Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for November 04, 2022

Good morning™, everyone!

Well, at least we have left the question of reverse engineering, at least for now.

Mr. De Haven is a long-time fan of Dick Tracy. He wrote in his blog (http://cafepinfold.com/tracydugan-comic/):

To me “Dick Tracy” was the pinnacle of strip comics; I remember lying in bed at night wondering what mayhem tomorrow’s installment would contain, and also wondering how old I’d have to be (17? 18?) before I could show up at Chester Gould’s front door (but where did he live?) and beg him to let me be his assistant.

De Haven was very surprised when he opened up the strip of November 16, 2011, and saw that Sam mentioned that “Derby Dugan” was his favorite comic strip.

Both Sam and Robert look very pleased to meet him.

fanboys R us… and Sam has got his pen at the ready for that much-treasured autograph… jeez, Sam is acting un-Sam-like as of late… first as a fanboy geeking out and then as a brainless, bumbling buffoon…

“You’re welcome for the autograph there Mr. Detective Sam. Say, you got yourself a new car yet? Where’s it parked?

Good morning™, cross over cronies !

A-a-a-a-an-n-d we’re off !!!  Neil’s dropped quotes do help soften the blow as we are dealing with a living person who now is a personal associate to Mr. C. Even Robert is enthralled by the presence of a ‘Great one’. If Rob does any time at least he will have a sweet memory to look back on while he drops the soap in the shower …………………. repeatedly.

I guess it’s OK if Mike wants to use a strip to give a friendly shout-out to a writer he really likes it’s OK. But you’d think he’d have it appear at a time when it didn’t bring the narrative momentum to a screeching halt.

I hope Tom de Haven is enjoying this storyline.

It’s always sad to see a story jump the shark and die.

Does Sam spend all his free time at the theater?

YAWN!

Ok, so as the kid takes his hat off and the wrist radio drops to the floor, Tracy makes his big “fake raid” announcement on all bands.

Kid: “Oops.”

Let’s see … Max Allen Collins showed up as a kid, but other guest stars have been comic characters. Annie Warbucks and her crew, Mary “On Stage” Perkins, Mr. Magoo, and probably some I missed. For the record, Mary Worth once shared a cab with the Phantom’s daughter; Flash Gordon briefly turned up in Prince Valiant (unnamed but adept at dragonslaying and evidently unfazed by time/space mixups); Flash’s own strip hosted Secret Agent X9 when another time/space mixup sent Dale Arden to Earth; Tracy himself clowned around in Gasoline Alley and I think Funky Winkerbean; Baldo’s aunt recalled a flirtation with Gordo; Mandrake and the Phantom have done multiple crossovers; and there have been unofficial gag cameos all over (Dagwood’s unhelpful tech support turns out to be Dogbert).

Not enough focus on Steelface. Too much emphasis on Derby Dugan…Dingo Daggin, or whatever that character’s name is…

What about “Dazzle Dan”?

OK, most of you won’t know that one. He was the title character of a comic strip that featured in the Nero Wolfe story “The Squirt and the Monkey (1951)”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Squirt_and_the_Monkey.

The CBC did an excellent hour-long radio play of the story that you can easily find if you look for it.

Mr DeHaven is drawn pretty well for age 73. How does a comic historian include himself in his research?

Mr DeHaven better be ready to have his car boosted!

Well drawn as usual!

They’re the Derby Duo!

I’m disappointed that nobody mention that Tom Dehaven is a real person who wrote the books listed.

Sorry, who is Tom Dehaven?

How are we supposed to feel about Robert. They keep trying to get us to like the guy, (Golly-gee, the artist who draws my favorite comic!) like he’s some kind of care free kid. Too bad we know the truth, that he’s a street punk car thief. Unless he comes clean with Sam he’s scum. He knows how to behave like a good guy, but inside he’s a punk.

I wonder how much paperwork did Sam have to fill out to get a replacement two-way.

Sam will have two autographs on his flyer…Robert Parrish and Tom De Haven. Robert…go get your script so De Haven can put his signature on it. Both of you will have collector’s items.

1-VITAMINS: Everybody dressed? Oh. Shoot. You are. Anyway…

2-…Look who’s here – my brother – MINERALS! He got the better nose but I got the hotter wife so it all works out.

ROBERT: Wanna see my bald head? It has started to glow for some reason.

SAM: WHAT AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE! Have you seen my Wrist Radio Watch Thingee?

MINERALS: I see you’ve collected your usual menagerie of hangers-on, Vitamin. By the way – Mom says hello and that there’s no need to contact her…

Check this out about a rash of auto shops being hit by robbers.

https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-crime-auto-theft-repair-shop-albany-park/12417738/

What a day. We are treated to two of the Elders of the Patterson Playhouse (Vitamin and his friend, Tom De Haven) and three colossally awe-struck FanBoys, Robert Parrish, Sam Catchem, and Mike Curtis.

I think this day’s installment does nothing to advance the plot, which focusses around the car theft racket, not around fictitious comic strips.

Sorry if I sound overly grumpy. But, as they say, it is what it is….