Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for October 25, 2009

Unbelievable! Tracy is holding Ennen with his right arm and holding the trapeze bar with his left hand as Della, who has grown as large as Fee Fi, is standing on the top of the cage between the bars quickly lifts Tracy and Ennen through the hole in the cage to safety! And, now, the clown notices that Della and Fee Fi are missing from outside.

Why not place several pair of boots for absolute safety!

‘Bout time you noticed they were gone, Pops!

I tried putting my boots outside the door, but somebody stole them.

This is a rerun of the past week’s story. Locher must be on vacation or something.

… so that the intruder will think you’re elderly, living alone and have large feet.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse (No, I mean the strip, not my verse) Todays’ rendering is particularly abysmal And may require a dose of Pepto-Bismol ( allow me be terse it’s the strip, not the verse) From levitating ladies of enormous girth To sentient plots of which there is a dearth We are treated to a spectacle that is a pain One that we read now with growing disdain Though my comments are repetitious I don’t mean them to be malicious I like to think of them as being constructive Pointing out things that are counter-productive To the our enjoyment of the story And the continuation of Tracys’ glory Todays installment offers no expectation That we will soon read with elation A story that has logic and sense And does not treat us a being dense A story that brings us a little smile Something we haven’t had for a long, long while.

Is that He-Man’s buddy Cringer/Battle Cat in panel three? And what a dreadful art tangent – it looks like Fo Fum is pulling Cringer’s tail out of the cat’s gullet.

Um…

Um…

Like…

Wow! Men’s boots, huh?

Regarding Mr. Pops’s grand scheme:

First of all, didn’t Barb murder Louise because she didn’t want anybody depriving her of the experience of killing Ringo herself?

So…

What? Barb’s just changed her mind, and now, in lieu of just killing Ringo with the least possible complications, these criminal geniuses have instead hatched a plan that:

a) Involves the murder of a federal agent and a police detective, thus making this both a federal case and a death penalty case.

b) Involves the conspirators filing a false police report AND purjuring themselves in court, despite the inherent difficulty involved in making sure everybody’s story is the same and will hold up under intense questioning.

and…

c) Leaves Ringo, the object of their hatred, alive and possibly even having the case against him dismissed.

When I need help plotting my next caper, please remind me not to avail myself of these geniuses’ caper-plotting services.

Now I gotta lock up my “gunboats” so elderly people won’t try to snatch them so they can put them by the door. Or, maybe I should put them by my own door since I’m getting near the “elderly” age myself. A chewed bone or two and a “beware of dog” sign might not be a bad idea either, as long as we’re talking about stage props.

About the strip: Oh, boy, where to start. Well, maybe it’s already been said, seeing as how this is just the Sunday rehash of what happened this week. Locher cleared up how DT didn’t see the trapeze bar earlier, but not where DT got super-human strength to lift not only himself but also NN with one hand. With that kind of strength, the tiger might be in a lot of trouble if he had tried to tangle with Tracy. I’m thinking “Samson” here. Or, maybe “David”.

“How ya doin’ High Flyers”???? Ye Gods!

Who is that in the middle of Sloppy the Clown and Ringo? Might that be the Useless Lt. Teevo?

Those Elvis sideburns on Ennen are quite fashionable!

I think the boots are bait to get a new husband to protect you!!!

I once made the mistake of putting ballet shoes outside my door. Big mistake.

An NRA decal works wonders, too.

Seems Mr.Pops found only Della Contessa and Fee Fi missing … so WHO pulled Tracy and Ennen UP?

Della hand is still on the trapeze rope ! Strong enough ? Barb Els the muscle lady perhaps, but certaily not rotun, flabby Della. So Chalk up ONE more “stretch” to the rapidly growing - “IMPOSSIBLE” List !

In a way the list suggests what Locher thinks of the astutness of his readers …. i.e. So stupid they wouldn’t know the difference between the “possible” and his LAZY way - unrealistic nonsense !

“Who is that in the middle of Sloppy the Clown and Ringo? Might that be the Useless Lt. Teevo?”

It looks like, why it is! It’s Big Ace!

What gets me is that not only can Tracy leap to the trapeze with the FBI agent in his arm but that the silly tiger cant! I dont care how fast they hauled the trapeze up the tiger still should have gotten them. No fair!

—————– I just leave a dismembered foot on the front porch. Everyone leaves me alone.

Yawn…

Shoes by the front door??????? Am I missing something here?

I wouldn’t bring up that crimestoppers tip with anyone, unless you like being looked at as being very peculiar.

LOCHER’S - “CONRADICTION” - CORNER

Who OWNS the Circus ?

1) Tracy (8-10) “Let’s get this straight, you’re the Owner and Ringmaster Of the O’Connel Circus …”

1) Ennen (9-10): “Mr.Ringo has a new identity courtesy of the FBI - - he’s in hiding ….”

Placed by the FBI? How could he be the Owner? Did the FBI “buy” it, and give it to Ringo?

THEN - Next Friday, see Mr.Pops “claiming” HE is the Owner.

This too is unlikely

3) Mr.Pops (9-23): “Iwas released early when I offered to return the money … NOW I’M BROKE!”

Every day LOCHER writes the strip he FORGETS what he wrote yesterday - - Like “WHO” OWNS the Circus !

And WHO did he return money to ? The illegal overseas co-conspiritors? Anywhere in the world is that a valid reason for early release ?

Hi guys! Hre a little example of my new comic strip in english version, I hope the language is good.

[IMG]http://i35.tinypic.com/2nv3tid.jpg[/IMG]

Carlo, It’ has great promise and I like the art style. Wish we could see more. The ENGLISH is just fine !

The dominance of GREEN in Dick Tracy Sunday page looks ALIEN !

Thanks Sidney. The english strip is now online:

http://shockdom.com/open/carl/

Thanks to everyone.

Grimegobber’s Tipsbook: If you’re an elderly widow you probably don’t have money to waste on the gas it would take to drive across town and donate your late husband’s smelly old boots to the Goodwill – but there’s no need. Just leave them by the door and some large-footed thief will soon take them. In the meantime they will keep the skunks away and everyone will tell your children, “Yo’ mama wears smelly old army boots!”

Panel 6 is like an Escher drawing. Look at the trapeze where Tracy is holding it. Then look at the ropes where Della Contessa is holding them. The angles keep changing! Look back and forth a few times and you’ll get dizzy and fall out of your chair. If you put some old boots on the floor next to your chair first they will cushion your landing.

Now we see how Della Contessa lifted the two of them faster than a tiger can jump. I thought it might have been some kind of super-speed power winch, but no. She did use both hands, though, which is more than Tracy did.

-Cougar :{)

Check out the way Macy is eyeing Della’s legs. I think he’s onto something…….Whoo-hoo! Tess is in for a whole lotta competition!

Look at Ms. Ennen’s face as she says, “We’re safe, Tracy!” Do those words and that facial expression go together?

-Cougar :{)

Yes COUGAR, in “certain” circumstances they do - -

I’m sorry to have to say it, her body expression, mouth and eyes wide open, hands flung wide in wild abandon suggests just ONE thing !

Arm close around the neck on Thursday AND Tracy now with satisfied, confirming smile ! It was all over before reaching the top ! - “We’re safe”!

Could they have “dood-it” coming up in the cage SO QUICKLY? Seems we have a Speedy Gonzales here !

As long as Della was on the ground, I could believe she was using her weight as a counterbalance to lift the other 2 (as long as she weighs more than the 2 of them combined). Now she’s ON TOP OF THE CAGE, STANDING ON AIR. I don’t know what to believe.

On Tuesday … FLATTOP returns ! Reading ahead I couldn’t resist announcing FLATTOP is back ! Locher drops his great SURPRISE ! FLATTOP is back … FLATTOP is black !

In panel 3, the “tiger” is now looking more like a bobcat.

And there is still the matter of the appearing / disappearing cage roof that needs to be solved.

Sydney, Flattop is black? Or he’s back? Or maybe he’s both. I think a black Flattop would be cool. Much too cool for Dick Tracy to handle.

And since the cage is clearly either circular or oval-shaped, how was Tracy standing with his back to a corner of the cage a few days ago?

(I would go back to see what date it was and post a link, but I can’t bear to read through this drivel again…)

Sydney, I read ahead too and there’s some really poor artwork coming up in the next few weeks. Dypak, the upcoming Flattop is both :)

Noticed Ennen’s tie is gold in panel 2 and blue in panel 6. Does anyone know if Sleet ( first Sam Catchem case ) was ever killed I think she went to jail. A great way to bring back Sam would be Sleet out of jail and looking for revenge .

Carlo Coratelli, I like your strip very much. Thank you for translating it from the Italian.

Sydney, now I’m beginning to wonder about Tracy’s expression in Panel 6. A few seconds ago he was looking up Della Contessa’s skirt. :o

-Cougar :{)

Yea Oink !

Sleet was handcuffed and JAILED (Tracy & Sam) after escaping from an Ape and getting stuck and trapped when jumping onto and through the roof of a water tank (Feby/Mar. 1957)

Carlo, great art! Will there be more in English?

Round up all the usual suspects!