Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for July 27, 2014

Some people crave reunions, lively talk of days gone byGet old pals together, rapidly the time does fly.Remember when you threw him in: first-mate swam with the sharksSoon a pool of churning chum: what a Butcher does for larks.Conversing now by candlelight; recall the times we’ve hadYou say I’m wanted by the cops; I sense this shall go bad.Threatened by a deadly blade, I renounce the all-mighty AmAssuring I have value in your desperate need to scram.Who’s that lurking out of sight, alley-side of the door?Who dares disturb the reunion? What unwanted visitor?The door now torn asunder, shattered by blunt forceRevealing Asp and Punjab, fear couples with remorse.The giant holds a blanket, yet now’s no time for restChants ancient incantations, does what he does best.Makes the Butcher disappear with deadly, calm intentionSends him to another realm for eternal detention.Never to be seen again or known to cause bloodshedChastened, bowed and brutalized, wishing he were dead.

THAT’s different!

Will the Magi tell Punjab what they learn from the Butcher?

Abra Cadabra and POOF he’s gone!

Good morning everyone!

I expected an outstanding strip today and I sure got it! Pequod77, you told the tale well!

Friend Asp has yet to show his Power…this could be Good to be continued..I love the Sunday Funnies..

Good morning, VistaBill! And thanks, Pequod! I was so looking forward to Punjab using that scimitar WHOOSH! Problem solved.

OMG! Punjab has used his mystical powers, and now the Butcher “flies with the Magi”! Will he ever be brought back to this Earth? Will he spill his guts (so to speak; or maybe literally) so that information can be passed back to Punjab and Daddy and the MCU? Yikes! Leapin’ lizards! Etc.

It’s official, Tracy has jumped the shark!

And that, my friends, is the last we will ever see of the Butcher of the Balkans!

And, great poem, Pequod! I’m not one to read poetry, but I read this one and I must say, you did an outstanding job!

I agree with avenger09 about this strip having jumped the shark. Yes, Gould had his sci-fi moon period, but he never had anyone magically disappear. This seems more like an old Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie TV episode. I guess we’ll probably see characters from those series in Dick Tracy next.

Gweedo, did you accidentally paste this message over at Gasoline Alley?

O.K. – I was wondering how far Mike and Joe would take the fantasy elements of “Orphan Annie”, which Harold Gray used fairly regularly, but which were never a part of Dick Tracy.But, even as part of this story, how smart was that move by Punjab? Annie was last known to be with this Butcher character, and now Punjab makes him disappear (which he did often in the “Annie” strip) – without asking him one single question concerning Annie’s whereabouts. Unless he expects to get answers from the ship’s captain, but the ship’s captain told Sam and Oliver Warbucks he didn’t know where she was.I don’t know about “jumping the shark”, as some have already said this morning. I knew right from the get go that there would be some issues blending the story telling styles of these two strips. But this is still “Dick Tracy” – so things should happen more or less like they do in Tracy’s world.Lots of questions in my mind about this.

Anyone who thinks there have never been any fantasy elements in Dick Tracy (apart from the moon period) has never read what happened to Flattop Jr. after he committed murder. Just as wild as Punjab’s magic cape in my opinion, but not a shark jumping moment.

When one intends to sellA comic strip, it’s wellAll swear words to expel.However, you impelThis servant you to tellWhat land this crook does dwell!If tell I must, I shell! I sent him down to…SAHIB…

Little Orphan Melvin

I think the translation of what Punjab is saying is "You don’t mess around with Jim’! Who knew he was a fan of the 70’s?

Good morning fans. Another great poem, Pequod!

Another fabulous effort PQ77. BRAVO!

Uh, Punjab? Maybe we should have asked him about Annie’s whereabouts first? (Oops… Hello, nice Maji?)

Of course, if they HAD quizzed him about Annie’s whereabouts, he might be insulted. (“The kid? You only want the kid? You don’t want… me?”)

I think the Butcher is just had a “what the bleep” moment.

Not, (if you check) the only manifestation that was part of the early strips either.

Go Fonz!

All this about Punjab’s cape, and no one has mentioned how good today’s art is!Really like Shane’s highlighting Punjab with the yellow candlelight, and then the “special effect” of Punjab as he sends the Butcher on a one-way trip.Great stuff – and I have no problem with the fantasy element.And I’m sure Paulo will sing like Pavoratti to avoid that cape. And scimitar.

Good to see that Punjab has not outgrown his blanket. Asp had it easy this time, yet he is a force to be feared. Paulo was saved from the Butcher’s blade, yet how can he show his gratitude when trying to tell what he knows puts him in the hospital? I like the shifts between Thunder Island and Tracyville. This is a rich tale that incorporates the aspects of Annie that I enjoyed the most: Punjab, Asp and Mr. Am. These extraordinary characters were Gray’s best creations. So good to see Team Tracy boldly embracing the characters. The art is simply superb! Punjab and Asp have stepped in to help on many occasions. As free-agents with special abilities, they are able to be creative and effective. These friends are frustrated that their efforts to locate and rescue the Little Princess have been in vain. Today they collect on a debt. Here we see Punjab take on two foes as if they were rag dolls, while Asp is unfazed by the name-calling:

Thanks to VistaBill, cpalmeresq, Gweedo, JoviusGM, davidf42, Starman1948 and rhymin’ JPuzzleWhiz for the kind words. Much appreciated.

Couple of things. 1. Happy Days remained very popular for several years after the shark episode. In fact, that episode is one of the most requested. 2. Who’s to say Punjab can’t get his disappeared victims back again?3. It’s a comic strip. It isn’t real.

So the bad guy is gone, his body is achin, and the captain should smile, Punjab saved his bacon… (Apologies to P77. Another great job.)

Whoa

Did not see that coming.

Cue the “Jaws” theme and play it loud, this is FUN! My feeling is when this story is fully played out, the majority of readers will look back with deep appreciation. I’m loving it. Nice coloring today – deep and spooky!

Excellent Crimestoppers tip today; the police dashboard cameras not only help document an officer’s actions, but also show just exactly what happened during the officer’s day. This has helped cut way down on false claims of “police brutality” and/or misconduct. Not to mention the sheer entertainment value one gets when the footage is shown on TV.

The heck with the Butcher of the Balkans, have we seen the last of Tracy? He’s become a cameo in this arc. Maybe he’s investigating the Archie murder, perhaps?

Peace officers, if you feel like serving up a can of whuppass on a motorist, he may be recording on HIS dash camera!

@Rcomics Diaz said one day ago

Where is Neil Wick?

I’ve been on vacation all week, and yesterday I was 200 miles away from my computer for a family barbecue all day, so I wasn’t able to read read the strip at all until now. I’m trying to catch up.

Nominations for future crossovers:.SMOKEY STOVER!

Gweedo said yesterday,sh to nominate Neil as head auxiliary detective !

Thanks for the nomination. I’m still trying to get caught up, then I’ll comment more.

I kinda like punjab’s magic blanket that makes people disappear.I wonder if it would work with ex-wives?

Hard to believe someone as devious as the butcher wouldn’t know what Punjab is capable of. Sort of like this dude growing up, Oscar Buttface. He was always making a fool of himself.

I don’t know which is the coolest – Punjab has a magic blanket that makes people disappear or that he can just pull said magic blanket out of the thin air

That’s it -that’s how the Butcher of the Balkans is taken care of?

Top-O-The-Afternoon to ya, Gweedo! Looks like stilldamatt is operating in fine style! He needs to chase down his billygoat for another glass of milk.

It’s where I got the idea!

Holidays are exhausting. All I can say is that I don’t in any way think (so far) that Dick Tracy has “jumped the shark.” Despite the fact that this is a very unusual Dick Tracy story, it’s quite creative and I think it continues to be one of the best Tracy stories ever. That’s only my opinion, but I am quite enjoying it.

Some people crave reunions, lively talk of days gone by

Get old pals together, rapidly the time does fly.

Remember when you threw him in: first-mate swam with the sharks

Soon a pool of churning chum: what a Butcher does for larks.

Conversing now by candlelight; recall the times we’ve had

You say I’m wanted by the cops; I sense this shall go bad.

Threatened by a deadly blade, I renounce the all-mighty Am

Assuring I have value in your desperate need to scram.

Who’s that lurking out of sight, alley-side of the door?

Who dares disturb the reunion? What unwanted visitor?

The door now torn asunder, shattered by blunt force

Revealing Asp and Punjab, fear couples with remorse.

The giant holds a blanket, yet now’s no time for rest

Chants ancient incantations, does what he does best.

Makes the Butcher disappear with deadly, calm intention

Sends him to another realm for eternal detention.

Never to be seen again or known to cause bloodshed

Chastened, bowed and brutalized, wishing he were dead.

Morning, Anniephans!

Leapin lizards! To repeat myself from 5 years ago, And that, my friends, is the last we will ever see of the Butcher of the Balkans!