Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 26, 2015

I wonder about the tattoo of the dice. Do you think he might be a gambler?

Well Alright! A new villain (one must assume) for the new year! Looking forward to 2016 already!

“Specs” …?

Excellent transition.

And I like them already.

Yes! A new adventure.-—————I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I know that I did. Be healthy, wealthy and wise my friends.

She’s too pretty to be a bad guy !!!

Well, she wouldn’t be the first pretty bad guy in this strip!

.Good morning guys! Hope everyone had a pleasant Christmas!.I like what I’m seeing! Spicy and Specs, eh?.Santa has put the reindeer away until next year…

Specs and his girl Spicy…..seems Specs calls the shots and Spicy grudgingly goes along.

I wonder if “Specs” might be related to “Spots” …

let me guess…the other wrist has a tattoo with a roll of 7

I immediatelty thought of the old villain named “Headache”, a pathetic guy who had something to do with slot machines.____________________

“Spots” definitely has a headache, that’s for sure.____________________

Then, the name “Specs” reminded me of Groovy Grove’s blind daughter, before I realized her name was actually “Tinky”.____________________

“Tinky” is among my earliest “Dick Tracy” memories …

Once seen, it cannot be unseen.

While looking for reference on “Spots” – who, I believe, serves as Sydney’s avatar/icon – came across this strip …

… which reminded me that, in those days, each daily strip was composed so that the bottom 1/4 – the area just below Gould’s signature – could be cropped off at the discretion of the individual newspapers.

The result is that the composition of the “full” versions feels unbalanced, as if all of the important elements are “floating” more towards the top of the frame.

Drives me a little nuts.

“Specs …”

“Spicy …”

… could these be “Spot’s” kids?

“Spots” was married.

… and the naming pattern would seem to fit.

And so it begins….Specs (with big-time headaches) and Spicy—yeah, she’s cute; too bad—, a set of probable villains for 2016. I wondered, also, about the dice-tattoo. He may well be a gambler, unless the tumbling dice [Stones reference acknowledged] are a symbol of some sinister gang or organization. He seems to be a bit OCD about the Christmas tree and its needles, after just one day; maybe his headaches are tension-related. And what is covered by his big hand across his face? Does he wear “specs”?

There have been 3 Little Girls from Tracy’s (earlier) past, that should not be “confused” with a grown male seen today - called “SPECS” . . .

There had been Tinky the little blind girl from 1971 acting as a counter point to, and also blind at the same time as Tracy . . .She would eventually turn out to be Groovy Grove’s daughter.

Then earlier there had been Themesong the street singing girl from the 1946 Shoulders appearance . . .

And then, the 1956 deaf and dumb Little Spec (a.k.a Spec Bondy),who appeared in the Ivy case )(mother named Flossie) . . . but she was eventually ‘adopted’ by B.O. Plenty and Gravel Gertie.

A point of some ‘interest’, she was the “favourite character” of the late Andy Feighery (he told me so) and as a result called his publication company in Colorado Springs - Spec Productions, printing among other things the ‘then’ previously ‘unpublished’ work of Chester Gould.He’d also had been recognised by TMS as running The ‘Official’ Dick Tracy Fan Club - until he died rather ‘suddenly’ some 3 years or so – ago . . .

By that time, he had (further) reprinted all Max Collins Tracy with Rick Fletcher and up to mid February 1986 with Dick Locher.

“SPECS” in the current context, refers I suspect (?)to ‘glasses’ (?) which I assume will help to solve the ‘headache’ problems *. . .

and then with those in place, we’ll see the final ‘image’ now partly obscured by hand and a justification for the ‘unusual’ name ! (?)

Spicy and Specs. Okay, TBC

Specs again feels searing painTiny needles nick his brainThe hammers pound and multiplyFamiliar this migraine.Be gone now dry Christmas treeFalling needles all Spec seesSpicy fears things have grown worseTo the Pharmacy she flees.

These two weren’t created for a two-month story back in 1963 or something?

Nope, I’m pretty sure these two are new.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I know that I did. Be healthy, wealthy and wise my friends.

@Pequod: Excellent poem.

If those are dice tattooed on his wrist, then somebody rolled a thirteen the hard way.

Where can I find the DT strip after February, 1986?Can anyone help me?Thanks.

Rack!

I bet “specs” has something to do with “specifications”. Consider his comments about the Christmas tree. Bet he’s some kind of perfectionist.

Spicy does seem to be a good “bad girl” name.

The names Spicy and Specs ‘run well’ together - but we’ll just have to wait (till the hands gone) to see . . . How his facial appearance with spectacles ‘measures up’ for a Dick Tracy Rogues Gallery . . . ??

@GweedoI missing something here? Tracy is talking to Vitamin Flintheart about his investment broker?

Re: Spec ProductionsThe website disappeared around January 2014, so it’s been gone nearly two years. Nobody has been able to get any information, really, since Andy died.