Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for November 24, 2009

Nice alliteration there, Dick.

Oh, and that was real smooth the way you handled Della. Morbidly obese women love hearing that they’re “pretty special.”

“Cotton Candy, Clowns, and Conspiracies, oh my!”

Oh, and Contrived, Convoluted, Crappy, Cretinous Crud!

It appears to be over. Bye, bye, Pig on Wheels!

Billions of blue, blistering barnacles!

Ten thousand thundering typhoons!

AAAAAAAaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

It started out as innocent, snarky fun, but I was a fool to think I could indulge in this habit every day and keep all my brain cells.

You have broken my spirit, Dick Locher.

I am defeated, Jim Brozman.

What’s left of my gray matter will go quietly to your gallows.

And we’ve had more than our fill of this clap trap….

And I think most of us have had our fill of Locher.

Flight Suit said, “Cotton Candy, Clowns, and Conspiracies, oh my!”

The four C’s…

I can think of a fifth pretty easily, Bill… It’s four letters and sums up this story perfectly.

We have to wonder if plump little Della still has a job, as the Circus may remain closed - no owner ! Perhaps she can feed the Tiger.

In the meantime, Locher picks up uncharacteristic speed. He’s wasting no time. Tracy’s visit to HQ is a “one panel” stop, just like Teevo’s. Sort of to remind he’s still a cop. Only Lizz seen, no Sam, no Teevo.

Tomorrow, D.T.’ll be back at “home” base and Tess will be “pointing” him in a new direction as is apparently her new function and holding the “starters” gun for the new case.

No details to spoil bassmanbob’s “discovery” joys, but on looking “ahead”, We’re up to December 19th. Yes, a crime’s been committed (that’s good), but no one (good or bad) has recieved a “name” yet, and we’re now siting on three weeks out.

Hope Locher will align his story “Marbles” properly for this one ! The Pig on Wheels walk out with all the readers over that wash of contradictios and changing facts at the end didn’t serve to burnish a now fading “reputation” !

I look forward to the Dick Tracy strip each day. I’ve been a fan for over 50 years. But I’ve struggled through the glaring inconsistancies of the “Mr Pops” story, both in writing and artwork. I just hope the next story will be better and faster moving.

bleeep, bleeep and more bleeep.

Krispy Kreme thinks Della is pretty special, too! They even keep the hot light on for her!

geoffreyricho, don’t hold your breath…

WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT HAPPENED?

My neighbor’s dog barked all night. May I borrow the tiger?

When does DT go on vacation, sadly could lead to another crime scene? Just in time this is ended Thanksgiving is almost here, I wonder if DT will have time off and really enjoy family life before the next event.

well, King, this case is closed

Let’s see, the Tracy family arrived at the circus on July 18 and our intrepid detective arrived back at HQ on November 24. I’d be sick of the circus after 4 months and 6 days with no break, too, and I’m a huge circus fan.

Wow. So that’s the whole story. I hear the eskimos have like twenty words for “snow.” To accurately describe this, I need like 70 words for “awful.”

I’m really sad about Dick Tracy. It’s not even poorly done in a good way.

So…

Did I miss something, or do we never get to find out who the FBI’s operative inside the circus was?

Also, is that girl still riding around on the elephant, and is she still frequently switching between her Wonder Woman outfit and her lingerie?

Lastly, I’ve noticed that like Agent Ennen, the Chief of Police also appears to be a gelfling.

How long did this sorry story last?

Matt, do you accept PayPal?

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz……………

Hunh…wha happened? We’re not at the circus anymore? Did I miss the good part?

It’s at times like these, after that Circus story that in Itchy Oliver style I “scratch” my head wondering just what jinx has beset Dick Locher ? Even curious to know, if one Joe Btfspik is camping out in the wooded area behind Dick’s property ? Perhaps, Jeff and Mattie could keep an eye peeled the next time they get an “invite”.

I’ts no secret that these guys (to use a Jamaican expression) have Locher on their “head-tops”! But I’m sure they’re honest and will report back on the subject.

Here we have an Author /Artist with the enviable advantage of working beside Gould as an art assistant for 4 years 1957-1961 (contributing to group planning discussions), then another 10 years with writer Max Collins 1983-1992, followed with a 12 year collaboration with writing partner Mike Kilian. That’s 22 years of being in a priviliged seat of “learning”, fully “exposed” by discussion and association, to (handed over) the succesful writing “techniques” which had breen honed over the previous successful 61 years. You’d think by then, they’d be grafted into him ! What a gift of experience, it doesn’t get better than that !

But to use his new expression - what happened ? Overconfidence ? It’s hard to understand but he must have realized Kilian was failing to use a number of the winning ideas Gould and Collins successfully utilized - (circulation actually grew well under Collin’s writing) and as the senior and more “experienced” DT partner, Locher failed to intervene, A serious practitioner “pays attention” to these things. In addition, he embarked on a facial change program to all of Gould’s HQ characters save Sam. His action suggested they had oulived their usefullness and that the strip needed a fresh “make over”.

No one can deny that this happened or that on the heels of this new, alien writing style and morphed art, circulation took a horrible beating. They lost 83% of the newspaper circulation he inherited.

When the taste of a cooked dish starts coming out with a bad taste, first thing you do is check what part of the “recipe” you had inadvertently changed.

But not our pal Dicky in Napperville, he continued his focused transformation, and like in the “Light Brigade”, Cannon in front of him, cannon from the left and right, with his 300 newspapers flawed he charged forward, and he blundered, and then they rode back, without the “hat”, but not Not the 300 !

Deep inside he knows. His was a failed end game. Some will try to shield him, fob off blame on TMS restrictions, changing reader taste, or market condtions. If* partly *SO, a compliant Mr. Locher’s “contribution”, flavored with stubbern attitude assisted them immensley.

IT HAPPENED!!!!! The story is over, IT HAPPENED!!!!!

You’re not going to believe this-I’ve had the priviledge of reading this strip for the next 3 weeks. Tracy divorces Tess and marries Della Contessa. I’m not going to say anymore and ruin it for the readers.

The chief is not Pat Patterson, guess I have been away.

dkram…..My oh my, you really have been gone for a long time. Although at the rate these stories are running it was only a couple of months ago that he retired and Liz took the job. After this last fiasco it becomes obvious why Tracy isn’t the chief. He must be getting senile and losing all his smarts. Actually, it has to be Locher and team. It hasn’t been worth writing about. Hopefully, the next story line will see an improvement, it can’t get worse. Or can it?? I have a bad feeling about this!!

I’ll do a stick figure with a square jaw on an index card for $5.

Sorry, Matt, couldn’t resist.

For glimpses of the Pig-On-Wheels, see today’s ‘Cul-de-Sac, and ‘The Argyle Sweater’.

Bracy ate popcorn, not cotton candy!

RaulZZZZzzzzzzz,

What happened is, that you may have stayed up all night giving “one-liners” on Annie and find that you’re snoozing over at Tracy in the day !

New story tomowrrow !

Mattie,

Someone I know would like to know if you’d consider a brief for a $50. job, plus cost of shipping to Judy Hansel ?

You must handle the shipping. Family ? I assume you know where she lives ! (?)

(angelic music) YES!!!!!! halleiluia!!!!!! the story is over!!!!

Margueritem said, “For glimpses of the Pig-On-Wheels, see today’s ‘Cul-de-Sac, and ‘The Argyle Sweater’.”

Whew! I was afraid the Pig on Wheels would be out of work when the circus closes.

I suppose Della Contessa and Fee Fi can always go back to their previous jobs dealing in illegal firearms.

New story starts tomorrow…I can barely wait.

LudwigVonDrake said, about 4 hours ago New story starts tomorrow…I can barely wait.

You are too optimistic

Yeh I’ve had my fill of all things circus…except candy floss.