Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for October 01, 2008

Nothing has changed since yesterday, except maybe her outfit; certainly not the plot advancement.

Looks like MF slimmed down a bit since yesterday. Jenny Craig does work!

Sloppy Robot hands in panel 2!!!

I hope that the robot gets as frustrated with the sluggish plot as we are and kills everyone in the Braces plot sequence.

…and Tracy IS someone with a robot! Oh, wait…that’s not who he’s going to get even with. They don’t have a robot, so he can get even with them. Look at the gleam in his eyes in panel 3. I’m no judge of comic art, but that’s probably worthy of the political cartoonist side of Locher. Do you think the robot has braces, too? With that giant shock absorber, I think he’d be much better than Robo-Dick at navigating stairs and curbs. Personally, I’m enjoying the buildup. I can wait a few more weeks for Armageddon.

Ground control to Major Jeff, come in Jeff!

Jeff, some time ago your partner in grime MPH told me that DL was under orders to drag out the stories to the point of nausea. If this was true could you ask him if he’s still subject to this rule?

Also, here are some of the concerns most of us have.

1)Poor stories 2)Poor drawing 3)Major inconstancies in plot 4)Constant repetition 5)Constant repetition 6)Constant repetition 7)Constant repetition

Was I repeating myself, sorry. I guess it’s contagious!

Jeff, please please please, if you’re going to tell me I’m wrong then offer the explantion why.

“Time stands still when you’re reading Dick Tracy”. Ghost of Chester Gould.

BB

I have been following Dick Tracy from when my folks would read to me from the KC Star paper. Please go back and look at some comics from Chester Gould. Stop this nonsense that is being printed now. PLEASE!!. Thanks.

I have nothing nice to say at all.

10-23, Bassmanbob.

In RE: plotting - I’ve had this conversation many times before in other forums, but here goes…

Of the remaining “continuity” strips owned by TMS, only Annie’s plot moves any quicker than Tracy. Whether or not it remains the EDICT of editors, I’m not so sure anymore – all evidence I found earlier this year on this topic (anonymous anecdotal details on this) leads me to believe it is a creative choice.

Given the shrinking nature of the strip (both here and in print) a creator is faced with a dilemma currently - sacrifice ART for STORY…OR…sacrifice STORY for ART. Given the fact that DL is an ARTIST BY TRADE, I believe that the pace of the story plot is what has suffered the hardest.

Annie, interestingly enough, seems to have found a healthy balance between STORY and ART and credit is due Jay Maeder & Ted Slampyak for making this work so smoothly, with ONLY ONE EXCEPTION – Sundays. I can’t even read the lettering on Sunday because it is SO small.

No disrespect to DL, but as a solo creator and ARTIST by trade, what really did you expect?

10-24, Bassmanbob.

Is that Robot wearing gloves? Why would a Robot need gloves, except maybe to avoid dishpan hands?

Jeff, a simple reading of the strips from the beginning of this site(2001)show fast paced story telling with superior drawings. Nothing is repeated to the point of exhaustion! Just look at those hands! Much better drawn.

I’ve developed a greater appreciation for Mike Kilian.

DL needs to consider an assistant(Not Mattie, he’ll take over!) :-)

Peace out you cowboy you!

BB

Well, you’re certainly not the first DT reader to make such a recommendation, Bassmanbob. Tho I’d write the strip for FREE if given the chance, I don’t hardly believe that I could write as well as Dick.

To be objective, Bassmanbob, you can only really compare DL’s improvement as a writer with Chester Gould’s own experience over the 1st three years of the strip (1931-1934). It took Chet this length of time to hit his stride with the Boris Arson Gang story. Now, when we take it in this PROPER context, I maintain that the Baskerville story is DL’s finest solo effort to date.

Now, let’s talk about the ART you and the rest of these cat’s here GRIND ON ABOUT every day. First, the critics are mostly wrong-headed in the art being “inconsistent” – I’ll repeat here again that almost every criticism lacks 1) at least a BASIC understanding of DL’s art style, or 2) a BASIC understanding about the use of dimensional perspective in illustration. In hindsight, Gould’s art has been criticized (RIGHTLY so) for possessing a perspective dimension all its’ own – if nothing less, DL’s art is a textbook use of illustrative perspective & much more skillfull, in comparison. Besides, it seems silly that I should even have to mention this, but every cartoonist’s style EVOLVES over time and DL’s has just the same.

Most of the criticism here I won’t even respond to as not to lend ANY legitimacy to its content or tone. It’s a comic strip, folks, and one of the last “continuity” strips in existence. Why so few, you ask? You can’t stuff 10 lbs. of content into a 2 lb. space. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see how difficult the comic strip medium has become to provide titillating storytelling in a smaller and smaller space.

Given our “instant gratification” world experience today where NO LIMITS exist in every other medium, newspaper’s have effectively hobbled the “continuity” comic strip for even the most capable of storytellers to write. I commend DL in his continued work on Dick Tracy and I’m proud to be a PAYING consumer of it.

RAA, RAA, RAA, Bassmanbob!

Jeff K, why must you chose either story or art? I don’t see that one need take precedence over the other. The stories could be much tighter, without affecting the illustrations. The illustrations could be much more consistant without affecting the story. Take a look at ‘Pibgorn’ for wonderful illustrations, and truly imaginative stories. Look at Calvin and Hobbes, for heaven’s sake.

(RAA)?

Sorry Jeff but DL’s style has not EVOLVED but DISSOLVED over the years in my opinion, (as wrong-headed and illegitimate as it is). Perhaps if I was a PAYING consumer I’d understand it better.

I should be ashamed of myself!

BB

Someone was asking for MoonMaid, how about the Space Coupe? “The Nation that controls magnetism will control the universe.” Or something like that.

Marg-

It is NOTABLE that you mention Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson here – it is one of TWO strips that, in its’ PRINTED form, flouts all space limitations placed on ALL OTHER STRIPS. The OTHER is Berke Breathed’s BLOOM COUNTY. These two creator’s have the POWER that in Dick Tracy’s past only Chester Gould had. Of course, Calvin & Hobbes does it better – it has NO LIMITS.

Jeff, STOP YELLING, I’m getting a headache!

Might I suggest a cup of decaf?

First of all, Bassmanbob, I wasn’t NAMING NAMES or POINTING FINGERS at anybody in particular here, so it seems obvious in your comment that you suffer from a guilty concience over this.

Gould was criticized of the EXACT SAME THING in the 1970s, as you well know. In hindsight, though, I’d say this criticism has been laid to rest. I’ve never encountered a Gould fan who said he was a genius storyteller and illustrator except for his final seven years on the strip. Even Jay Maeder’s objective observation of these final years of Gould’s career accepts them favorably in context of his overall canon of work. It’s APPLES TO APPLES here, Bob.

I respect everyone’s opinion, just to reiterate here, Bob, though I may disagree with them.

I do take harsh umbrage with those that feel their opinion of the strip SHOULD matter (here or elsewhere) if they haven’t financially INVESTED themselves in the strip. Geez, man, it costs like $30/year here to SUPPORT the work of the individual creators and Gocomics.com! If it isn’t worth the paltry $0.08 a day to pay for JUST Dick Tracy, much less the REST of the great strips and editorial cartoons available, then WHY should the creators OR their syndicates really CARE what these UNINVESTED “readers” think about their properties?

Real simple business, pal.

I’m a great admirer of Dick Locher’s political cartoons. They are both witty and well drawn. Whatever he’s doing here, it’s not because of a lack of talent. I enjoy making fun of the story as I do about all others that I read, but it’s wrong for us to be so rude about it. Another well-drawn serial with reasonable story lines is Spiderman, which has changed artists several times (I think). But it, too, often drags. And you are not going to get it for free, unless you get the two-weeks delayed version. Jeff…while most of us are not paying money for this strip, we do give it our eyeballs every day, and we get counted and goComics gets paid for our eyeballs. And if you believe Annie runs at a good pace, check it out over the last 2 weeks!

Why Jeff, I do believe I’ve upset you my good man. You really need to calm down, all this anger and yelling can only lead to no good.

Maybe DL can get a Robo-writer to help him!

My comparison to Gould’s first three year’s (1931-1934) were related specifically to STORY progression, not ART, just to be clear.

Dick Locher has never tried to be Chester Gould and never will. Anybody who pretends that DL has tried doesn’t know enough about their subject.

The 1970s Gould Tracy strip isn’t bleeep, IMHO, and I never suggested it was – my point is that it is fine in context of what preceded it. Same with DL, IMHO.

No “continuity” comic strip will ever achieve what has come before it unless their is radical improvement on the limits placed on the medium.

For those that believe TMS could just offer re-prints of classic Gould strips in place of the current offering – you obviously have not considered the reality of how awful the shrunken form of Gould’s work would appear in its “tiny prison cell.” Chet’s work deserves much better treatment.

Besides, to offer Gould reprints would undermine IDW Publishing’s fine effort as well as my own effort (exclusively benefitting the Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum) reprinting each full-color Sunday of Gould’s work from 1932-1977. Ain’t gonna happen, folks.

Badee Badee Badee tthhhaaatt’ss all ffolks!

FOR THOSE WHO WON’T INVEST THE $0.08 A DAY TO PAY THE HARD WORKING CREATORS HERE AND THEIR SYNDICATES – You, my friends, are PART OF THE PROBLEM, not the solution. Having nothing to lose and, as a result, providing the creator’s nothing to gain by taking your criticism to heart, you MAKE your criticism irrelevant.

$0.08 A DAY would legitimize your opinion in the minds of the creators and their syndicates. Otherwise, who really cares what you people think? I, for one, do not!

At least Pro-less “Grokenstein” had something quoteworthy to steal: http://www.gocomics.com/frogapplause/2008/09/29/

This type of thinking is no different than someone criticizing their elected officials but refusing to vote, somehow believing that they have a RIGHT to be heard.

This is the dilemma of the textbook schizophrenic.

i dont get it.

I have a headache.

I thought that “Pro” means you don’t get spammed with ads. Aren’t we paying our way on the site by reading the ads, which pay the site, which pay the artists their $30/year? If not, I’m mad that I keep seeing so many Alpo ads.

I also think that changing outfits and faces are more than an artsy change in lighing or perpective -lets be honest here. Jeff, your comnents are quality and crack me up. Tell Locher I said hi and to please make the robot talk soon because I am getting really really bored.

»You and Grokenstein are NUTS!» http://www.gocomics.com/frogapplause/2008/09/29/ – Your flattery is lost on me, Jeff-Pro. But the real kicker is… I can afford to pay.