Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for October 20, 2022

Is Sam not aware of that?

Good morning™, everybody!

Sam seems a bit uninformed. I would have thought he already knew that Vitamin Flintheart “owns da joint.” I do love the pose that Vitamin strikes in the last panel. (I can believe he was literally a “pal” of Jimmy Cagney’s.)

For those who were lamenting the fact that Flintheart wasn’t using a hyperformal version of “Sam,” as he does with “Dick” (“Richard”), there’s your answer, though an unexpected one. “Samwise” is a name invented by J.R.R. Tolkien for his character, Samwise Gamgee, in Lord of the Rings. Sam might be less than flattered if he knew its Old English (OE) origin. It consists of the prefix “sam-” (OE version of “semi-”) plus the word “wise,” so it means something like “halfwit.”

‘Splains much. ✨

As contrasted when he was a washed out relic of the 19th century and had trouble getting parts because of his age. While some characters simply don’t grow older he’s managed to grow younger.

Good morning™, washed out wafflers !

All these “waffles” need is some syrup. Enter Kandi, Moonchick, Annie and the “ugly” one.

another day of worthless filler installment that doesn’t advance the story for chit…

Ye Gads!!! Today’s strip is absolutely groan worthy!

I was going to list the reasons why but forget about it, not worth my time.

It does seem hard to believe that Sam doesn’t know that Vitamin owns the Patterson Playhouse, just as it seems hard to believe that Vitamin reads Tolkien or can act & talk in a street tough Cagneysque way. For those who keep track of this, today we have one of the characters holding something in each hand. Who says Mike doesn’’t vary things in the strip?

Who’s the dame in the picture

Good one I like!

So the only reason Vitamin gets starring roles at his age is that he is an old fraud ? I think Vitamin is putting himself down by admitting this to Sam. He must have had a successful career in order to afford owning the theatre and still be in buisness.

“I owns da joint and I has no shame.”

Is Sam still softening him up to ask about Robert and Steelface?

nice. :)

Outstanding art, outlandish story….

I thought this was common knowledge.

Truer words were ever spoken.

…..they’re MY toys, fellas, ‘an it’ns ya don’t play wit ‘em MY way, I’m takin’ ’em all home! Nyah NYAH!!

You can’t tell me that Sam didn’t know Vitamin owned the theatre after everything that has happened there.

1-SAM: WHOA! A pitcher of gin! Why Sugar, why?

2-SUGAR DADDY: It never hurt Richard Burton or John Barrymore none. That reminds me – you wanna know who has two thumbs and is a better actor than those bums?

3-…THIS GUY!

SAM: You’re supposed to use both hands when you tell that old gag.

SUGAR: Huh? Oh. Well, I’m drunk…

Vitamin is kind of an aged modern Nero. Nero fancied himself an A-list performer in ancient Rome and cast himself in leading roles in plays and had concerts of him playing the lyre (the violin wouldn’t be invented until the 16th century and even the Chinese erhu wouldn’t be invented until the 7th century). He would party all night through the streets of Rome, which was eventually blamed for the fire he’s famously associated with. Let’s hope Vitamin’s theater doesn’t burn down. He seems to be a bit more responsible than Nero.

Oh shucks! Go on Vitamin Flintheart with ya “bad self”.

“I owns Da Joint”. Who is to say that when he is not in the strip, Vitamin goes on You Tube at home. B.B. King’s song " Paying the cost to be the boss" is his theme song.

Yes Virginia, it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks.

Off strip, Steelface is at his tailors being fitted for a tuxedo. He wants to see what his nephew can do in the play.

MOVIE QUOTE—-

“We are missing a bottle of pickled pigs feet and a ham”

Stagehand—THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA—1943

In t he third panel,Vitamin looks unnervingly like Jerry Colonna.

EVERYBODY knows Vitamin owns that place.I want to know how he got rich.Before Collins brought him back in 1978-79,he was always on the borderline of poverty and very clumsy with his money

I absolutely LOVE the smug, hammy Vitamin in the third panel! Gloriously fun! :D

Owning the place does NOT mean you are a good actor.

Oh, Vitamin, you are such a card!

“Samwise”? Could that really be Sam’s full given name?

Sam should have known the answer to his own question. We could all have told him what Vitamin would say, if not exactly how he would choose to phrase it.

Now, could we move the story forward?…