Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 23, 2010

1) The car is now a Toyota Prius.

2) Why is Tracy knowingly risking his prisoner’s life?

3) Does the term “hydroplaning” ring a bell? It’s what happens when you drive at speed into a flooded road.

I know. I’ve done it in my Z28. It’s a real blast.

Tracy got his driver’s license in a box of Crackerjacks.

Also, are we to understand that this “street corner lake” is deep enough that the car could become fully submerged? Or is this just Tracy’s sadistic sense of humor?

So that’s how Thick got the job? The FBI knew he’d find a way to “accidentally” kill Mordred? Look, why drown Mordred? Thick’s social skills have already made Mordred suicidal.

Notice how in panel #2 Thick speaks to Moriarty by looking over his left shoulder. That’s quite a trick when you’re behind the wheel.

The mask reminds me of a dust cover on a volkswagon…

Power approach!

Mordred could go straight to the bottom of a flooded street?

Hard to visualize, but it’s also hard to visualize a New Street Corner Lake.

Wow. Tracy has had enough. Hes going to kill himself and Mordred in the middle of a monsoon.

That’s how the strip will end with them floating of into the sunset, never to be heard from again. RAH, RAH, RAH

Panel #3: “You, too, Locher! Speed it up!” Who knew that Mordred had the soul of an editor?

Flightsuit, I’d forgotten about hydroplaning. I was thinking of something else. Plowing. Cars are heavier on their front ends, so as they hit deep water they have a tendency to drive into the water nose first. Rear engine cars might have a better chance, but they’re not common these days. Corvairs haven’t been made since the late 60s and the last rear-engine VW made for sale in the States is a mid-80s product. Even then, when the engine compartment hits water we’re talking major drag. Unless it’s a small puddle, somebody’s going swimming.

Here in the Chicago metro area, viaduct flooding catches a few hapless souls every year who thought their cars could get through, only to find that flooded engines don’t make the best motive forces. Tracy should know this.

Dear TMS, Please end this strip and put Dick Tracy (and us) out of his misery,

Thank you and have a day.

After Thick fouls up and sinks the car, Locher will retcon the story. Either bad guys will have forced Thick into the water, or Thick will have known all along that Diet Smith built it to float (even if the flotation device failed).

With panel #3 Locher has turned Mordred into a badass hero, daring the sadistic thug to carry out his threat. Why Locher would want to do that is anyone’s guess.

Duck Tracy is nearly 80 years old. Clearly, he is not thinking clearly. He and this strip should be retired to the old folks home where they won’t get into any more trouble through stupid decisions. What a quack.

Tracy couldn’t have gotten his driver’s license in a box of Crackerjacks…unless he had help, he’s too dumb to figure out how to open the box.

Seriously, can this strip get any worse? Every day I ask myself that and every day it does.

Hey, you used to get some really cool stuff in a box of Crackerjacks. Of course, that was back when this was a good strip. Now all you get is cheap junk like fake licenses and Yoda-shaped badges. And bad storylines, bad art, and no continuity.

Did I mention the stinking badges?

Badges, badges, badges, badges, mushroom, mushroom…

Sorry.

Does Thick think he is going to add some punishment to the already-convicted prisoner? Hurry up and do whatever you have to, Thick, so the guy can make his getaway. Hopefully, he’ll wrap those 40 pouinds of chains around Macy’s neck.

LOL the Ted Kennedy comparison!

Isn’t there a New Street Corner Lake in Left Dubuque?

I’m waiting for Mordred to tell Thick he has to “go” and could he stop at the next McDonalds. Thick, on the other hand, never has to make that kind of stop. One whiff and you’ll understand why.

The only thing that doesn’t change is the weight of the chains. I guess Locher has written “40 pounds of chains” so many times now it’s stuck in his mind.

-Cougar :{)

wouldn’t a police car – even the namby-pamby decoy car spacy is driving – have a GPS that could get him to an alternate route?

btw the “power approach” is a recipe for certain disaster – on rain-soaked roads and in bars… http://www.archive.org/details/gov.ntis.AVA1295VNB1

this arc is so far from any semblance of reality and the memory of gould’s dt that it’s tragic

Man, that mask is really melting.

Macy must have been watching the snowmobile-skipping videos again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjgjXKD7goM

Doesn’t work as well with a Priapus…

JCFremont said Badges, badges, badges, badges, mushroom, mushroom…

I haven’t seen that for ages. Do you have the URL?

Maybe this is the end of the strip.

On the evening news -

“Famous Dectrective & the World’s Worst Serial Killer drown”

Dick Tracy thought there was a couple inches of rain on the road, but it turned out a large section of the road had washed out and filled up with water.

Thick will do something stupid. I say that with as much authority as I can say the fat man in red (Mattie?) will come Friday night! Bet on it!

Locher is in way too deep for Thick to do anything smart.

puddleglum1066, thanks for figuring out the car’s name. What else could a Dick drive?

MerryMarg Here ya go;

http://www.badgerbadgerbadger.com/

Just don’t watch too long or your brain will start to melt. Kinda like that cake that someone left out in the rain. Or Mordred’s head.

Another one from The Magpie Carping Chorus

We wish you would quit Dick Locher We wish you would quit Dick Locher We wish you would quit Dick Locher And get the bleep out of here Bad writing you bring To us it’s a sin With bad writing you dismiss us Every day of the year Who do you think your fooling Who do you think your fooling Who do you think your fooling Why absolutely no-one here Bad writing you bring I’ll say it again Bad writing just causes us To stand up and jeer The strip has become quite loathsome The strip has become quite loathsome The strip has become quite loathsome So get out the bleep out of here. Thank you Nvash, BillT, woodworker318 and morrow. Great verse Rightwingmoron. Excellent story BASSMANBOB6

I see on the news that 3 people were arrested for stealing an $1.8 Mm Strad violin. The one Thick threw in the pool for a New Years firecracker cost more than that! Besides that, the one in today’s news couldn’t FLOOOOOM!