Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for September 13, 2009

Now we’re getting somewhere! The show goes on! Is that a glow-in-the-dark nose on Ringo?

The wrong medication may cause you to think a hand is growing out of your forehead. This could be an LTS.

Okay, so the Sunday strip has recapped the single plot point that the last six dailies unveiled, and given us another chance to enjoy random drawings of the clown, the tent, the circus crew, and Ringo’s freakish grimace. Is this whole story going to take place as they all stand there talking? It’s an RBWS* for sure.

*Really Badly Written Story

What idiotic lamebrained scheme is Tracy concocting now…. oh, um, what manner of highly improvisational form of police work is the Great Detective ingeniously implementing that will vanquish the dastardly villain?

Is Sloppy the Clown speaking in the fourth panel?

Only buy your meds from someone whose lips and hair are the same color.

Tracy has secretly dosed the circus coffee urn with medication from a disreputable provider - that’ll get the killer to talk!

Wait, so there’s NOT a hand growing out of my forehead?

dsped, did you see this the other day? It proves your assertion:

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j223/flightsuit/ringoflipsout.jpg

Only it was the punch. The coffee urn’s where Agent Ennen’s dumped the Irish whiskey.

I’m confused. Is Ringo the Prince of Nigeria and should I send him my bank account number?

If the only thing I ever had to worry about was what nickname somebody might put on me I’d be all set.

I heard the clock ticking too. Strange, since it’s a quartz clock and it’s halfway across the room.

If the anticipated event of October 4th is not connected to this licensed and copyrighted Dick Tracy strip, Mattie has abused his responsibility and respect for other people’s property (Liam’s website) in a huge way. Forward-looking readers have confirmed that nothing has changed. If that is the case, he has used Liam’s website for his own personal gain without permission of the Owner. He was told to cease and desist, and then threatened Liam.

If Locher needs material for a future nut-case character, may he look-no-further than that.

I’ve been in law enforcement since 1982. I have never heard of L.T.S…. I have heard of D.R.T., which the intelligence level of this strip is! (Dead Right There, as in, “Did the shooting victim make it?” “No, he was D.R.T..” Very technical.)

It sounds to me like several of you have lost all sense of perspective. Why don’t y’all go finish this on the playground and come back when it’s settled. Or just plain go away…

“LTS”? I’m learning so much cop lingo.

Also, I think some of those who post their comments should pay attention to the crimestoppers textbook. It seems as though they’ve been taking some bad drugs lately.

Matt, no offense, and I’m not attacking you. But of your three posts (so far) today you don’t mention todays comic at all. And to be fair you’re definately not the only one. Which is sad because I consider many of you to be authorities on DT and I do actually like to hear what you have to say. When you’re not flaming each other.

So, how about that crazy Ringo? Is his face starting to melt in panel three? I can see why he choose to hide in the circus. There are some real babes there.

I am lately wondering about the whole recycled-panel thing. I don’t know of any other strip that does it as obsessively as Dick Tracy. It’s sort of a lazy technique in the first place, but here it’s an art form unto itself. How many times in the last eight weeks have we had the interminable dialog covered with a picture of the tent, the clown, the tiger, the crosseyed elephant? Is there some sort of code here?

Maddy boy says the strip is picking up subscribers. Is that newspapers? The figure I’ve heard is that it’s gone from 350 to 50 since Locher took over the writing. Just 50 paying papers would definitely make it a lean earner, and explain why so little time is being put into the art…but I’ll say again, get somebody on this strip who can bring back the excitement it once had, and maybe this could be turned around. As it is, it’s just the Dick Tracy Death Watch, waiting until even the papers that have kept the faith all these years give up and drop it.

Over in Gasoline Alley Walt Wallet is like 110 years old now, but he’s got a lot more life in him than Dick Tracy. It’s sad.

“Ligntening” Bolt (Track), “Jersey Joe” Walcot (Boxing), “Tappy” Larsen (Tennis). All names conferred by the public, not by the individual.

In like way, “Mattie” Hansel sounds a lot like Dick Locher’s “Queenie” (Kimberly Mynes) or even his “One-Eye” Jack.

So what’s the big deal ? Why stand on a high horse ? Another case of - “much ado about nothing”.

Seems it would be far more constructive to spend time researching “positive” things about the current strip and posting them up for the helpful, edification of Dypak, myself and others. This does not gainsay a little harmless fun once in awhile

But frankly I’ve seen next to NOTHING on that sort of information. I concede it may be hard to come by, but if we are so passionate we should TRY ! Harder to achieve than getting the “gig” to draw Dick Tracy.

Which by the way, started with those “repetitive posts” about Oct. 4. Variations included the words “and ME” leading to the natural speculation that the poster would be involved in the future of the strip. This fantasy could have been denied, but NO, the speculation was (willfully?) encouraged by the posting of a “link” provided for the board, leading to some partially “masked” Dick Tracy art work and clothed with misleading phrasing, to the effect that - since “permission” had not been obtained to show finished copyright art work only a “taste” could be shown !

Is that disingenious ? misleading ? What do you think ? An apology here seems more compelling than a simplistic overreaction to the harmless use of the word “Mattie”

Far better as I noted before, difficult as it may be, to find someting “believable”, and POSITIVE about current Dick Tracy !

Crimestoppers today has me concerned-I buy all my medications at a place called “JOE’S OK USED TIRES AND WRECKER SERVICE”–Should I have them checked out? I’m not having any side affects other than I’ve been told I have an “attention deficit disorder”–But I can easily expain tha…Hey look-A chicken!

Jimbobrain: You’ve never read DOONSBERY? MPH —————————– Stick to Dick Tracy - it’s DOONESBURY.

No, Matty, I’ve never heard of “DOONSBERY.” I have read “Doonesbury,” if that’s what you mean.

That’s an entirely different matter though…Trudeau used to use identical compositions for all four panels of a given strip, including things like the White House strips. It was an innovative approach the time, but was also criticized…in either case, he stopped doing that 20 years ago, even for the White House strips. I think that approach works fine for Doonesbury, which is a political commentary strip driven by verbal interaction.

Dick Tracy is supposed to be an adventure strip, ie, where there’s some action. To say what works for Doonesbury is fine for Dick Tracy is to say there is no fundamental difference between the two strips.

Which, ironically, seems to have become the case, except that in the last eight weeks Trudeau has spun multiple brief narratives with punchlines and conclusions, whereas Dick Tracy has been standing in the same place talking.

And of course, Doonesbury is clever and relevant.

Oh, and Doonesbury is not losing newspaper clients left and right.

I look at the comments and think I must be slipping. I’ve only been called “Evil, deceitful, extremely selfish” and a few other things I won’t mention here. Being called “Mikey” would be an improvement.

About today’s crimestoppers: I probably shouldn’t buy anything from that Canadian Pharmacy that’s been spamming me like crazy, so I guess I won’t.

All I wanta know is where the hell is Gretel???

Why Michael, only a total doofus, nincompoop, maroon, decomposing-dingleberry-hanging-off-the-end-of-the-universe, Mikey sort of person would post a comment like that.

feel better?

It’ll have to do.

Just curious, does any woman in this strip have long hair? It seems that every woman Brozman/Locher has drawn has short hair.

Using a “handle” in a Web community doesn’t mean you’re deceptively hiding behind an anonymous identity: It’s been an accepted and normal Internet practice since before the Web even existed. I, for one, have used “flightsuit” in so many different places that I’m sure Googling that name could easily enable a person to unearth my real name if they were motivated enough.

Regarding THREATS:

I have a list of DEMANDS! If Liam does not MEET my DEMANDS, I will take the following course of ACTION!

How is that not a threat? I think the very definition of a threat is that it’s telling someone you’re going to do a bad thing in order to coerce that person into doing what you want.

Reading these posts is a good alternative to those who enjoy “dumpster diving”. And to paraphrase Mattie, readership must be up! I have a good explanation as to “why”!

“1) I have asked SEVERAL times that people use my PROPER name.”

One of the first rules I learned when I started with the Submarine Service…

Don’t let your shipmates know what it is that bothers you.

Now, to make this post relevant to the DT strip…

“…I ask that we engage in CIVIL, THOUGHTFUL debate …”

Normally, we do. But, that becomes difficult when someone shows up and insists that we can say nothing but good things about the poorest-quality comic strip in the known universe.

Sorry, some of us just like to call it as it is.

Morrow, I know the HR department has unearthed a few things I’d just as soon keep buried. I’ll tell you what:

You keep everything quiet, and I promise I WON’T come up with silly nicknames for EVERY MAN AND WOMAN ALIVE!!!!

I just thought of something else…

Isn’t it a bit odd that Tracy is standing around, discussing the case and his plans for cracking it in front of a bunch of possible suspects?

Don’t buy cheap prescription drugs from Canada.

DonnieTevault said, “1) I have asked SEVERAL times that people use my PROPER name.”

One of the first rules I learned when I started with the Submarine Service…Don’t let your shipmates know what it is that bothers you. ————————————— Most of us learned that one in kindergarden. We understand though, sometimes it takes a sailor a little longer to grasp a concept. But once they do, they’re good to go. Just kidding, Donnie.

Hey Gang,

I have consolidated all my Dick Tracy parodies and modifications into one place for easy reference! Now all of you will please go there and sign up to follow my blog:

http://kraptastrophe.blogspot.com/

Otherwise, there shall be grave consequences!

The clock would be ticking, but I forgot to wind it.

Or someone selling perscriptions on line. Me I will not use my real name and I do not know anyone and vis versa. Ringo is still do a lot of sweating. DT should be careful on who he gives his plans out to many ears.

Hey Mattie, Syd is right!! YOU lead us on and now you are crying about it. Let’s all settle down and perhaps I can get rid of this annoying toothache….no kidding it has been almost 3 weeks and they can’t find what is causing it. Arrrgh!

Good, I’m not the only one who thought “smoke out” was an interesting choice of words.

Last felon standing is the killer ? Or Just Mister Beauregard .