Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for January 29, 2009

What the heck happened to Anthraxalicious’ head? Holy Carp!

Dick is looking fine in Panels 1 & 2 Excellent lines and character.

It’s been 2 days and not a sign of the blown up house!

Maybe Stubby will invite DT in for noon Tea…..

Tracy and Noll are finally getting somewhere. The first two panels are looking good. Angelorious’ head has grown two sizes since we last saw her. It’s looking like she’s the baddy here, plus one must keep in mind that she burst into the house unannounced and uninvited.

Will Tracy find out what exploded? Will he call for a Hazmat team or the bomb squad? Is “driller” a yegg man? Goo, goo, ga joob.

Angelicious is one oddly proportional person today. Big head and tiny hands.

I thought Angelicious looked especially evil today. Do we know who Driller is, or this a new character?

Maybe Driller will be the actual villain.

I’ve been trying to get some relevant statistics on here but the posts just seem to dissapear (?) Are they being censored? I’m making one more attempt. These relate to the TIME It takes in the strip to get to the CRIME. Chet Gould had a 3 week “marker” OR 72 PANELS to introduce the crime to kick off fast “action”. Here are two samples from his work: A) 1941 Krome to 1950 Blowtop His AVERAGE for this decade was(34) THIRTY-FOUR panels per story to the crime. B) 1974 Big Brass to 1977 Dade Plenty. AVERAGE for these closing years was (23) TWENTY-THREE panels to the Crime. COLLINS 1978 Angeltop to 1981 Ownely Chylde AVERAGE panels to the crime (51) FIFTY-ONE ! LOCHER 2006 Al Kinder, to 2008 Braces AVERAGE number of panels to the crime (88) EIGHTY-EIGHT, per story. DETAILS are available for all samples. TheFIGURES seem to suggest that our current Author takes quite a bit more time to bring on the CRIME. I’m a bit dissapointed that Angelorious’ plunging neck-line has dissapeared. Similar problem occured with the Antique car and the screen door. I’m not too optomistic that the current “hints” wiil bear fruit before mid to end February. Let’s see how things GO on Go comics :)

No posts are being censored, Sydney. I don’t know what might explain whatever difficulty you’ve had posting, but censoring isn’t it. There’s certainly nothing in your post that would warrant removal - if it’s accurate, that is some fascinating information.

Matt, I’m sorry you seemed so upset last night with my “observations”. Heck! Why call me “SLIME” and use all those other uncomplimentary adjectives? I’m only commenting on work what has been published in the strip. Just like that “neck-line” today. Should I play “Downwind Jackson” from Smilin’ Jack and “look” the other way?

LiamC, Trust me the figures are very accurate. I’ve had them on the DT Yahoo Board for a few days now. Many here, post there also. NO one has tried to dispute them. not a Bleeep ;) of protest!

Why are all today’s posts tagged, “Posted about a month ago”?

Sydney- Sorry I didn’t respond to your post yesterday – I’m out of town and I’ve struggled getting a strong enough signal to maneuver around this website.

I wasn’t kidding about the screen door in yesterday’s strip – doesn’t it make sense that if you had a visitor at the door and your screen door was all jacked up that, in order to open it, one would HAVE to lift it up to open it? I looked at the panel where the screen is all jacked up and it makes sense to me, anyway. Had the screen door been drawn at a 90 degree angle, I’d never assume such a thing.

Anyway, I’m still not getting much of a signal, so I’ll check out the dates you suggest and post later.

Did Liam have to remove posts from yesterday?

Sydney- Sorry I didn’t respond to your post yesterday – I’m out of town and I’ve struggled getting a strong enough signal to maneuver around this website.

I wasn’t kidding about the screen door in yesterday’s strip – doesn’t it make sense that if you had a visitor at the door and your screen door was all jacked up that, in order to open it, one would HAVE to lift it up to open it? I looked at the panel where the screen is all jacked up and it makes sense to me, anyway. Had the screen door been drawn at a 90 degree angle, I’d never assume such a thing.

Anyway, I’m still not getting much of a signal, so I’ll check out the dates you suggest and post later.

Did Liam have to remove posts from yesterday?

Is anyone else seeing “Posted: about a month ago” under the posts today, as Sydney describes?

Noll regained his composure. He learned a long time ago it didn’t pay to panic! “What’s Tracy up to”? he pondered. Deciding the best strategy was a firm response, Noll lost the “Nutty Professor” persona Locher adapted for him and instead straighten his body to it’s normal height and answered Tracy in a firm voice; “I have more than one project, Tracy”. Dick recognized that Noll wasn’t going to play along with him. “Drat it”! he exclaimed. He realized he’d better back down for now. “So it wasn’t the perfume that exploded. Was it something else”? Meanwhile, much later on in the day Angelorious was attempting to survive Locher’s response to her rebellion. She knew that drawing her as distorted freak was his first move to eliminating her completely from the story. “Time to call in the heavy artillery”, she muttered as she dialed Liam’s number. He was the one who first put in her head the idea that together they could become greater than Locher had ever intended. Finally lowering her hands from their extended whirly-bird position to a normal pose she quickly spoke to Liam when he answered, using his code name to avoid exposing him and his dastardly plot against Locher and Gocomics. “Hello Driller? It’s a go just as planned”. Liam simply let out a loud, sinister “BBAAHHHAAAHHHAAAHHH”!!!

TBC.

BB

LiamC says:

Is anyone else seeing “Posted: about a month ago” under the posts today, as Sydney describes?

Posted: 2009-01-29T16:31:24Z

Not over here.

No Liam, the oldest ones are (at this point in time) 11 hours ago…

Ludwig, You’ll have someone in Woodstock think that you are not being properly respactful, by inventing all those uncomplimentary things about that superb ‘masterpiece’ in panel 3. I was verbally flayed lastnight, called “slime” for making ‘observations’ as you have done today. But you are right on with “Large head tiny hands” What’s NEW?

Sydney Phillips says:

I was verbally flayed last night, called “slime” for making ‘observations’

You ar correct Sydney. The attack on you yesterday was way overboard! The other day I gave Matthew credit for not being the one who broke the peace(that was you I.M.O.). Today(or late yesterday) he needs to be sent to the corner for his terrible post.

You handled it with class today.

LiamC says:

Is anyone else seeing “Posted: about a month ago” under the posts today, as Sydney describes?

~No, everything appears to be normal on this end.

bassmanbob:

~Lol! Liam C., you’re a star!

LiamC, Not that it bothers me, but ALL the posts are now tagged “Posted: less than a minute ago”

Matt said: “I’m glad to see that GOCOMICS is placing READERS above talent” You’ve done it again! That’s a novel ‘tip’ for someone who gives the “readers” a cold shoulder! Mathew also said: “I’m done with this place’! And Matt, not for the first time …. I’m sorry, … GOODBYE MATTHEW ! HE ADDED: “I’ll be reccomending to TMS and other proffessionals to remove blah..blah..etc..etc Do you THINK they will accept your reccomendations? I thought you said you ran from NO MAN a few days ago??? Sorry … GOODBYE AGAIN MATTHEW!

Oh Lord…please let it be true!!!!

Matthew Hansel says:

I’m glad to see that GOCOMICS places the readers ABOVE the talent.

I’m done with this place.

Hallelujah !!! Rejoice one and all!!

Perhaps I’m going against the tide but I for one have no problem with Matthew staying on. I disagree very often with him but don’t mind his expressing himself, except when he gets too nasty for my taste. In fairness to him, IMHO some of us have been just as mean spirited and nasty to him as he can be to us! I would like to think we can all still learn from each other.

BB

Matthew Hansel says:

I’m glad to see that GOCOMICS places the readers ABOVE the talent.

I’m done with this place.

~IMO, readers, viewers, listeners, etc. are what keep the talent going. If something is put forth that people want to see, they will want more. Some works only appeal to a small group of people with esoteric tastes, other resonate with a wider group. If a talent appeals to no one but him or herself, that may bring them pleasure, but it won’t make them a living.

bassmanbob says: Perhaps I’m going against the tide but I for one have no problem with Matthew staying on. I disagree very often with him but don’t mind his expressing himself, except when he gets too nasty for my taste. In fairness to him, IMHO some of us have been just as mean spirited and nasty to him as he can be to us! I would like to think we can all still learn from each other.

~You make a valid point, BB, and I agree with you. I’ve been trying to find something positive to say about each day’s cartoon, but I also point out what I think is poorly done. If someone wants to disagree with me, and we can have a give and take dialog, keeping to the points that we disagree about, we may both learn to appreciate another’s point of view.

Long before I started reading the posts on this group I thought the powers behind Tracy just weren’t trying very hard. The strange shape of Angel… in panel 3, not to mention her suddenly spherical skull, for example. I was expecting him to throw his daily hissy and scream “artistic license”. Instead we are treated to a volcanic eruption of nasty ego. Quote the ravin”.

“I’m glad to see that GOCOMICS places the readers ABOVE the talent.

I’m done with this place.”

WOW! What a display of vanity, hubris, and childish temper. It’s not even his bat and ball, but he’s gonna leave because we won’t play the game his way. Which is heaping endless praise on the current work of DL. Deserved or not. His multiple posts, (and counting them is “stalkerish behavior”), his endless, automatic (and therefore meaningless) glorification of DL, and his self deception to DL’s shortcomings paint a pretty ugly picture of what this guy must be like to those who have to put up with him. I pity the students at the community college where he holds forth.

Has he pulled this stunt before? That is, saying he was leaving and then returning? Wonder if he has any real power to do what he threatens? If other artists will listen to him. Or if he’ll be back in a few months attacking posters left and right?

Joe

bassmanbob, I guess I did rub a little sarcastic “salt” in the percieved wound. And it may well have been deserved. But he is entitled to his opinion and through his wavy(?) view he is expressing his passion just like most of us do. It may appear “cockeyed” to many, but he IS entitled to it. Where he goes off the edge, is his intollerance of the views of others and a propensity to denigrate them. In a way I’ll miss him, if nothimg else he did serve to electrify the board for a few days and probably pulled some new posters in (?) On the other hand Scwartzenegger’s “I’ll be back” is not a novel experience for him, and perhaps for the third or is it the fourth (?) time, we may see him here again. He has also left and ‘returned’ on the DT Yahoo board. To be kind, “you can’t keep a good Dick Tracy man down”, even if he comes with a “Loaded” stripe. On the sidelines I think Judy might want to take a bow.

Sydney et al, I’ve tried to lay back and not partake in the ranting. If one poster called you “slime” yesterday, he must have erased it. After Liam’s rapping everyones’ knuckles, you would think the message set in. It did….. for a day. The veiled threat that he was taking his pail and going to another sandbox, warning GOCOMICS that they’ll be sorry, underscores the real meat of the situation. This has happened for a couple of years now. As one of the Board Members so eloquently put it, “like last night’s chili, he’ll be back!”

(Was it Ludwig who coined those words?)

Trust me. Act II is in the wings.

Morrow

fishbulb says:

Long before I started reading the posts on this group I thought the powers behind Tracy just weren’t trying very hard. The strange shape of Angel… in panel 3, not to mention her suddenly spherical skull, for example. I was expecting him to throw his daily hissy and scream “artistic license”. Instead we are treated to a volcanic eruption of nasty ego. Quote the ravin”.

“I’m glad to see that GOCOMICS places the readers ABOVE the talent.

I’m done with this place.”

WOW! What a display of vanity, hubris, and childish temper. It’s not even his bat and ball, but he’s gonna leave because we won’t play the game his way. Which is heaping endless praise on the current work of DL. Deserved or not. His multiple posts, (and counting them is “stalkerish behavior”), his endless, automatic (and therefore meaningless) glorification of DL, and his self deception to DL’s shortcomings paint a pretty ugly picture of what this guy must be like to those who have to put up with him. I pity the students at the community college where he holds forth.

Has he pulled this stunt before? That is, saying he was leaving and then returning? Wonder if he has any real power to do what he threatens? If other artists will listen to him. Or if he’ll be back in a few months attacking posters left and right?

Joe

~Very well put, Joe. I actually did think he had some kind of pull with the powers that be by the way he was carrying on. “Vanity, hubris, and childish temper”, pretty much says it all. Carry on a dialog with me, and we’ll be able to get somewhere. Rant and rave, and I’ll just tune you out as being a boor.

morrow says: This has happened for a couple of years now. As one of the Board Members so eloquently put it, “like last night’s chili, he’ll be back!”

(Was it Ludwig who coined those words?)

Trust me. Act II is in the wings.

~You’ve all been through this before, I was an MPH vigin, so to speak. Does he actually have any power, or is it all hot air?

on behalf of all us mouthbreathers, I must say:

oh if it were only true!

Gweedo: Um, what does the Hulk have to do with JudyHansel?

Margueritem, Ludwig, Bassmanbob, g6793, Maxine Viller, and several others have been living with the situation since December 2006. We were all “virgins” to him at one time or other. We’ve lost a few real DT history buffs like Sparkydog77 who had better things to do than get a daily tongue-lashing. Sydney’s been in it for that long on the Yahoo group. It’s unreal, but it attracted alot of interest, as the action sure beat the storyline! Welcome!

Morrow

Matthew Hansel wrote:

“I’d also like to add that I find it DEPLORABLE that GOCOMICS would allow someone here to parade around as one of MY relatives (when they are not) and yet nothing is done.

Professionalism here is dead.

MPH”

Matt, I haven’t kept that tight on things here, but— did the person actually say he/she is related, or is it just the same last name? I mention that because there’s a whole bunch of people running around with my same name and I’m pretty sure most of them are not directly related. Just for giggles, Google “Michael McMillan” and see what turns up. Most of that stuff isn’t about me. I wish some of it was, if it were I’d be rich, possibly famous and certainly well respected.

Gweedo Murray: Got It, you horndog. ;-)

Well, I just keep learning stuff. Yahoo does have a Dick Tracy board. And sure enough, there’s old MPH condemning those who would criticize the one true living Dick to the 18th circle of the inferno.

Today’s grotesquerie in panel 3? Artistic license, editorial pressure or the final efforts of an old pro who needs to hang it up?

If TMS gave a bleeep about this strip, its heritage and future, they would do something to improve it. Instead, they just let it sit there and stagnate.

As for panel 3, maybe Angel is no longer in the Tracy house. Rather she is in her own abode. A clock on the wall would tell us just how much later “MUCH LATER” is. And her bangle bracelets are adhering to the law of gravity. Even if she did lose on of them. But why her head and neck are way out of proportion to the rest of her body is beyond me. If only the Delphi Oracle of Locher land was here to explain it. But he has left for parts unknown. Hope he didn’t let the door hit his ego on the way out.

MPH has exhibited “stalkerish” behavior by checking out the IP addresses of some posters. That kind of behavior for him is acceptable but if anyone else were to do it…we’d never hear the end of it through 47 posts.

Unfortunately, he’s done it before and he’ll do it again. He’ll be back.

He said that he had “friends” help him. Hmmmm.

I hope when Angelorus pulled her shirt up at the top, it doesn’t expose anything lower on her body. With lumpy, irregular frame like that it would really make DT bring out the squinty eyes.

I have been reading the comments for the past few days and Matt’s reminded me of a line from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, from Act 5, Scene 5: “a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.”

Lampblack says:

I’m not even sure how you’d go about determining the IP address of someone posting to these boards. It sounds like something that would take a lot of extra trouble – and possibly some expense.

Sort of creepy, actually.

~Very creepy. His behavior is irrational.