Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for July 10, 2009

Uh, I think it was your stupid moves, Macy…

Whaddaya mean the casino called that you won big money? He’s already got his money, doesn’t he? Did he win again? Is KofC gonna let him win too?

I’m gnawing my fingers off in suspense.

Oh, actually my hand is stuck in a bear trap…

Speaking of which, are the goons in the traps still there?

Okay, this strip is really badly drawn. Sorry. But it just is.

In the last panel, is tracy doing a ventriloquist act now? One with a Gertie dummy?

Actually, looking at the story, B.O.’s system actually didn’t cause anything, apart from getting him involved in gambling. Big Ace would have run his scam with or without him.

Grok, you’se da man!

I was going to make a comment, but decline for fear of reprisals from the wordsmith.

Grok said it all.

Hopefully this is the end of a very stupid story.

The Grok shouldn’t get to excited about what little knotheads have to say. I have a website, have been a editorial and political cartoonist many years ago and still except money occasionally and grew up in Riverside, IL, 20 miles east of Naperville. The storyline is awful, the artwork lazy with head shots and black ink backgounds with crosshatched edges. “HankF” didn’t make a comment because he didn’t have anything to say.

I’m still confused on the thermonuclear card deck…I thought the deck was Big Ace’s, then it was Tray-C’s…?

And B.O. should not give away the secrets to his system, because that’s the golden rule: Whatever happens in NaperVegas, stays in NaperVegas….

This strip probably has more on line readers than newspaper readers,they should let tracy go back to being gritty like it was in the 30’s

This strip probably has more on line readers than newspaper readers,they should let tracy go back to being gritty like it was in the 30’s

Grok, In his first two paragraphs sums up perfectly the correct situation on who caused all the danger. Tracy ! It seems the Author lacks the “skill” (or patience) to stimulate “action” unless he has Tracy recklessly breaking most police proceedures. Whick Jeffry tried to defend,by implying Gould did it too. But that’s like comparing a “one time” shop lifter, to a Naperville pickpocket with 225 Convictions !

Today’s text is a casualty of “marking time”, another “Vai que Vai” FILLER, with current pacing effectively paralyzed, Likely, from focus transfered to the upcoming story.

What is further dismaying is the amount of times the Author starts something only for us to find it’s Hog Wash down a road to NOWHERE !. An unflattering “faking” move, 1) Credit Card scam - Tess. 2) Call to FBI to get Jack’s tax position (“needed in ONE hour !!) 3) Before Tracy put B.O. in danger in the Casino using the “Wire”, Chief Liz(z) acknowleged, they’d be in “danger” and (4-05) SAID, “I’ll put a watch on their home”. REALLY ? Where were they when needed? An ambulance was eventually called and arrived. Tracy came. No police ever seen to go there. 6) Tracy ordered the Matrix pack. When and by who was it delivered ? Yet., Tracy was seen using it !

Results on the above suggest deceptive “facades” were thrown up intentionally ? (or “shudder”, by accidental carelessness) to give the impression that sharp Police work was vibrantly at play here. In the end, they all proved to lack substance and were mere fluffy “Illusions”

Does the Author think this sad quantity of contradictions and silly blunders is perfectly NORMAL ? Does he care ? It must be a pretty rough challange for the Praetorian Guard (and others more sympathetic to the Author than to the welfare of the Strip) to cope with Locher, NOT on a Pedestal, but in need of doing, a head down, “stint in the corner” !

The man IS his own galloping Trojan Horse

The presentaions left us with a “SMITH” impression, RepetItive, blemished sequences not unlike those flawed, “Smith clones”, falling over each other in the Matrix movie !

The “knowledgeble” opinion above by (occasional poster) LelandReport does not appear Locher “biased” as some are. He seems to be honestly giving it as he “sees” it. Thanks !

blah blah blah

B.O.’s Home

Tracy felt so important, so needed, so cool! “Yup, solved another case all by myself”, he satisfyingly thought to himself as he stuck out his thumb and said a silent, “AYE”. Tracy always felt so groovy when he used current slang. B.O. a little taken aback by Tracy’s failure to return his fist bump pretended not to be bothered by it. He decided to brush it off as Tracy just being nighthawkish and cocky. “Stacy, the casino called……..” Gertie stood with her hands behind her back to restrain herself from throwing herself at Dick. “Me and Gertie here won some big money at the casino with my system”. Gertie, horrified at what she just went through had enough of the pretending and ran to Dick’s side. Tracy, empowered by Gertie’s boldness put his left arm around her waist while yelling out in unison with her, “YOUR SYSTEM ALMOST GOT US KILLED”!

Meanwhile, back at the studio Dick wondered if Jim was trying to say something to him.

It’s time to leave this end loose, and for Macy to move on another prepostorous case.

Sydney, my friend, you sure make a lot of assumptions about the quality of American law enforcement. This may be the greatest weakness in your arguments, pal. No disrespect intended, but night hawks seems to have a point here.

It looks like Tracy and BO are playing a game of rock-paper-scissors in panel #1, and Tracy is unclear on the concept of “rock”.

If any assumptions are being made, it is by the writer of this strip. He assumes that we, the readers are brain dead to not recognize the total departure of police procedures that have become the hallmark of todays Dick Tracy. The requirement now that we must completely suspend our belief of reality to read this strip is an affront to all. The plots are riddled with great gaping holes in logic and continuity that boggles the mind. Writing a good story that adheres to procedures and principles of police work, yet is entertaining and exciting is achievable. There can be some skirting of reality, I mean, it is a comic strip after all, but what the readers have been subjected to over these last few stories is unconscionable. All we ask is a little consistency, coherency and believability in the stories. Is that really too much to ask?

Jeff, It’s always pleasing to hear you a little perky. Means thing are going good today.

I’m no expert on law-enforcement practises in the USA but I’ve seen enough TV shows and read enough comic strips to know that there is a mode of operation called “back up”. I’ve read it over100 times used in Dick Tracy including many Kilian tales. You write without “specifics” but seem to imply that use of the process is not used by the police or normally expected (?)

That’s not the Dick Tracy I “know” and this is not Secret Agent X-9 that works alone, no matter how much Locher seeks to change the original pattern and attempts to stamp his personal imprimatur on Dick Tracy.

But then, one can expect anything “over the top” from a Writer who’s cop orders a Matrix Pack, (never properlty explains it’s working to readers) and still has Tracy use it, in spite of the fact that it’ was never delivered.

MOONROCK ? ;-P

Not only is the invention “impossible” but many of the sequences are begining to look that way. Even a little stab at teleportation , adding mental power to thermal power. Next foe (?) Superman ?

Those little hands today, lend weight to the theory that Locher is still into the penciling in the strip

I wear no halo…I’m quite imperfect…and I’ve never said otherwise, nor will I. I’m perfectly imperfect and happy to share it. :)

Now that we have something we can all agree on, let’s move on to something else.

Had B.O. not started to gamble, Gertie would not have called Stacy, and Jack and Ace would still be at it, ripping off the public and the King of Clubs.

Casey ought to be thanking him.