Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for January 14, 2011

Can Testicle Chin slide any further downhill? And isn’t it a good thing that Locher included the “Dead” tag so we could understand what it means when all lines of communications are down?

Okay, Horn Hair, maybe you could, uh, put on your all-weather gear and make a maximum effort? Any idea where to look for Thick?

I vote we stand around and talk about it.

Soooo much low-hanging fruit today! Is that “dead” thing supposed to be a cell phone? Did we really need a sign with an arrow pointing to it to drive the point home?

Did we ever have any doubt as to the Naperville PD’s helplessness?

The arrow on the sign is pointing in the wrong direction. It should be pointing to the name of the strip.

At least there’s some action today. Testicle Chin waves his arms, which in turn causes Horn Hair’s horn to flip up. And poor TC is half the man he used to be, seeing as he only sports one bulge on his chin today.

“When in danger or in doubt, “Run in circles, scream and shout.”

Liz, do nothing, and put Dick and us out of our misery.

Hey, what about that serial killer Thick was escorting? Nobody mentioned him today! How can the readers remember Dr. Mordred and Thick’s mission if this isn’t brought up every time we revisit Police Hooters? Does this mean Locher has forgot about him? Will poor Thick find himself all alone in the storm tomorrow?

As they stand in the station warm and dry Somewhere under a black and stormy sky There are those sworn to protect and serve Battling the forces that test their nerve But Naperville’s finest just quake and quiver Down their spines there runs a shiver “It’s raining hard, the lines are dead” Are the plaintive words of their dread Their job, of them, makes too many demands They can only cry and wring their hands One of their own is in grievous peril But they’ve forgotten their all weather apparel They stand there and snivel and twit What happens to others, they don’t give a bleeep But the main reason they are so glum Is that their pizza may not come So join them tomorrow, they’ll be here Where they’ll prepare Tracy’s bier.

Good one, Wonder Warthog.

I’ve looked at

http://www.plainclothescomics.com/mcs.htm

Their panels are only marginally larger than the ones shown here, yet they pack more detail and information into them than Locher does. The artwork is infinitely better, and only uses one shade of gray in addition to the black and white art. So what excuse does Locher have for his poorly-drawn figures, silhouettes, panel-filling faces and recycling of crudely-drawn buildings?

(The blame can’t all go to Brozzie. I’ve looked at Locher’s editorial cartoons. His hands are worse-drawn than here.)

After a couple of decades with AT&T, I recently switched to Verizon.

I told AT&T it was because they didn’t offer me an unlimited data plan like Verizon did, but it was really because they offered me the same smart phone shown in today’s strip.

If I’d taken their deal, I’d be the only one among my friends with a smart phone with only three buttons, and that would be beyond silly.

Stating the obvious department: This arc has been beyond hopeless since it started. Find the absolutely stupidest thing to do, the most moronic thing to say then do it seems to be the Tracy strip motto.

Liz wants to do something, but with no clear idea where Tracy is (he took a detour from the regular route) all she would gain is losing the entire department in the storm. TC says they’re helpless— grab another donut and a cup of joe.

I say— dive officer, let the air out of this boat. Get us below the thermocline, maybe Locher’s stupid plotline won’t find us there.

That isn’t a smart phone in Horn Hair’s hand. That’s her make-up compact. Locher is blaming the character for his inability to make her look good.

Thank you, WW. You made my day!

Y’know, I was actually looking forward to finding out what was going to happen inside that granary (which in itself is an obvious cry for help or, at the very least, a sign that I should get out more) but instead we get (sigh) this. Geez, get on with it, Locher!

I should point out, though, that Horn Hair’s coordinated earrings are a nice touch. Very artsy.

Has anyone seen the useless Lt. Teevo?

Why do I keep reading this mess?

ANNIE FANS

Today’s (Jan 14) strip is at

http://www.gocomics.com/annie/2002/01/14

Her makeup compact is dead?

Hey Ludwig! I have been wondering about Useless Lt. Teevo for almost a year now and it seems that Liz sent him to find a ribbon for their dot matrix printer. He’s having a hard time. The Hallmark stores keep asking him “What kind of ribbon?”

Meanwhile… Dick and Mordred are happily munching on grain!

Just like Spacy, Liz keeps forgetting to put in her false teeth. Senility is awful!

Clearly the “Dead” device is a Communicator from the original Star Trek series.

Ok, we get it!!! It’s a STORM!!! It’s BAD!!! FOR GOD’S SAKE, MOVE ON!!!!

now, take that balloon with the word ‘dead’ and move it to the outside of the panels and point it towards the Title of the strip.

there! that’s better

“I know! The heck with him! Who’s up for chinese food?!” “AYE!” “AYE!” “Eye?” “Oy?”

Gee, Liz is really on the ball. She realizes Thick’s life is at stake here. Isn’t that being “a day late and a dollar short?”

The suspense is mounting at a rate of one iota a week. It should come to a climax sometime in late summer.

I agree on the late summer thing, but what year?

“but it’s really too bad that the all-weather gear makes me look so fat! I couldn’t possible been seen in public with that on!”

I have seen the next couple of weeks of this drivel, and believe me, it gets even worse.

Who’d have thought that was even possible?

why does the lamest strip get the most comments?

It gets the comments because at one time Dick Tracy was a widely-respected work of art. People still expect it to provide entertainment of the same calibre provided by Chester Gould. Instead of that, Locher slaps everyone in the face with a display of incompetence that defies belief. Somehow this strip demands that readers mock it, as if to reclaim an American icon from Locher’s toxic possession.

You wonder how Horn Hair realizes that Thick’s life is in danger. She has no evidence that he’s in immediate danger. Then it dawns on you that even she must know Thick doesn’t have enough sense to come in from the rain. Thick is likely to stand outside and stare up at the clouds with his mouth agape, until his mouth fills with water and he drowns.

Neonleon59, please don’t spoil what’s to come! I want to see if I can imagine anything as bad as Locher’s next atrocity. The door opens and they find a five foor long ear of freshly-cooked corn. They eat it.

Then a man enters the room. He announces that he’s a farmer who raises genetically-modified crops. “Two travelling salesmen!” he says as he welcomes his unexpected guests. “You’re welcome to stay the night, but we’re very crowded, so one of you will have to sleep with my daughter. She’s been lonely ever since I accidentally infected her with the corn DNA.”

I’m sure Locher will out-stupid that one, with both brain cells tied behind his back.

Lizz looks more guyish each time I see her!

why does the lamest strip get the most comments?

Actually, some good strips get a lot of comments. Pibgorn used to get so many comments i could never read them all. For some reason the author had them taken down. Annie used to get a lot of comments, and still does even tho Annie herself is long gone.

Froxkrybra said, 30 minutes ago

Lizz looks more guyish each time I see her!

After 25 years Liz is channelling her death-bed husband, Groovy Grove. Give her time, soon she’ll quit plucking the fuzz from her lip!

calvin and hobbes, fbofw and lio are others that get lots of comment on any given day but for sheer fun and cleverness the comments each day on DT are the best and the only thing that makes locher’s atrocity bearable to read.

You gotta love Testicle Chin’s posturing. When did he become Nappingville’s Surrender Monkey? Or is he describing the shark that ate Teevo on his last, fateful doughnut run?

I wonder if the “Dead” tag is pointing to the speed dial button for DT. We could only hope that this is some clumsy “foreshadowing” and DT and this whole pathetic strip will be “Dead” soon

It’s fortunate that the electric power is still ok.

next week the exciting nothing rumbles on

Liz says that they must do something. Are there any policemen on duty on the streets? We know there is at least one… the one holding the stop sign. Opps! I forgot all lines of communication are down!

Dick and Mordred were approaching a building - the suspense was building but then we go back to Liz and Sam re-hasing the same comments.