Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 16, 2015

A nice cap to the story.

.Good morning guys!

Looks like Tracy’s words had an effect.

Well, whattaya know…..Adam Austin has a conscience.

The producer Newman was the sleazebag that I wanted to see get his comeuppance.

I think it was Neil Wick who pointed out on the board that Adam Austin was a pseudonym for late comic book artist Gene Colan, so it was a bit surprising to see Joe Staton yesterday draw a stern Tracy chastising someone who was essentially at least a former colleague. Nice to see the quick redeeming turnaround.

That’s a result.

It’s good to see that Tracy’s little lecture had a salutary effect (even if only short-lived) on the Hollywood author.But it’s hard to believe Tracy could avoid reviewing news accounts of his case….

Which, of course, generates even MORE publicity for the film…

Mr. Austin needed friendly persuasion for Dick T. to make the donations. Dick’s job is never done.Dick is a hard worker!

Nice hands in panel one, but no one draws hands like Ditko (thought I would contribute to the fellow artists mention).

Great Wrap Up….Dick in the comics is always better than Dick in the movies..

Looks like today is the wrap-up.

Tomorrow: Magoo?

Nicely done.

@Gweedo – It’s legal here !!! – MurrayThank you, Gweedo. I should have thought of that. Still recovering from my last class’ finals.

I get that sporadically and so do as I have done above, copying the so and so said line and the comment in part or in whole with my bit added on.-The way it usually works against me is that I get the box, fill it in and then find it wont launch.

@Night-Gaunt49I have a tip for all, in this regard.

On all web email services, check for ‘forwarding’ in the settings or profiles. I’m not sure where it is, exactly. But have the web email service copy the mail to another account. I’ve done that with everyone’s at the office, my GF, and myself. So if one sends me a mail at ‘kantuck1@gmail.com’ it’s automatically put on my private email service. The main advantage of this, is if I get too much spam, I can block it though gmail, AND my private email service. Has worked for the past 20 years.

@Neil WickAh, thank you, Neil. I was unaware of that. There is so much to know :)—There are certain comments that the reply function doesn’t work on. Ones that start with a picture are always a problem,

Of course, Tracy knows nothing about Hollywood accounting, and so doesn’t realize that Austin gets a fraction of a percent of the film’s net profits—and so will be donating absolutely nothing to anyone…

Tracy is a Dick … pass it on.

“SOMEONE WILL PAY”

Yes !

So we found a brief statement made by BROW the younger from Jail - on his ‘hearing’ of - the Death of Angeltop.And here is the full (mini) context of it from Feb. 9, 1986 :

BUT we must ask (CLARIFY), “who” – He might have in mind ‘targeting’ ? Was it - Dick Tracy ? or Lizz ? Doesn’t seem so. Appears his “motivation” in the story was to prevent a movie being made, which he thought might cast a shadow on his dead Dad, or on his criminal past. So we we’ve been told by the Authors !Appears we have a ‘fuzzy bag’ of “less” than carefully thought out motivations ! ?

Yet, if we’re guided by his 1982 ‘principles’, we’d have to ‘look’ now to see who ‘around* Angeltop - might’ve (in 1978) provided encouragement for her in those continuing ‘self destructive’ activities, and the ‘senseless’ killings that would bring on - her eventual downfall.

If you’ve read that 1978 tale you’ll see that her new partners in extortion and killings were Prunella Laboche (Pruneface’s daughter) and Quiver Trembly (Shaky’s neice).Prunella was the computer genius in the group of 3. But a mini sequence added at the end - reveals that each thought they were the Boss of the group ! (?)

Also present in the ’78 tale and interacting with her was Uncle Blowtop !

It might be more “reasonable” to assume that these cohorts were the ones instrumental in the continuing activity that led to her end. Despite his earlier activities young Brow is on (1982) record as “abhorring” that ‘senseless’ LIFESTYLE.

In fact, none of his current hanging activity was aimed at Tracy himself. Rather, at stopping the completion of the movie or play.His end confrontation with Tracy was not planned, it was accidental - thanks only to a Mayor Armstrong’s idea !The verve Brow displayed to kill the actor of Boss Tracy transcended the basic need of yet another ‘warning’ to the film’s producer (?) Not a clinical example, indeed, a passion there that seemed inauthentic and ‘over the top’ !

But so many ‘motivations’ in this tale appear questionable ! (?)

If “REVENGE” had been intended, it did not unfold here. Perhaps if one was indeed thought off (the film seemed more ‘pressing’??) . . . it would come later ? We may never know ! ?

Quiver was later jailed. Prunella appeared to die (yet she would (‘somehow’?) return in May – Aug 1999) in the Kilian / Locher years for a Pruneface story ?

Death, it seems, is never always final in Dick Tracy ! ?

Watch out, Tracy …

I promised to post a character list for Midnite Mirror so I’m posting what I can. I divide this story into three parts. The third part is the Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol play and other Dick Tracy Christmas greetings, which hasn’t happened yet. The list that follows shows how many days a character had speaking parts. I also kept track of how many days they appeared or were referenced without speaking, but that’s not shown.

First, the characters in the Midnite Mirror movie (25 of them in 19 days, plus a few references later), the top ones being The Chalice and “Trigger” Catchem, as well as Boss Tracy. Tracy was talked about a lot, but had less to say. Although they all reference familiar characters in the history of the strip, all 25 of these characters could be considered “new” characters.

5 The Chalice (MM)5 “Trigger” Catchem (MM)4 Boss Tracy (MM)4 88 Keyes (MM)4 Chief Boche (MM)4 Bud Jenkins (MM)3 Alfred Brau (MM)2 Officer Shoulders (MM)2 Lizz (MM)2 Reggie (MM)2 Officer Eizlander (MM)1 S.T. Ench (MM)1 Pat Patton (MM)1 Unnamed officer (MM Ownley Chylde)1 Mayor Trembly (MM)1 Jake (MM)1 “Big Ears” Finney (MM)1 Unnamed Officer (MM Itchy)1 Gertrude (MM)1 Unnamed officer (MM Mumbles)1 Smith (MM)1 Flyface (MM)1 Fifth (MM)1 Unnamed officer (MM Boris Arson)0 Arev Alldid (MM)

Secondly, the characters in Dick Tracy’s “real world” (37 of them in 47 days). It’s notable that there were only three days out of the whole 47 that Tracy didn’t appear and didn’t even get mentioned. He was everywhere in this story. There are two fictional characters in this list that are not “real” in Tracy’s world. They and several others appeared in pictures or in dialogue by other characters, but did not appear “live” in the story.37 Dick Tracy16 Sam Catchem9 Lloyd Newman7 The Hangman5 Steve Forsythe (actor for The Chalice)4 Adam Austin4 Vitamin Flintheart3 Lizz3 Junior Tracy3 Pat Patton2 Morgan Byrd/Nash (actor for Boss Tracy)2 Unnamed director2 Vic Smith/John Cassaday (agent of Adam Austin)2 Coffee2 Mayor Armstrong1 Freddy Capp (actor for Aldred Brau)1 George Tawara1 Ms. Steffihawk1 Vera Alldid1 Honeymoon1 Wendy Wichel1 Unnamed movie crew member1 Unnamed police sniper1 Unnamed cameraman0 Accomplice of The Hangman0 Brad0 Byron Orlock (actor for The Chalice)0 Mr. Magoo0 The Eyebrows (F)0 J. Straightedge Trustworthy (JST)0 Flattop0 BB-Eyes0 Mumbles0 Venus0 Squinty Eyes0 Mr. Bribery0 The Brow