Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for January 15, 2022

Blackjack wriggles a hand free, grabs up the burner phone

“Track Tracy north of Pine Road! He’s in danger and alone!”

Blackjack pleased with his good deed. May Bones get his at last

Tracy is his hero. Final thought before the blast.

Bones’ Wrist Wizard has a flaw. Not quite what Diet planned

Tracy’s warning is ignored. Bones loses his left hand.

Over the edge of danger’s ledge. The hitman takes a fall

Again today crime does not pay. Bones is dead. That’s all.

It appears his left hand is severed at the wrist.

Good morning™, everyone!

We recently read the 1967 book “I Heard the Owl Call My Name” in a book club I’m in. It’s the story of an young Anglican vicar, sent to work with the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw people in British Columbia. He doesn’t know it, but he has only three years to live and the novel is all about death (not only his). When the owl calls your name, that means that your death is imminent.

It’s a fitting epitaph for Mr. Bones.

Now, what happened to Blackjack?

Hoot! Hoot! I know when you’re on fire you’re supposed to stop, drop and roll…but not off a cliff. Well, at least he put the fire out. And it looks like the firefighters put the fire out at the cabin too since its pitch black in the woods again. I do think Blackjack made it out alive and unharmed but I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to know for certain.

Too bad they killed off Bones…….he had the makings of a decent villian…

Will Tracy find his hat??

Is BJ’s tie still usable??

Will the officer be reprimanded for not addressing Tracy as; “Chief detective Tracy”??

So many unanswered questions.

Good morning™, crashed and burned !

Now that Blackjack’s radio is gone who does he see about getting the modified retro unit the police are currently using ?

I doubt very many print readers got the Owl reference hence the value of reading the strips as a group. Thanx, Neil for the explanation.

I suppose a good tailor can fix BJ’s zoot suit, but he probably won’t see it again for about ten years. But maybe the courts will be lenient because he called 911.

Assuming he’s still alive…

As Peter Schikele said in his satire of Beethoven’s Fifth, „Those sound like final notes, folks!“

Looks like this arc is dead-fish-dead.

Looking forward to boboscar s summary!

Them bones, them bones them dead bones, or something like that!

Cliff was never mentioned before today.

Stay away from Owl’s and everything will be ok ?

Wonderful visuals in today’s strip. It doesn’t atone for the gaping plot/logic holes leading up to it, but they don’t diminish today’s great graphics.

so is Richard Bonhomme “Dead fish dead?” Becoming “Richard Morthomme”

Well thats pulling a Boner!!!

Cue Jim Morrison:

“And the owl called Bonesy…”

“Called his…?!” He-he was DR. WHO??!!!!!?????

“I Heard the Owl Call My Name” : My first reaction was “Who” ? (OK, I’ll go stand in the corner)

I’m quite impressed with Pleger’s use of shadow in this story line; one could almost call it comic noir. In fact, I’ve been impressed with her work since she took over.

OFFICER: “Who was he, Detective Tracy?”

TRACY: “I don’t know, but the owl called his name.”

A hidden pun…?

Does Tracy know yet about Blackjack being in the house?

Shelley Pleger is terrific. Wonderful art work.

1-DT: I guess I shouldn’t have told him to drop and roll when he was so close to the cliff edge. Especially…

2-…since he wasn’t even on fire. PATROLLMAN BOO RADLEY: Why’d he attack you, Tracy?

3-DT: Because I don’t know how to fix broken-down cars I guess.

PATROLLMAN BOO RADLEY: Poor sod shoulda called Triple A. You going down to get the body?

DT: Let’s let the owl decide. OWL: WHO, WHO.

DT: Sounded like “BOO, BOO” to me!

PATROLLMAN BOO RADLEY: Sounds more like a comment on this part of the story to me…

FIREMAN BILL: HEY BUDDY, GRAB THIS ROPE AND I’LL PULL YOU UP. BUDDY…? Oh well. Did all we could do…

Was today the first indication that they were on the edge of a cliff?

The Apparatus are not going to be happy campers when they get the news. Will a search of Mr. Bones hotel room reveal a copy of the contract he had to eliminate Tracy? If he did all of his financial business online (i.e. direct deposits, etc.) MCU will need to find his passwords. Alas! Mr. Bones went over the edge. Never got a chance to carry out his pledge.

In the upper left corner of panel 3, there is a silhouette of a large bird flying away, most likely the same owl. It’s not easy to see with the purple background, but it is there. I had to zoom in to see it.

well… guess that wrist wizard turned up to be pretty handy. …thanks, I’ll be here all week.

I understand why it isn’t, but his left wrist should be a lot more messed up

Richard Bonhomme, “Mr. Bones” the professional assassin, has ended up a real mess, sans left hand, fallen on the rocks in the ravine that just appeared today (the Earth moves when Tracy scores another failed hitman).

Now, after the grim sight (great art work by Shelley!) and mordant conversation with the uniforms, Tracy should set about determining the fate of Blackjack, his savior (albeit as yet unknown to him, it seems). Did the anti-villain escape incineration when his hideaway Little House blew up? Is he lying outside the fire, still naked but alive? He is a good character; he deserves to survive, and we deserve to know his fate one way or the other….

I think the sensors are relaxing a bit, these missing hands, blown up bodies, wow it’s just like the old days, makes for better Gouldness, like the old days. Hated the last few “pansy” years. keep it going. Don’t see much relaxed, free spirit in the comics these days, too much restrictions. They would never allow a cartoon depicting what’s happening in the US. streets today, so I’m glad there is a bit of freedom in Tracytoon.

“I don’t know. But the owl called his name.” Wow! Let’s get serious. (Or as Germaine Jackson used to say, “Stheiousth!!” There’s a deep meaning here. No one can teach it, only experience it. Now, Man, this is Real!! I think I will sit quietly on the rocks and let my expression go blank, into a deep sleep lasting a thousand years. My life will transform my Self into all manner of visions – starvation in poverty (I lost a lot of weight), dissipation in riches (I did enjoy that while it lasted), and all other possibly meaningless visions. (Beautiful girls never said, "Get lost, you Creep!!) I will breathe in “Om!” in all sanctity. Wham!!! What a rush!! And after all that time I will have to admit, no teacher as ever taught me anything. But, “The owl called his name!” Nothing beats that for importance! It is everything in a nut(shell). You know what I mean? If you do, tell me what I mean, I am a little confused. ( DO NOT TELL ANYBODY!!) “I”? What does that mean anyway? I have wiped out my Self, and (?) cannot find the rag (?) did the cleaning with. (?) was a kid once, then wrinkles and grey hair started to show up. My skin got kind of pruney. I developed a funny smell due to chemicals old people make. People would sit next to me in the movies, go out for candy and sit somewhere else when they got back. And, then suddenly I knew everything!! (some I have forgot). Who cares, I knew it for awhile anyway. It doesn’t matter, I can’t teach it to anyone. If you see me, I will put on a knowing glance and act strangely detached. This weekend I am going out hunting Owls!! A big one killed a neighbor’s cat!! What a racket that was. Then another owl sat in a tree and sang, “Whooo? Who? Whhhoooo?” Does he know something?

Next time try a pocket watch with an extra long chain.