Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 21, 2010

http://www.gocomics.com/dicktracy/2010/12/08/

That’s right. Not only has Mordred heard Tracy’s name on a half dozen other occasions before now, but he has used the name himself.

But I can’t be too hard on Mordred. He’s blitzed on unknown drugs, administered without medical supervision. He needs those forty pounds of chains to keep from floating away.

And of course Thick ignores both common sense, good advice and the warning you always hear on the Weather Channel when there are heavy rains.

I have identified Dr. Mordred. I have figured out why all of the DT characters hate him. Here’s a song named after him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvM3wiKxpEc

Oh, yeah. Why does Officer Timmyclone have only one nostril?

What? The waters too deep? I thought there was a monsoon up ahead. What is this that Dick is about to drive through a flood in the middle of a monsoon? And to top it off, Mordred has finally realized who hes in the car with!

Dick: “I can’t spend the whole night with him; Tess might suspect!”

Mordred: “Just the man I hoped would transport me… to ecstasy!”

Exactly, NVash. He just figured out it’s Tracy…

Wonder who he was planning to spend the rest of the night with?

No flat tires anywhere in sight. Locher has got to be doing this on purpose.

We had a flash flood in downtown International Falls, Mn on July 1, 2010, but we didn’t call it a monsoon..

The only cause for concern was the water almost entered the Border Bar wihich has the greatest pizza on the American - Canadian border.

Has Mordred’s drugs finally worn off and he now realizes that he is the custody of Dick Tracy.

‘Be afraid Mordred, be very afraid - your being held by a detective that has to have his boss clear everything with his wife before he makes a move!!!

All those murders- just a ploy to get Spacy to pay attention to him, and drive him around.

I’m thinking Tracy fell asleep at the wheel about two hours earlier, and he’s been dreaming ever since.

Mordred’s dream come true: Spacy – the American Inspector Clousseau.

If you’ve never heard of the Fool Killer:

http://www.literaturecollection.com/a/o_henry/249/

He’s a legendary Southern character: a big, hairy caveman type with a club. His MO is to wander the land, find fools and kill them. When he gets to some place noted for its folly, he scratches his head and says “This job’s too big for me.”

To the tune of Rudolph… Tracy the comic strip flatfoot Once had some very inspired prose And if you are a regular reader You would now say it blows And all the loyal readers Can only laugh and call him names They won’t let Dick Tracy Forget his well earned shame It now is painful to see What it’s become day to day Tracy your not so bright Hope you get slain tonight Now all the comic readers Shout and clap with glee Tracy the comic strip flatfoot You may soon be history.

Thank you, Morrow, woodworker318, margueritem, Nvash, billdi, Sydney, BillT and neonleon59.

December 12th: When they turn Mordred over to Spacy, the cop says “He’s all yours Detective Tracy” in front of Mordred. Today Mordred hears another cop and figures out it’s Spacy. Looks like there are two characters that should be call Spacy.

Neonleon59’s preview of next Sunday’s strip made me think that the car ended up in the water when Thick was forced off the road by some pursuers. Now it appears that the next step of this misadventure will be due to Thick’s stupidity. That will fit with Locher’s form of storytelling; after he rescues Mordred (if he does) Thick will pat himself on the back for his heroics. If Mordred dies in the process, Thick will rant about how he deserved it. Then we’ll have a revelation that Mordred feared water, so the experience was a good punishment.

Fear of water while driving is a fundamental test of sanity. Tracy just flunked the test, unless he’s driving a cleverly disguised DUKW (with Locher’s vehicle morphing skills, it’s a possibility).

Sherlock shakes his head, can’t believe they ever allowed Tracy to be a beat cop, much less a detective.

The Boxing Day preview makes it clear that the car can float, sort of–it gets bow-down as it fills with water. Maybe our resident car expert can answer this. Flight Suit, how would you escape from a sunken car? Will electric windows and doors operate underwater? Could you kick out the rear window? Is there any way to escape manually? Also, would an interior light keep working?

The obvious solution to the problem is ”Never drive into water!” I can’t understand why Locher set up this situation. Why not give Thick the dignity of being run off the road and into a lake by an assailant in a larger, faster car?

My adventure strip n. 34:

http://shockdom.com/open/carl/2010/12/21/striscia-34/

“Let’s spend the night together, Now I need you more than ever, Let’s spend the night together now.”

So OldTracy-what do you have against Clousseau?

Even though, this is some of the most ridiculous writing that has ever appeared in this strip lately…I have to admit, that’s the best profile of Tracy in panel 1, that I have ever seen this duo compose.

Panel #2 … the disturbed look on One-Nostril’s face seems to say “What were you two doing the first part of the night?”

I usually reserve comment on this strip because all my observations are pretty well covered by the time I get here. But this has gotta be the dumbest thing I have ever seen in an adventure strip. Goodness!

And WW - Great one! Thanks!

Well, I’m off to read Dilbert.

Duck is stuck on stupid.

I’m sure there’s another nostril there somewhere-just has his nose out of joint

I just don’t know how much longer this strip can survive with this kind of disjointed writing. It’s unbelievable; no other strip is this bad; and it’s getting worse.

Look at that badge! That ain’t no cop – that’s one of Dracula’s minions!

-Cougar :{)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-CjxASY3to&feature=related

those two silly kids were made for each other.

another beauty WW!!

Hey, I’ve got to come to Mordred’s defense! True, he’s engaged for weeks with Thick in the car and he knows him well. And true, he is the brightest light on the tree, for the moment. But give credit where credit is due; put yourself in his shoes. YOU ride around with that nincompoop (Macy) for 2 weeks listening to his drivel, and you’d lose your mind, too! This is cruel and unusually unconventional punishment, ladies and gentlemen. By osmosis or proximity, Thick would break down ANY mental barrier a prisoner has in a matter of minutes. Just 2 days ago, they were in that ice storm and Thick pulls off the steering wheel and tries to hand it to the prisoner like you saw in the last Laurel and Hardy episode. The guy is a one-man accident waiting to happen. Enough to drive you batty!

Poor Mordred. The ACLU will spring him for sure now.

Look at the last panel yesterday – apparently Dick got out of the car in the rain to hear the other cop say one line, then got back in for today’s strip.

That’s how bad this comic is now… There are so many major continuity goofs that they’re starting to go past unnoticed.

From the site Toonopedia today: Today in Toons #3581 Tuesday, December 21, 2010

On this day in 1949 a prominent comic-strip marriage took place. The Chicago Tribune Syndicate’s Dick Tracy tied the knot with long-time sweetheart Tess Trueheart 61 years ago today.

Happy Aniversery Dick & Tess. :)

OK, so, huh. What exactly happened here? Locher, who proudly doesn’t plan anything out, gave four cars flat tires. This provoked much hilarity, but giving him the benefit of the doubt, some posters thought this might actually be a plot by Mordred and his hypothetical minions.

Meanwhile, what? Did Locher say to himself, “Four flat tires? That’s not going to work! Hmm… maybe I’ll make there be a flood instead!” So he just backs up a week and gets a “do-over”?!?

I can’t wait until Locher reveals that the Monsoon was somehow a plot orchestrated by Mordred and his minions.

So, the car’s going into the water.

Will Sunday’s “Crimeshopper’s Taxbook” include “If you approach a flooded road, remember: Turn around, don’t drown!”? Followed by Macey’s demonstration of why you should follow that advice?

Or will the Mighty Morphin Power Rambler turn into an old VW Beetle, so Tracy can float to the other side and observe, “If Ted Kennedy had driven one of these, he would have become president!”?

Another great one wndrwrthg.

I dont know if I can blame Locher for this anymore. Remembering the article I read last night I recall that Locher struggles with Parkinsons Disease. The thing is that he needs an editor. Someone needs to work on this with him.

NVash said : ,,, I read last night I recall that Locher struggles with Parkinsons Disease.,,,

Well , just too bad . If the guy is sick , It is up to him to retire and leave the strip to somebody else . We all get sick in our life and get replaced . Why should I suffer because his “seigneurie” , his “altesse” , his “majestée ” does not feel well ?

I didn’t think Parkinson’s went beyond muscular and neurological until I read the Web MD symptoms. In advanced stages, it is like Altzheimer’s. Boy, was I wrong for so long!

I’ve been gone three years. Nice to see that nothing changed!