Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 11, 2022

Counterfeiting leads to regretting when details are ignored

A stitch in time may hide a crime. Investors seek reward

In rare items hard to find. Collector a bloodhound

Sniffing out the rarest gems. Scarce treasures do astound.

Here’s a Katzenjammer Kids from nineteen and aught seven

Hans and Fritz do pull a prank and briefly are in heaven.

Look to see by Nell Brinkley a “Brinkley Girl” so rare

Golden Eyes was quite a gal: independent, strong, and fair.

Look at that! A Krazy Kat from nineteen twenty-two

In the land of Herriman the impossible comes true.

Here’s a cel that’s sure to sell. Look here, it’s Johnny Quest

Got into trouble solving crimes with Hadji and the rest.

Beware the seller living large. He may be hawking fakes

Do your homework. Know the game. Avoid costly mistakes.

Bet none of you were expecting a lesson on the history of costuming.

Good morning™, everyone!

Yeah, I’ve heard of Western Costume. They started in 1912 and according to their website, they accounted for about 95% of the costuming in the Los Angeles film industry by 1923.

By the 1970s, “The shift to a more realistic style of filmmaking in the post-studio era meant that Western was no longer making as many extravagant gowns or period costumes. As the studios began to sell their wardrobe departments, Western bought them, ensuring that they would remain a critical resource for customers in the decades to come.”

There is a lot of interesting history and some examples of their many films on their website:

https://www.westerncostume.com/since-1912

Good morning™, strip historians !

Enjoyed bottom row historical background.

He thinks he’s an expert counterfeiter. He must have forgotten that his last attempts at counterfeiting landed him a gunshot wound, an arrest and jail time. What a pompous little twerp.

“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” – Mark Twain

Question – why does Sue have “Snidely Whiplash” style moustache?

Sorry, Dekko, you’re just a mouthpiece for Mike’s endless stream of meaningless trivia.

“Western Costume” is still in Business, and they still have a deep wardrobe department for rental…and making custom-to-order as well. They are more important now due to studios downsizing wardrobe departments, and the growth of indies.

Yeah, you go Art. With that tag, the customer needs to know the shrinkage of the product he or she is buying. Especially when it comes to cleaning the outfit.

On second thought, customer could buy it to be put on a mannequin. Hmm…that will make great conversation around the finger sandwiches and cocktails.

Expert counterfeiter…will somebody tap Art Dekko on the shoulder and tell him, look sport you produce “knock-offs” for gullible customers.

Export? (snort)

We got a ‘Gucci’ bag in the store a few weeks ago. We was all excited, until our supervisor took a very careful look at it, and found it to be a counterfeit.

Moral; the more it cost, the more the counterfeits. Or, “There’s a sucker born every minute”

Gambini Tailors—Gambini lived in Central City, and was the costumer to both the supervillains and the heroes in the city. “No man is a hero to his tailor” was his motto.

“Make sure you have the right manufacturer’s label on the fake”

Yeah, that’s the sort of thing only a criminal mastermind would think of [eyeroll]

Her moustache is counterfeit as well !!!

Mike must’ve “borrowed” the name Gambini from comic books. I know I’ve seen that name before in relation to tailoring costumes for the “super” people set.

1-ART: SUE! TAKE A MEMO! THIS IS REALLY BIG! NEVER MIND! GET ME THE MAYOR ON THE LINE!

2-…HELLO MAYOR? ART DEKKO! THAT SUPERMAN COSTUME YOU SOLD ME WAS FAKE – SEE? WHADAYA MEAN – BUYER BEWARE? click

3-SUE-EEEE: Looks like the Mayor pulled a fast one. ART: YEAH, WELL WE’LL SEE WHO GETS THE LAST LAUGH…

4-…I HAPPEN TO HAVE FILM OF HIM STICKING UP SOME TRACYVILLE TOWN FOLK!

5-…HE WON’T BE ABLE TO GET ELECTED DOG CATCHER WHEN I’M THROUGH WITH HIM. SEE?

SUE: Ummm, the Mayor is right handed and the people being held up look exactly like Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. I believe that’s a movie cl…

ART: EVEN BETTER! NOBODY WILL VOTE FOR SOMEONE WHO ROBBED THE BELOVED JIMMY STEWART! YEAH. SEE!

As I recall, at the end of the original “Art Dekko” story Art tried to blame Sue Reel as the “real guilty party”. He then offered to turn “state’s witness” against her.

Why is she staying with someone who tried to save his own skin by throwing her under the bus?

My friend Don Daynard had the original costume from Western Costume of CAPTAIN MARVEL from the Republic Serial.

They fixed Superman’s big S.

PAINFULLY OFF-TOPIC. Still making inroads on the next book. MORABU, but now El Stupido has came up with a new detective character that is screaming at me to be written. When will I learn?!?Take it from me: never become a compulsive writer. The research on Tokyo, where Izu is located, alone will eat up days (I’ve always been hugely into research by nature ).

Back in the 70s when I was in college, one of George Reeve’s Superman costumes was in the possession of Cal State Fullerton. One day they were setting up a display in the library hall and had left the glass door open for a moment. I took that moment to touch this sacred icon! “Ahhhhhhhh, history!” I then went my merry way. I heard that something like 20 or thirty years later that the costume was stolen. Perhaps another glass door open and some jerk taking advantage of it?

According to Gerry Dooley’s book Zorro – Television Companion, the 1950s Disney TV Zorro costumes were also done by Western, with the exception of the original design of the mask.

The character of Art Dekko reminds me of the cartoons of John Held of the 1920’s!

Who says Mike’s scripting isn’t inspired? Look and learn: https://tinyurl.com/2og3zs49

And now, costuming history! —Delivered through the mouthpiece little hubristic egotist (other good descriptions have been used already, up above in Comments and Replies), Art “Know It All” Dekko! I can hardly wait for Reality to give him a good, swift kick in the Tender Vittles.

Can we maybe have some crime and punishment next, rather than the fanboy and trivia filler?

We get the impression that when Dick Tracy sees a previous criminal that the criminal is engaged in criminal activity and will soon be subject to ‘Major Crimes Investigation’, led by Dick and Sam. You would think Dick and Sam would notice and give these past acquaintances a good look. Mike and Shelley could make the strip ‘deeper’ by showing one or two days months ago of Tracy encountering Art Dekko, and nothing comes from it, then.

P.S. I am reminded of Silver Nitrate. Is he still in prison? Has he met Art Dekko? (Can they work together?) Making fakes is a bit harder with Sprocket out of the picture.

“Gambini” is a riff on “Paul Gambi”—-who in the DC universe made super-villain costumes for just about everybody.Especially THE FLASH villains.

When it comes to costumes,I’ll take Jean Louis.