teevo 07/06/12 confirmed 07/18/12Panda 07/15/12 confirmed 07/23/12Davey Mylar (A.K.A. Mr. Crime Mk II) 07/13/12 tombstone 09/30/12+ Arthur Curry (aquarium director) 08/22/12Bookie (Measles’ partner) 10/14/12Measles 11/10/12+ Stephen Baux’s fiancée 02/08/13 identified 02/27/13Simon Baux A.K.A. Sweat Box 02/24/13Diet Smith Industries Guard (supposedly killed by Bardoll) 06/25/13 (uncertain; shown lying on the ground and called a “casualty” on 6/29/13, but unconfirmed)Bardoll 07/07/13 confirmed 07/16/13Hy Pressure 09/28/13 confirmed 10/08/13Drs. Sail, Ghote, and Flash Munroe? (still alive last we saw them, and ambiguous that they’re dead, but it often sounds like Curtis thinks of them as dead) 10/18/13Bill “Shortcake” Mitchell (apparatus member) (never confirmed, but implied) 10/31/13Miles Mycroft 01/26/14Mr.. Kolossal 04/30/14Ed Rosato (never confirmed, but implied) 05/14/14Tabby Angus 05/28/14The Butcher of the Balkans A.K.A. Henrik Wilemse (Punjab placed his magic blanket over him, sending the Butcher on to “fly with the Maji” where none have ever returned) 07/27/14Axel’s “crack combat troops” (implied to have all gone the same way as The Butcher of the Balkans a la Punjab) 09/30/14Axel 10/05/14Otis 12/05/14Mrs.. Flattop 03/01/15 confirmed 03/06/15Cork 04/29/15 confirmed 05/01/15Fontane 05/06/15 confirmed 05/12/15Jimmy Choo Shooz 06/04/15Melies 8/23/15 confirmed 8/31/15Rocket Munroe & Apollo (They would’ve been fatally shot by 09/12/15, on 09/13/15 it’s implied Venus is the only one on that floor still alive, on 09/21/15, Rocket & Apollo are among those on that floor who are identified.)VENUS IS DEAD FISH DEAD!!! 09/22/15+Vic Smith 11/07/15

.Good morning everyone!

Didn’t Christine play the sheriff lady in Fargo?-—————————————-If you’re joking, I’m not sure what your point is, but the police chief in the movie Fargo was played by Frances McDormand, the wife of director Joel Coen. Her counterpart in the TV series was played by Allison Tolman.

If the note is handwritten, they should be able to tell if it’s by the same person as the earlier letters. I suspected Vera, but maybe not. As for the murder, who of the Dick Tracy rogue’s gallery that we saw depicted are still alive? Mumbles might take issue with being depicted as a cop, even a corrupt one. We didn’t see what happened to him after his kerfuffle with Punjab, but I can’t believe that they’d off an old veteran of the strip just like that. Of course, we saw that his distinctive speech pattern even carried over to his writing.

Could Austin be the culprit?

( It’s too early to be ruling things out. )

I think the killer is going to be a victim or a family member of a victim of one of Tracy’s rouges gallery who doesn’t like the idea of a movie being made presenting the one who hurt him or her in a positive light.

“The Hangman’s Knot” was a locale in “Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome”

“The Hangman” is, judging from the note, flamboyant and overly dramatic.(Must be Vitamin Flintheart! —just joking.)It is still too early to identify any suspect, but I do think this will turn out to be an inside job; i.e., perpetrated by someone part of or connected to The Midnite Mirror filming.Is there a little tension between Tracy and Lizz underlying that last panel, or am I just reading their remarks with the wrong inflections?

Should Dick Tracy be the person to investigate this crime? After all, the movie is about Dick Tracy. Wouldn’t this be a conflict of interest?

The fellow with the pipe and goatee looks an awful lot like the late, great comic book artist.illustrator GRAY MORROW. Was that intended as a tribute. If so, a big thumbs up.

Hope no one’s offended by my listing of Venus. It’s just that I felt her “death” strip was effective enough, that it’s best to assume she’s dead unless we hear otherwise. If we get final confirmation, I’ll stop being as insistent about it on the death list. If I’m wrong and it turns out she lives, I’ll repost my death list but without her on it.I’m not sure I’d want to ask Curtis about this. It’s fun to speculate, and watching us speculate might give Curtis time to change his mind.Oh, and one last thing:VENUS IS DEAD FISH DEAD ;)

In the panel where Tracy is introducing himself to Flattop et al, he looks like he is scratching himself. (We used to call that “pocket pool”) On the classy side, PQ, you hit another homer!

Has anyone considered that this may not be the real Dick Tracy?

Phantom of the Opera…uh, cinema, Dick Tracy style.

Don’t like it when an ionic comic strip like this no longer needs a recap on Sundays? It just keeps the story going!

They know how to keep us coming back… Thanks Mike & Joe for a great comic strip..its a blast from the past!!

I don’t see Belle on your list, boboscar. Her status is, dare I say, identical to that of Venus: likely dead but not confirmed. We see her prone after being shot on 1/2/13. I will take the absence of Belle on the list as an invitation to suggest that just possibly Venus Lives! I had her dead in rhyme one time. Was that a crime? ;)

Thanks to Night-Gaunt49, 22ph, Gweedo, Dsnerker, Ray Toler, Morrow and Chris Sherlock for the kind words. Very much appreciated!

“Every” Dick Tracy – story has ‘elements’ of ‘mystery’ in them . . .

For Tracy, at the scene of the Crime ‘everything’ may be a mystery which he must now ‘investigate’, perhaps to find motive and eventually ‘who’ did it

Usually, the reader has the additional perspective of knowing who did the killing or crime and follows the progress … while Tracy collects clues, as he too also tries to find out.

A few stories will come too with short sequences where the reader too may briefly be puzzled for a few days, a week, but seldom, (if ever ?) for the entire duration.

And we’re fortunate to have been informed from collective wisdom on the issue, that came in many useful posts yesterday.

The WIKIPEDIA ‘descriptions’ below are also helpful . . .

(A) A Whodunit is a plot driven story of the detective variety in which the puzzle is paramount.

A whodunit or whodunit (for “Who [has] done it?” or “Who did it?”) is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the audience is given the opportunity to engage in the same process of deduction as the protagonist throughout the investigation of a crime. The reader or viewer is provided with the clues from which the identity of the perpetrator may be deduced before the story provides the revelation itself at its climax.

I may have overlooked something on this issue, but the closest I recall a Tracy story resembling a ‘Whodoneit’ was Kilian’s (Nov/Dec) 1997 tale of a Tracy’s Class Reunion where murders were committed by Mayor Baxters wife (a psychiatric case) and we found out at the end. Tracy ’stumbled* on to it, rather than he (or readers) provided with any leads /clues to figure it out !

(Item of interest Mayor Baxter was a unique replica of Dick Locher, drawn by him)

The ‘name’ (with that question mark) of that 1982/83 story “Who Shot Pat Patton?” was actually the most mysterious element in that tale. If the name Chief Climber didn’t give readers a “heads-up”(?)… the new Chief’s several (‘rub you. the wrong way’) actions, were a clear give away. Tracy had to became a ‘Private Detective’.

And it helped, that Climber was the only one ‘around’ that seemed to have a motive

“The Hangman” eh? Why am I thinking that a certain grim hitman with a contract on the Chief of Detectives might be involved….?

-———————————————

@boboscar

‘Hesitate’ to ask . . .

But are you truly “comfortable” with the following recent additions to the Death List ? . . .

Melies 8/23/15 confirmed 8/31/15Rocket Munroe & Apollo (They would’ve been fatally shot by 09/12/15, on 09/13/15 it’s implied Venus is the only one on that floor still alive, on 09/21/15, Rocket & Apollo are among those on that floor who are identified.)VENUS IS DEAD FISH DEAD!!! 09/22/15

I ask this given the perfunctory, “hurried” (less than normal detailed ‘wrap up’) we saw on Monday Oct. 5.Patton talks of “Crew arrested” -. Doesn’t mention any Deaths ! ? ?

In regards to some questions about my death list…Pequod, there’s actually quite a bit of difference between Belle and Venus. If you’ll notice on that panel, Belle’s speech balloon is firm, while Venus’ final speech balloon on 9/22/15 is wavering, implying she’s dying (or passing out). Belle’s last words could mean she’s dying or she thinks she’s dying, but could also mean she’s not going to be partners with Cinnamon (was that her name?) anymore because even if she’s survives, she’s going to jail. Venus’ last words have no ambiguity. Dick tries to assure her that the medics will be here soon. She replies, “Don’t worry…they won’t be here in time…for me…” and her speech balloon wavers as she dies/passes out. Venus clearly thinks she’s dying at the very least. Finally, that’s not the last we saw of Belle. The very last we’ve seen of her was the next day, 1/3/13, where she can be seen on a stretcher (and her face hasn’t been covered) while a medic is giving her some IV treatment. Since the last we saw of Belle, her wounds were being tended to, in the absence of any further evidence we’ve no reason to assume she’s dead. Since the last we saw of Venus, she was stating the medics wouldn’t get to her in time as she was seemingly dying, in the absence of any further evidence we’ve no reason to assume she’s alive. Similar reasoning is why I don’t list B-B Eyes and Fritz Ann, but do list Melies, Rocket, and Apollo.And yes, Sydney, I’m comfortable with those names on my list because I know I’m not infallible. If I’m wrong about any of them, I can always correct my mistake by taking them off the list on the day I’m proven wrong.

I’m not sure you saw the comment to you I posted very late on yesterday’s strip. If not, have a look. I’ll have more to say about Gene Siskel a little later.

A good day to all readers.-————@Pequod: A most excellent poem.-————@Boboscar: Thanks for posting the list.-————Be healthy, wealthy and wise my friends.

I don’t mind spoilers, usually, but they really upset some people.

I only mention the comment I posted last night because I lost track of time an may have posted it after the new strip was up. It doesn’t necessarily need a reply.

I was thinking that “Adam Austin” looked familiar on some other level as well, and was wondering if perhaps Mike and Joe had borrowed the likeness of “Spider-Man” foe MYSTERIO, in his one-time guise as psychiatrist “Dr. Ludwig Rinehart” – But I couldn’t find any pics posted online to support that theory!

You’ll just have to settle for this torn-from-tomorrow’s headlines excerpt from the very same story …

Then – As if on cue – I found the splash page …

Austin does look a bit like Rinehart/Mysterio, perhaps foreshadowing the entire affair – from novel series to film adaptation – might be an elaborate ruse to draw Tracy into a tangled web of deceit and intrigue.

Definitely a “Mysterio”-style gambit.

Potentially an Abner Kadaver-style gambit as well?Things are not always as they appear, When Reflected in The Midnight Mirror!

Am very much looking forward to your say on Gene.

I’m working towards a deadline, and that comment will take a little time to write, so I’ll leave it till later tomorrow.

Steve Ditko, circa 1965.

There’s also this odd film which sort of ties into FARGO, if anyone’s interested

Victor Timothy Smith, perhaps?

Vic Smith was a good friend of mine, he liked to hang around

So cheerful and good natured his feet rarely touched the ground.

Worked hard for his clients as an agent literary

To find him swaying on the set unsightly, sad and scary.

At first mistaken for a prop, his corpse was a dead ringer

For an inert bag of bones, none knew he was a swinger.

Coroner soon cut him down, Vic Smith returned to earth

Austin shed a tear for one who had increased his worth.

A note pinned to his pocket claimed that soon more would be dead

Unless production was shut down, film project put to bed.

None may threaten Dick or Lizz who remain on the case

They follow clues, both hate to lose, they relish a good chase.

Lizz secures the crime scene, for Smith is no piñata

Took a drop. A man not prop. Detectives really oughta

Strive and race to solve the case lest Hangman kills once more

The set’s a place for shooting film, not stringing up fresh gore.