Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for June 17, 2011

Somehow, I thank that there will be a problem.

G’morning all…

Greta Garbo, Margueritem?

Good Evening All! Time for me to do that musical quote I mentioned a couple weeks ago. From The Sound of Music Lyrics from “You Are Sixteen, Going on Seventeen” You wait, little girl, on an empty stage for fate to turn the light on. Your life, little girl, is an empty page that men will want to write on. Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.

“No problem!” Lizz says. “I’ll just sit here on a suddenly-deserted sound stage, tied up and dressed like Ponytail, and try not to remember what happened at the tanning parlor! What are the chances that I’ll get abducted by another passing psycho?”

So did I miss something? I am unclear on why Lizz is being a stunt double, or why Ponytail was on and then off the movie, or what Doubleup has to do with the movie, or for that matter the Hawaiian cop. But I’m still liking the strip.

I think Haka Kou is playing the Scarlet Sting in the movie. HK told Dick-Sam-Lizz that an unknown person is shaking down the movie, through undescribed threats or attacks. The shakedown artist is Doubleup, who pegged the needle on the crazymeter and has a fetish for the Ponytail character. Meanwhile, Dick, Sam and Lizz have decided that the best way to investigate the shakedown is to go undercover on the set and have Lizz work as the costumed stand-in for the actress who plays Ponytail. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it turns out that Ponytail’s original stand-in is also Doubleup’s girlfriend. Out of work thanks to Lizz, and suddenly unhappy at being involved in a shakedown, she tries to quit the gang. She gets murdered by Doubleup. Dressed as the Scarlet Sting, Doubleup announces that he will dispose of her body before he goes to the movie set.

—PROBLEM! Notice that laser-ray thingy at the left in panel 3? Radish, Fearless Spectator was right to recall Bond.

That’s only a problem if the SFX chief is Solly Blumberg.

Lizz’s chair is placed at the center of a circle in the platform, with a net below it. Maybe that will figure in the action.

“Do you expect me to talk?” “No Mister Bond!” “I expect you to die!”

Well, we have the FRICKin’ lasers, but where are the sharks? Dr. Evil will not be pleased. ;)

I think someone dressed like the Scarlet Sting will come bursting through the door, but it won’t be Haku..The laser is a prop, so, I see more whip action coming

Somehow, I doubt they would tie an actress (or stunt double) up for real. There would seem to be lots of ways to fake it that would still allow the actress to escape in the event of fire, set collapse, or other mishap.

Thanks, BillT! I hate to admit that like Jumbobrain, I wasn’t paying enough attention! Not only have Mike & Joe picked up the pace, they have picked up the quality of suspense. (That is embarrassing to have a comic strip explained to you!)

Oh boy here we go!!!!

somehow i think there will be a problem…brilliant artwork again – especially the progression of the perspectives

Big problem. What’s her motivation?

Agree with BillThompson. This story really did make a couple of big leaps, with the reader having to mentally fill in the gaps and hope that we guessed correctly. Bill, I really like the way you imagined the daily strip explaining things.

It’s not so much kinky as remembering that Lizz is a vital part of the strip (and attractive to boot!), but of course, one could hardly be blamed for forgetting this when Tracy himself hasn’t been portrayed competently until recently. Great stuff, I feel like the creators are building towards something big on Sunday. I can hardly wait.Aaron

Uh, problem, Lizz….

This strip is great—fast moving and forces you to think/pay attention. Lots of good interaction on this site. Not just a gripe site anymore. Good mystery wrting. Super art. Thanks team Tracy!

Since when did female police captains (or male, for that matter) start doing dangerous undercover work?