Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 26, 2008

The plot advances!

The new character Dr. Noll reminds a bit of James Bond’s Dr. No.(crazy scientist!) Time was when it seemed Ian Flemming borrowed ideas and techniques from Chester Gould and great villains like “Dr. No”, “Goldfinger”, “Odd Job” and “Jaws” enhanced those films. Sad, that Dick Locher does not “think” the same way about all Gould’s style and creations. Now it seems HE borrows Ideas from Ian Flemming. We’re going full circle here. On the other hand there is a shade of similarity, between Nodd, (sorry Noll), and my friend Warren Christopher who is well remembered as a “Nodd-off” Champion. The sleepy pace is already getting to me and Warren’s already blinked out ! I’m not as enthused as Vince about story progress and/or that Locher bothers to read this board. I’ll explain why next time.

Hey Syd, it’s a comic. Your overthinking this. Besides the good(?) Dr. reminds me of the Absent Minded Professor.

Of course It’s a comic. But being weened away from originality. Yes, in a way Noll could be epitomized as the Absent Minded Proffessor. But that “take” is in question if we consider CIA’s Cosgrove’s views seriously. On the design side Locher seems to have a current liking for big, almost mad-eyed rogues. Think the recently departed Braces. Sometime back, Dicky was devoted to what I called the “bashed in the back-of-the-neck” design for his villains. First we had Cellphone (2005), followed by Al Kinda (2005/06) then Dr. Figment Froid (2006), all with that “neck” defect. Now the in-thing is those popping eyes!

Ah, but you left out the Queen of Hearts. Or Diamonds. I forget.

She was a throwback to the old Gould-style funky visual joke character heads. I liked the Queen.

And then there’s Lt. Tivo. Why does he exist?

Like your group knows so much about starting a business. It’s a ruse to get some “desperate housewives” into his laboratory.

Will it be a mind-controlling perfume???

Noll is encouraging Tess’s group to start a perfume business? Sounds like a ponzi scheme to me. See how Locher ties the plot to current events? I’m lovin’ it!

JackParsons says:

And then there’s Lt. Tivo. Why does he exist?

I think LT Leevo once said that his purpose is to take Tracy’s messages for him and then dispense information at convenient intervals. (So, basically LT Teevo exists because Tracy doesn’t know how to use his voicemail).

Dick Tracy seems interested in a plan for a group of women. Wonder what his dirty mind is thinking of???

Brine asked: “Will it be a mind-controlling perfume???”. You are probably right Brine. But if the “size” of Tracy’s ear as depicted in panel 1 is a subconscious representation of Locher’s attitude it confirms he isn’t listening. Two queries still remain out there, Ludwig’s effectively asking if Locher has forgotten to tell us what Tess was asking Diet to help her on and another Why the CIA (?), this is FBI turf ? As Ludwig recently opined when Locher sits at the board today, he forgets what he set up yesterday, and then, only then, decides where the strip is going. It’s an unfocussed “seat-of” the pants direction. Make it up as you go along! Back to art, look at the length of Tess’ finger (panel 3). From the chin up she could touch her eye-lashes. A subtle “hint” there perhaps?

Something tells me that we’re not going to find out who the blonde guy is from yesterday. I agree with Sydney that it’s probably the “New Junior”. Not quite sure what was wrong with the “Old Junior” but what do I know??

As for today, that is one long finger in panel 3!!

NotNorman, I agree that Locher is a senile old fart who needs to be sent to the old artist home in Evanston, Illinois (or wherever it is!).

Sydney, I think you’re missing the point. There is supposed to be a certain amount of repetitiveness to ALL comics, not just DT. That’s because they follow a formula for how to draw the comic and write the plot. We, the readers, expect the plot to go in certain ways and we don’t like it if it varies too far from the formula.

You watch, Sydney, that there will be all kinds of word play with the name Dr. Noll and perfumes. Tess will get into trouble and Dick will have to bail her out but not until the moment of almost certain death and Noll will die in a horribly appropriate manner.

Even though readers might complain we still expect the writers to follow the formula. If they don’t, thats when the real trouble starts and people quite reading.

Dick Tracey comics has it’s own formula. It involves how to write the plot, how to develop characters and even how to draw them. It’s been passed down from Chester Gould all the way to Dick Locher.

If you notice all the negative posts about Locher seem to be when he strays too far away from the formula. The art has to have a certain quality and be done in a certain way. The good guys are one way, the bad guys another. And the plot has to be developed in it’s own Tracey style.

I think you’re wrong making comparisons to Ian Fleming, who followed his own formula, and Mr. Locher. I’m sure there isnt much more there than a similarity of names. Dr. No, the Bond villian, was Chinese and had had his hands cut off by the Tong. This doesnt sound like funny old Noll, who rather reminds me of the Nutty Professor.

EatDickTracySandwiches: It’s a ‘headcheese’ sandwich!!

Dypak: I loved Dick Tracy when I was a kid. I quit reading it several years ago because it had become boring. When the comments section came along, I wandered over here to see what others had to say about it. I only read the strip because of the comments.

I notice Dick has put his necktie back on. What could this mean?? Judging by Dr Noll’s face, I’d say the doc is a running a meth lab.

It’s telling, but I enjoy the comments more than the strip. And shouldn’t Dr. Noll be wearing safety glasses? Villains these days, no regard for workplace standards.

Perfume? I hereby predict that the villain, whoever he or she is, will die by being eaten. Bonus points if it’s by humans, but it will probably be by animals.

I wuz kinda hopin’ that the doc wuz startin’ a swingers’ club. My take on the third guy is that it is Locher, hisself. And since DL doesn’t overflow with originality, he’s taking a page out of Batman, where the Joker (Jack N) made and distributed a perfume in Gotham that…….. well, see the movie!

I read comics from three different sites everyday. This one is my favorite though because of the comments section. It’s so much nicer to be able to share them. I probably wouldnt read DT everyday if it wasnt for the comments section. DT long ago jumped the shark.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumpingtheshark

Morrow, That’s not Dick Locher in the 3rd panel. Dick is balding in front now, suggested by photos from 10 years ago and he never had a “bebop” hair do. Unless he is “playing” Rughead these days ! Frankly,’New’Junior seems like an “intruder”. Present before Dick’s real children who live in the house? Does this imply DL regards him higher? Sorry distastefull nepotism. Think about it, more creative time to conceal the yellow rubber ducky every Sunday than replacing Dick Tracy’s hat. It seems like a persoal fiefdom, one where when he talks we bleeep dogs better NOT bark ! I agree there is a paucity of originality in modern day Dick Tracy and “art” by him of the Batmobile and Batman has appeared in the DT Magazine. Suggesting a close interest. Readers would think this would have been a wonderful time to have re-introduced Gould’s ‘Perfume’ Plenty, but that won’t happen. The artist doesn’t seem to think ahead, the procees of “today” only begins when he sits in front of the drawing board. Now I know some will immediatly leap up to ‘defend’. How do you know Sydney? The retort to them asks if they have evidence to the contrary. It doesnt look so. When Jeff made a comment about Diet helping to clean up HQ his reply was you’ll have to wait and see. WHY? at that time Locher himself probably didn’t have a ‘clue’. He hadn’t ‘thought’ that far ahead! He’s a seat-of the pants author. Incidentall, this is not the first character named Noll in the strip. There was a Nurse Noll who assisted a Gang Docter in the amputation of Mimi’s hand back in 1936. See Vol 4, years 1936/1938 of ‘The Complete Dick Tracy’ by IDW Publishing in two strips on the first page. doubt that there is any connection. It’s from among the very few ides that Locher may have picked up from Gould eg. “Don’t look back it may flavor your current work. Unless he has been reading the Dick Tracy reprints and the name stuck in repressed, memory, happily coming out now as brilliantly created by Locher! And he’ll taking bows at the recognition. But he blew a gasket at the oportunity on the 75th Tracy Anniversary. The cry then wss bring back Pouch (high recognition value) to play a part with a truly “memorable” creation by him for the occasion . But HE who knows ALL compared to the rabble of readers who like hid Lt’ Teevo after 2 years on the “Pod” knows “heavy” heat, no sharper than the point of a lead pencil or cutting edge of papar. Some at the Yahoo board had started suggesting including attracters characters from the past, Flyface and “Pouch” were anomng the favorites from the past suggested to Kilian. Kilian died in late 2006 although his byline ran into early February of 2008. We all remember how DL “Botched” it with a poor villain with an immpossible “thought” reading machine. It was a dull story with 75% of it carried out in the same room. Neven him will remember it as an important marker in his art lif. It’s on his “forget-this list’ This is gettig long I’d like to come back and share some ides on things to look out for with “Vinc” and “Dypak”. They could help in setting bown “markers” ” to judge tto judge the likely qualities of the story to get a good or bad feeling about it. “Incrimental” daily forward movenent is NOT always a ‘reliable’ indicator. Frankly, I strongly doubt that he reads this board. He once inquired but only wanted to be a a’reader’, reluctant to speak with the plebians. I’m told he is a really pleasant fellow to talk but I’m not here representing Dale Cargenie to win frieds. My greater interest is to assist in halting the breakdowm of a once great comic ‘strip’.He already knows the course he intends to take. It’s called a relaxed e”cruise” by the TMS rules, no rocking of the boat and nothing will really change until he slips into retirement in about 2 years time. But I’m determined to keep on knocking on doors!! Perhaps one day a door will open. I’m not here to continue whitnessing the ‘breaking’ down of the house that Chester built, I’m here to fight to ‘restore’ it !