Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for March 14, 2011

Is that remark about a dull week some kind of sly acknowledgment by the new team of all that we’ve been through?

All this excellent art work is deeply jarring to my senses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2P86C-1x3o

Tracy’s hand has been miraculously healed, and is now anatomically correct. Tess, is that you?

Yaaaaay, I have been waiting for this a long time.

But why does it still say “by Dick Locher” on the byline?

I like the detail.

The story has moved along already.

Locher would have Tracy spending three days to answer his wrist geenee.

If this is a new Tess, I like it. Reminds me of the 1950’s

I wonder what Sam will look like??

Dick Tracy can be seen in color http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/comics?featureid=DickTracy

Panel 2

Tess’ eyes. That’s a throwback to the Gould era.

Panel 3

Isn’t it confusing to have the police chief named “Wrist Geenee”?

Oh! Look! An anatomically correct drawn hand, holding the “wrist geenee’.

R.I.P LOCHER

Magnificent. Tracy returns to the classic Gould style. We’ll now have clean, detailed artwork and stories that make sense and move at a brisk-rather than glacial-pace. Welcome aboard, new team.

Dick’s face resembles that of a human. How can this be??

IT HAPPENED!!!

… strain … rough case … stop at a six-pack, Dick … wrist geenee … .I thought Barbara Eden was blonde? … It’s important … strain … sigh. I believe that line.

It’s mock-proof. That must have something to do with it being good. I’ll sit back and enjoy it.

Can’t complain…

Awesome!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enSYlCEz5VI

Welcome aboard, guys! :D

BTW, I left feedback asking that the page be updated to reflect the new creative team. :)

Welcome, new creative team!!! This comic strip today is wonderful. Full of details and great artwork!!

Crime career ends before it begins, I waited too long. New team is here, it will be impossible to steal the TV from the police officer’s lounge now. They’ll be noticing things like that.

I was hoping to find out what happened to Rize. Guess that continuity went out with Locher.

Otherwise, YESS. Happy days are here again.

Dick’s left hand is way TOO big.

How long will it take to get to the office? This is not happy days yet. The hand is a cyclops hand or paw.

Tracy has an ANALOG clock radio? Can you still get those? This strip STILL has some catching up to do … .

Liz(z) and Tess actually look like women!!

Really? Complaining about the alarm clock?? For one thing, yes, you can still get those. For another, I hope that the new team continues to create some kind of half retro/ half modern world for Dick Tracy. I think that particular style suits the Tracy strip. Congratulations to the new team! May you have a long and successful run!!

Joe and Mike - Welcome! We are looking forward to reading your work for a long happy time.

FINALLY!!!

Congrats! (and don’t worry about John Russco; he still thinks he’s looking at Locher)

Now that Dick Tracy has a new team, I think it’s time someone did something with Alley Oop, too. As much as I appreciate the Bender’s efforts, the strip just isn’t coming up to the standards set by Hamlin and Graue.

“Tracy has an ANALOG clock radio? Can you still get those?”

Yep! I got one for my dad last Christmas, and it even had a digital radio as well. Never underestimate the demand for retro-styled products.

Wow, the art is great, Tess looks like Gould drew her and the story has already begun!

I almost want to cry with joy - this is how Dick Tracy should be.

Waking from his long winters nap His dreams were just so much mindless pap Robots, perfume, violins and more Stukas, submarines and thousand dollar bills galore Into the past now do they all fade Leaving his nerves perhaps just a little frayed Looking forward to a drab and dreary week No new adventures does our intrepid dick seek Tess is in the kitchen whipping up some joe A little caffeine will recharge his get up and go There on the counter what do hers eyes see But flashing lights emanating from the wrist GeeNee Something important is about to go down Never a dull moment when you live in this town Still sporting an injury from the case before His left hand is hugely swollen and still very sore But he is a professional, he’ll work through the pain Without a little hurt, there can never be any gain So off to the office as soon as he can To find out just what is the plan Whatever the crime, he’s sure to solve With his brilliant deductions and steely resolve.

Thanks, woodworker318, BillT, Nvash and neonleon59.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :D

-Cougar :{)

For John Russco: the hand is normal, for me.

It happened!

is that Comicraft’s lettering program? Staton’s art looks great!

Dick Tracy can be found in color at

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/comics/?featureid=DickTracy

Lizz looks great. Also, Tess. Already looking forward to tomorrow’s strip.

Welcome Joe and Mike!

Happy days are here again! Looking forward to great things from the new team.

wow!

yes, russco is right about the left hand being supremely huge, but given the fact that everything else is perfect—no big deal. you all will miss griping about Lochner’s version of D.T.— now what will you do?

We’ll miss you, Pig on Wheels…

Wow. Just wondering with the clock and Tess’ hairdo… is this going to be set in the present?

John Russco said :

” Dick’s left hand is way TOO big. ”

Look at his legs ! They look awfully long . He could not be eight foot tall !

Give us a break .

Not so fast with the unbridled compliments… That “wrist geenee” thingy that supposedly goes around the wrist is HUGE.

But it probably wouldn’t fall off clamped around the neck of, say, a piglet on wheels.

AWESOME!!!!!

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” He chortled in his joy.”

I had seen the early color version on comics.com. I thought along the same lines as WW that the first panel suggested that all that had gone before had been a bad dream. What a pleasant awakening to see three things happening in one day’s work: Dick wakes up, Tess makes coffee, and Lizz calls on the GeeNee. If you saw the examples from the news article, you know that the important reason for Dick to go to the office is Pat Patton’s return. What a reset!

I really like the way the first panel allows the reader to imagine that most of the unpleasant stuff that had gone before was a dream - the previous years of stories can be reduced to a night (“inception” time).

I really enjoy the detailed art, and the way they avoided doing just “talking heads”. I enjoyed Locher’s work during the Collins days – but this is a nice, amazing new beginning! I am really happy to read Dick Tracy again.

It’s good…..too good. I’ll miss the hilarious comments on Locher’s freak show….

Wonderful drawing, very retro looking.

Well I guess the ribbing will continue!

I’m falling for Tess -look at those beautiful eyes -is that wrong?

A new day dawns and it looks like a great one. I’m anxious to see some familiar faces looking…well, like I remember them from back in the day of going to Nana’s house.

We got the Star but she got the Post, so a stack of newspapers would be waiting for me so I could catch up on Tracy, Peanuts, Little King, Henry, Gasoline Alley, Lil Abner, Moon Mullins…

My first regular dosage of Sunday Tracy was during the moonmaiden days, and frankly I liked it!

To Joe, Mike and crew - all the best!

Ahhh, No more comic strip drawn using an Etch A Sketch®!!!

Rickson, there is nothing wrong in falling for Liz!!!

Do you have blow up doll too???

Just kidding!!!!!

I’ve been a fan of Joe Staton since his comic book work for Charlton and DC. I think Tracy fans are in for a treat.

Art work looks good. Lets give them a chance before we cast stones.

Scuttlebutt99 said:

”Now if they could but revive Little Orphan Annie, the world would once again be set right”.

Yes, and take where that storyline left off at.

Where does anyone get the idea that everything was a dream. Dick is obviously talking about the case just ended. A good way to transition, IMO. I would not expect them to try to tie up the loose ends from a case they didn’t start. Panel 3- If that’s Liz, she really looks different! Will she still be Horn Hair?

How about Junior, Sparkle, B.O. and Gertie! And Diet Smith!

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz……….

Uh…what happened?

I dozed off for for a few months there. What’s going on?

To Dakota Jones.

dakota_jones said, 9 minutes ago

How about Junior, Sparkle, B.O. and Gertie! And Diet Smith

Just wait, they’ll be showing up.

Mike

Hmm, So is the wrist-gadget now a touch screen? This is my first comment since the change. Last time I chimed in it was the “Foom” strip. Maybe it was all a bad dream. But kudos to Mr. Staton and Mr. Curtis, hopefully this will be a long and healthy run.

In panel 3, the proper number of fingers. And hands that look like hands. Really?

I could get used to this!

Here’s hoping Junior will look like Junior and not Locher’s son.

I love the description with arrow pointing to the Wrist Genie. Just like the Dick Tracy strip I grew up with.

I can hardly wait to see this in color on Sunday.

Really folks, at the risk of sounding like an instant fan boy, before you decide to be critical of the scale and perspectives, the chronological setting you deduce by the retro looking appliances etc. etc. let’s give it some time to shake out and for us to adjust can we?

Or do you need to go back waaaaaay into the distant past (try yesterday) to remind yourself of what a frikkin turn in the right directon this may be?

Oh what the heck - they replaced Locher so Mattie needed a replacement and I guess it’s me for today. Bassman - your turn tomorrow!

I hate to agree with the negative posters, but yes I’m glad Locher retired. I’ve been a fan of Tracy since my uncle introduced me to the strip nearly 40 years ago, and read nearly all of the strips to the 70s (It’s almost impossible to get strip collections past the 70s.)

After Max Allen Collins stopped writing on it, it really started going down hill. I can’t even recall what the story was when I first started reading the strip on-line (about 10 or so years ago.) but the strip hasn’t been worthy of the name “Dick Tracy” in at least 10 years.

This new team has an astonishingly good art (Mr. Staton; was you involved in comic books in the 70s or 80s perhaps?). That helps a lot. It’ll take longer for the writing to show itself, but hoping for a return to at least Collins’s quality of writing, dare I hope for Gould’s?

to KC Redden

Yes, Joe has had a long career in comic books. He’s worked for every company and dtawn everything from Superman, Spider Man and the Avengers to Scoobt Doo and Archie. Look him up on Wikipedia.

Mike

wow just wow

Hey, everyone,

My name’s Jim Doherty. I’m new to this forum. I’m joining now because I’m part (a very SMALL part, but a part) of the new TRACY team.

I’m a mystery and true crime writer. My award-winning collection of true crime articles, JUST THE FACTS, is available at Amazon, BN.com, and other on-line outlets. Your local bookstore should be able to special order, but my publisher was a very small press, so it’s unlikely to be there on the shelf.

My day job is police work. Specifically, I’m a railroad cop, which is why I’ve chosen the pseudonym “WEEGEL.” Chief Weegel was, you may recall, the Chief of the B&H Railroad Police back in the JoJo Nidle story.

I live and work in Chicago, and if Mike and Joe are “channelling” Chester Gould, I guess you could say I’m “channelling” Al Valanis, the Chicago Police Detective who was one of the first forensic sketch artists.

Det. Valanis served as Chester Gould’s police technical advisor. Valanis also did the captions for the CRIMESTOPPER TEXTBOOK feature.

I’ll be serving as Mike and Joe’s technical advisor (though, since Mike is an ex-cop himself, the first TRACY writer with actual law enforcement experience, he doesn’t need that much technical advice; he’s just being nice about letting me be a part). I’ll also be doing some of the CRIMESTOPPER captions in upcoming Sunday strips.

KC asked about Joe’s comic book experience. Mike’s already responded to this, but I’d like to expand.

Joe is one of the most respected artists in comic books. There is virtually no comic book character of note he hasn’t drawn, from Superman to Batman, from the Hulk to the Mighty Thor, from Scooby-Doo to Wonder Woman. During a long run on GREEN LANTERN, Joe was the creator (or at least the co-creator) of Kilowog, the Green Lantern whose beat is Space Sector 674. Kilowog’s proven so popular that he is playing a major part in the upcoming GREEN LANTERN movie.

In the crime genre he’s created hard-boiled private eyes Mike Mauser (originally a supporting character in the Staton-created super-hero series E-MAN) and Red “Rusty” Nales. FEMME NOIR, a strip feturing a female “masked detective” in the vein of The Shadow or the Green Hornet, has a cop character specifically modeled on Dick Tracy.

There are very few comics artists today more respected than Joe, and probably none as well-suited to TRACY.

JIM DOHERTY

Klypzyxm - Great to hear the old gang will be coming back.

Diet Smith, B.O and so on.

Are you guys into fishing???

Come up to International Falls, MN/Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada.

We can show you a good time.

We have a big Bass Tournament in July with over $100,000 in prizes

If Locher came, he can be the “Dock Boy” LOL!!!

I couldn’t read Dick Tracy for the past several months. I did find an article on Staton and Curtis at Tribune Media Services. The cartoonist has over 1,000 projects to his credit, and the writer is a former police officer. SPOILER ALERT Saw some samples. Pat Patton is back as chief, Lizz and Sam are working with Tracy again. Hopefully, the negative stuff will be few and far between.

Patton back is a good thing.

Brings back the old days.

Sorry Liz, you didn’t have the balls for the job!!!!

I like this strip better already!

I love that Etch A Sketch® comment regarding the previous strips too!

In the first panel, Thick needs to be saying, “Not tonight, honey. Headache, you know.”

Note to wrist geenee users: Hold .. it .. farther .. away ..from .. your .. face!

Good one again, Wonder Warthog.

The wrist genee doesn’t look impossibly big. I figure its screen is about the size of a small business card. I can hold a card and get my fingers in pretty much the same position as shown. And at a one-foot viewing distance a screen that size could give a comfortable image.

willamp, it must be a touch screen, because there’s no sign of control buttons anywhere (unless the metal bars in the flex wristband are part of the actual mechanism?) With a touch-screen and simple icons the wrist genee could have quite a few functions. I’m guessing that the new team has already defined what the wrist genee can and can’t do, so it won’t be a source of dei ex machinis.

(Okay, a nitpick: where’s the lens for its camera?)

I looked at the color version, but I like the B&W version better. More “noir.” For Dick Tracy, at least, I will just see the Sunday strips in color. It seems to me that the first panel could be a transition from anything that came before, not necessarily the “story” (and I use the term loosely) just concluded. I remember some of Staton’s early work, it cam around the time when I briefly started buying comic books again after a childhood of collecting comics, followed by an adolescence of collecting records. My dad started me on Dick Tracy back in the ‘50’s. Best wishes, Mike and Joe.

Two words: Totally Awesome!!!!!!!

Here is a link that details the new creative teams vision for the classic comic strip…

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-03-13/entertainment/ct-live-0314-dick-tracy-201103131dick-tracy-comic-strip-joe-staton-comic-book

Goodbye forever to “Thick Spacey” – and a great big Welcome Home to Dick Tracy! I’ve been waiting much too long for this day to come!

(breaks out the champagne)

I really appreciate the new artist. I have been a Dick Tracy fan for over 50 years–I even liked the movie.

And I liked the old artists–chester gould. I even have the huge book about Dick Tracy. But I still believe this new artist is the best!!!