Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for October 13, 2009

Don’t look so relieved. For all you know, Fee Fi, just like Barb Els, is determined to make sure nobody, whether trapeze artist or tiger, trounces his chance to do all the killing!

Is that a tiger’s tail, or are you just glad to see me?

That tiger has a mighty lonnnng tail….. He’s got the tiger by the tail it’s plain to see, and he won’t let go so it doesn’t bother meeee!

All together now, “I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail, it’s plain to see; I won’t be much when you get thru’ with me. Well, I’m a losing weight and a turnin’ mighty pale. Looks like I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail.”…

Let’s take the bull by the horns.

The bull has left the building but it left plenty of evidence of its passage behind.

whether ‘solving’ the crime or getting out of the tiger-mess, Tracy has done nothing but simply stand around throughout this entire sorry excuse of a story.

Well at his age he’s entitled too…..

He’s got the tiger by the tail that’s plain to see Lochers got to be pulling the legs of you and me This story losing fans and has the pace of a snail Looks to me like the writer’s already bailed Well I hoped today something new would be the plan Just the kind of dream from a long time fan Now were faced with living with this hell And it looks like I got to give this strip a fail Well every day we’re dragged here for another round Only to be and insulted and let down Tracy is hapless and it’s to no avail to hope we see some logic in this tale Maybe it’s high time Locher hit the trail.

Suddenly, Fee Fi pulls enough slack to tie the tiger’s tail to the bars of the cage in a strong knot.

I can hear the PETA folks now.

We’ve got a lot of Buck Owens fans here, I see!

Fee Fi (just before panel 1): KNOCK, KNOCK…

That’s 1 big bleeep guy…

And the award for WORST, MOST ILLOGICAL, SLOWEST-MOVING AND MOST DISINTERESTING COMIC STRIP WRITING IN THE HISTORY OF THE MEDIUM goes to….

DICK TRACY!

What about the panther?

Well Jim Brozman has finally done it, after the artistic faux pas in deciding what looks like a Tiger or a Leopard !

Look at that EXPRESSION on Tracy’s face ! Brozmam’s “captured” it ! A snapshot in time ! A look of relief that reveals he has just completed a succesful bowel action.

For a man who has been standing so still it’s the first sign of real “movement” we have seen in 3 months !

It may reach the Guinness Book of Records as many wondered how he had endured not going to the bathroom in ALL of that time ! (?)

No need to go into detail, but even Agent Ennen to judge from “satisfied” eyes and her “OPEN mouth” expression, may have experienced a “personal” emotional moment of pleasure !

The story has dipped to the level of preschoolers. Why do we need Tracy to point out what’s been obvious for several panels unless the writer thinks we’re small children?

I remember Kings sister singing Hold that tiger. Although Buck Owens song is more fitting. I hope the strong man Fee Fi is on DT side.

With that furry chest on Fee Fi, are we sure he’s not part animal?

HELLO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

How has everybody been? It’s Barry J. from Kentucky (aka sparkydog77 from the old days at the comicspage.com site).

Those 3 panels today…absolutely made me ROFL. That second panel with a creature called FEE FI was the funniest thing I’ve seen in years.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the expression on Agent Ennen’s and Dick’s face looks like there is a lot more going on in that cage than some tail-yanking…LOL. Hysterical!!!!!

I wonder if Tess knows that Dick is into some S&M bondage games now, cage and all. Who says this “strip” is just for kids anymore???? LOL.

All the best to everybody,

Barry J.

Notice how Dick’s narrating. Soon they’ll do away with the art, and this comic will become an audio podcast…

Everyone’s so stunned by the lack of talking heads for two entire panels, that no one’s commented on the tail being outside the cage in panel 1 and inside the cage in panel 2.

To complete the Knock Knock joke:

Knock Knock! Who’s there? It’s the giant, Fee Fi It’s the giant, Fee Fi who? It’s the giant, Fee Fi Ho Hum!

Sparkydog (aka Barry),

Good to see you back after your long sabatical. As you can see the strip has gone from bad to worst … and drifting in neutral !

Locher now seems to characterize Tracy as a cowardly detective With story progress at the dullest and slowest it’s ever been

Hope we’ll hear more from you. Your WIT is needed to ease the tedium !

Hey Sparky! Long time! Still hittin’ the coasters? We missed you here. Your cousin-in-law (MPH) is still at it where you left off. Nothin’s changed; still a sophomorish strip. They still can’t figure out why the publicity is negative. Go figure.

We can see in Panel 2 that Fee Fi’s hands are inside the cage with the tiger, in fact one whole arm is inside the cage, but of course we know the reason the tiger hasn’t turned around and bit Fee Fi’s hands off is … um … well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? It’s because … um … errr … ah … well …um … Well, of course ANYONE can see why! Why should I have to explain it – it’s obvious enough!

-Cougar :{)

How exciting.

Sparky, WELCOME BACK!!!

Lunch, floor. Floor, lunch.

Unbelievable. Infantile, sophomoric, and insulting. I suppose if Tracy had a gun, he would not use it. He would let the tiger kill him like he let the “hounds” kill Baskerville. Fee Fi’s bracelets are now studded with pointy spikes instead of rounded knobs.

Macy is saved from Hobbes by Calvin!

Hey, thanks everybody for the warm greetings back!!!

I’m glad to be here and see all of you under a new “Big Top.” I hate having missed all of your old antics and am glad to be able to participate again. I HAVE been reading Tracy all the while but just haven’t been terrifically motivated to make much in the way of commentary.

Interesting to note, however, that with THIS story, set up as a classic murder mystery whodunnit, that there was the opportunity to offer an array of suspects and countdown to a classic “denouement.” Shame it didn’t really go that way though there was the attempt at crafting it in that direction, so points for that!!!!!

Agent Ennen, however, is as disposable as that one Tracy nemesis a few years back that also was a fellow policewoman–what was her name? She came to an untimely end and disappeared from the strip…

I know you guys will be able to help me remember…

Anyway, good to be back and see everybody!!!!!

All the best,

Barry J.