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

A nervous tic, I love it!

I’ve a question about Wednesday’s strip, when we first see Harley inside his getaway car. Take a look at the back of the bench-style front seat in panel 3. (Go ahead and look. I’ll wait.)Ya saw it? That little rectangle set into the back of the seat?Isn’t that the ASH TRAY that some cars had back in the 1950’s?Joe, I know Tracy is a “timeless” strip (just like the great “Batman – the animated series” was on TV), but details like that are just scary!

If this keeps up, Putty Puss’ gang might just do Tracy’s job for him.

I used to hear about The Bird (Mark Fidrych) firsthand from the late Ernie Harwell when I was working within listening distance of WJR. But on the whole I’d rather not hear it from Putty Puss.

Don’t you know about the bird ….. He’s going to be a jail bird soon!

A lunatic picks up a nervous tic. Sure. More proof that he’s improved and there will be no problem letting him out in public for a TV show. With ONE guard. No wonder we never see Tracy and his team sleep. The prison has a revolving door!

I can deal with hit song lyrics all day. Bring ‘em on! I just hope he doesn’t start drifting into classic movie lines, like “Frankly, My Dear…” or “Love is never having to say you’re sorry.”

“Toto, I’ve a feeling…”

“I’m going to make him an offer…”

You get the picture. (No pun in ten did.)

Thanks Mike and Joe and Shelley and Shane and Jim !!! The music will never die.

Don’t you know about the bird? Everybody knows that the bird is the word.

Good afternoon all…

Putty Puss will replace Dick Clark on the New Year’s Rocking Eve show and do the countdown while his crew steals the jewels of the dropping glass ball. You read it here first.

So if Niav is the one with the tic, why are we all convinced it’s Putty Puss in the car?

@JP Steve:

As I understand it, Putty Puss is Harvey Niav’s nick name. That is to say, Niav and Putty Puss are different names for the same character. Niav is “vain” spelled backwards, which is a time honored tradition for Dick Tracy characters. Niav had some kind of accident which spoiled his movie star looks, and a questionable surgeon named Dr. Carver fixed him up with plastic surgery, but it keeps coming undone, which enables him to readjust his face to look like other people.

So it’s not Flattop but Niav, and now it’s not Niav but Peter Griffin?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gc4QTqslN4

Putty Puss is singing the song, “Bird is the Word”. Video can be found here:

https://www.youtube.Com/watch?v=5WFBppsP9C8