Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for June 01, 2024

“Newspapers, on paper? What is the world coming to?”

Sam knows more about this tabloid rag than is probably healthy for him. 2 stars for today.

Good morning™, everyone!

Even Sam knows that Mr. Gabriel (finally a name!) is a Luddite. Notice that the boss is named after the archangel Gabriel ((גַבְרִיאֵל meaning “God is my strength”). He’s kind of the head angel over the two female angels who work for him, I guess. (Most people consider seraphim and cherubim to be types of angels.)

Good morning™, Men of Action !

Sam looks great today, with his paternal look toward Lizz(?) while Mr. White, I mean Gabriel calls for the show’s start good MC that he is.

MC = “Emcee”

I like Sam’s depiction Panel 2!

The way Sam is moving his finger around his ear, does he think Gabe is a little odd?

Like I said before Old School, Sam!

“Hey Tracy, this outfit isn’t even online!”

“What’s online mean?”

“Never mind.”

And that includes making money. He earns it.

Whether the contents of the paper appear online or not there will be a lot said about it online – reader’s comments. Wednesday Lee commented that there was a ton of material online that Pierce had been reading. Sam responded it was a great rag. If the magazine itself is not online, and if there is a ton of posts about it this might count for something suspicious. Why research a magazine online that doesn’t appear online?

Still, even without a web presence, SOMEONE might quote it in an article?

When was A9 scheduled for his bionic, titanium part? He will soon light up when he goes through TSA check.

The top of the page is still socked in with an ominous dark gray cloud cover, folks— better keep the umbrella handy while posting today!

So why was Lizz rolling her eyes at Sam’s comment two days ago if she never heard of Tip Top?

Generic criticism, possibly of all newspaper serials: there is exactly one sentence of actual information or plot movement in this three-panel strip. “Tip-Top is not online.” Period full stop.

Pacing matters a lot to me. Pacing of “one sentence per day” will annoy me.

The art is really good but this storyline descended into boredom really, really fast.

1- LIZ: I can see what you’re doing in your reflection on the monitor, Sam.

2- SAM: What? I was twirling my long hair around my finger but forgot that I just got a haircut. LIZ: That’s believable – in your case. Move your finger closer to your head. SAM: OH! THANKS! That worked!

3- meanwhile… TUBBY WHITESIDES: Here Ho. Sign this non-disclosure agreement. Your old one expired and I don’t need you blabbing about our loose association with “truth”. HO: Yes Mr. Whitesides. Me hate you long time

TUBBY: Thank you, Ho. Your loyalty will never be repaid in this lifetime. Maybe the next. Yes. That’s it! You’ll be glorified in the next life. I’ll make sure of it! And I’ll keep my money in this one – sucka Everybody wins! Well – I do and that’s what’s important…

Sam must have one heck of a grapevine; a network of informants and he be keeping up with things the others are not aware of.

Inside Sam’s mind, off the page and unseen thought bubble, I knew this knowledge of mine would come in handy one day.

Will Sam and Tracy be the ones who visit Mr. Gabriel?

One of the few mementos I still have from my school days is a piece of linotype with my name spelled out – in reverse, of course – from a field trip we took to a print shop in the late 60s. The shop is long gone, of course, but that chunk of lead type lives on.

Gabriel reminds me of Roger C. Carmel as Colonel Gumm in “A Piece of the Action/Batman’s Satisfaction.”

I just realized that we haven’t seen Dick for five days now…

I wonder how many pots of brewed snail coffee he’s consumed and trips to the can he’s made while his team does their investigations?…

SAM: Ah! Here it is on page 3 of each issue, titled “Fuhgeddaboudit!” – “Anyone mentions the name of this publication and its contents will be the subject of our next investigation! (We have a 100% success rate!!) You have been warned!!!” LOL

Love Sam iN Panel 2, but Lizz looks like an elderly spinster.