Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for March 05, 2009

Dick quickly changed outfits while talking to Gertie, who suddenly sports glasses.

This sounds like a job for the Gaming commission, or the FBI, or anyone but a small town defective. Hey! is that a duck in the last panel, just above the 5? Oh wait, it’s a turtle.

Well, it looks more like a duck than the mammary does.

Looks like Sydney called it – B.O. was bitten by the gambling bug … again, it seems.

Gotta love Gertie’s 19th century wireless phone

Mr. Locher is certainly not a master of continuity.

I guess no vampire then :-( Maybe Candorville will pick up that storyline again soon.

I am convinced now that DL is using a “ghoster” in parts of the strip. The art on Gertie in the first panel…the feathering in her hair and the ink lines. And Tracy in the last panel…Although the perspective is off with his head being larger than his body, it just looks different than anything DL has done in the recent past.

Where did Gertie’s spectacles come from???

We need an editor!!!

Nothing at all.

Dick stretching is neck with some type of yoga move in 3.

I just have a creepy feeling this one is going to take weeks to just get going.

margueritem says: Dick quickly changed outfits while talking to Gertie, who suddenly sports glasses

Hard to believe that DL can’t even remember simple things like wardrobe for more than a few minutes.

Where is the cord on Gertie’s phone?? Maybe it’s an old fashion cell phone.

Most people of Gertie’s age wear glasses or use cheaters. Perhaps she takes them on and off - I know lots of elderly folks who are always doing just this.

Also, this is a pertinent social issue to explore - have you ever noticed how many people are wasting away their twilight years in front of a slot machine?

Did anybody catch Locher’s lame attempt at humour when talking about B.O’s gambling…a tough one 2 “deal” with?

ridenslide65 says: “I just have a creepy feeling this one is going to take weeks to just get going”

What’s new ?? That’s the Locher idea of building “suspense” ;) … let’s drag out developments as long as you can. It’s really not building suspense, it simply fans up a heat of “irritation”. In a way it becomes a revealing picture of how to “dance” on the same tile for several weeks. I call it the “build up” period, (block by building block), cosmetics, before anything of real substance takes place. It’s the Kilian writing style. Locher must have accidentally been “injected” with that slow-poke virus along the way. Little “creative” brain power needed, using that approach.

A bye product is to to DELAY any “crime” and stall off meaningful “action”. for several weeks during that phase. The Angelorious story is a very good example: Dec. 11th Story START. Feb. 11th Crime … at 9 weeks! Mar. 01st Angelorious dies! Mar. 02nd Story END 11.5 weeks! 78% Story build-up … 22% crime and action. The process needs to be reversed.

The excitement really began with the crime and the chase (too short) That’s the “classic”, glacial writing style of Kilian. He killed the “CHASE” sequence. In contrast, Gould’s CRIME was often within a few days and no later than THREE weeks. Result, no wasted time on LONG (often ‘boring’) build up, and Chet “triggered” ACTION almost from the “get-go” and for most of the story! It makes a world of difference in enjoyment for readers!

The truly sad thing, is, that Locher has been exposed to both styles for years. It points directly at his exceptionally “poor” judgement and lack of “know-how” to “immitate” the style of the “weakest” of the 4 former writers to work the strip.

But then, Locher’s history of “change” has never produced meaningful success, and his 50 newspapers seem to SHOUT: “never change a “winning” game Dicky, always change a loosing one”!

Then “Slide you note some of those (current) niggling little changes, clothing on Dick now glasses on Gertie all during the SAME ‘phone call ;). It’s these little (I’ll kindly call) “slips”, that continue to convince our pal that Dick Locher is indeed a genious ;)

If he is not already there in the shape of Jeff, I’m going to recommend that DLisagenious be promoted to the Praetorian Guard, because of his keen insight in discerning and “interpreting” what Locher (secretly) meant in this opening sequence.

I guess we all didn’t understand it’s import or relavance before, and failed to “properly” appreciate it. Thanks!

NOW, we understand why old ladies put on their spectacles when using the ‘phone even if they are not reading anything! She just takes them on and off in “reflex” fashion. Thanks!

But, what about Tracy’s magical change of clothing in the middle of the telephone call. Any pearls of wisdom on that one?

Gosh! I’m so glad DL is going to let us appreciate the harmful social effect of “wasting” time in front of a slot machine. I wonder how B.O. picked up that “habit” of “wasting” time? Perhaps it was in Wahington, Driving and walking with Lottie Latte, just “wasting” time for SIX weeks (Al Kinda - 2006) carrying his $500,000 Lottery Winnings (?)

Perhaps Locher likes to show “both sides” of the coin (?) I wish he would seriously take that advice with HIS own “work” on Dick Tracy, why “waste” several weeks in hum-drum “fiddling” (?) No need to be like NERO. Get to the point!

I only last year discovered Dick Tracy was still running, and after following it since, I sort of wish I hadn’t. Granted newspapers face big challenges and the comic strip medium is in decline. But that doesn’t excuse the sloppy art, awful and redundant pacing, consistently inconsistent continuity, and above all the banal, pointless, predictable and nonsensical writing. It is beyond awful. I can see why papers are dropping it, but I cannot fathom why TMS would let a property with such history and potential just rot away like this, and keep selling their remaining clients a clearly inferior product. King Features turned Prince Valiant over to a couple of distinguished cartoonists who have turned it around. There are plenty of talented people in the industry who would love a chance to put Dick Tracy back on the map. Please, let’s get someone in here who gives a bleeep about quality.

You’re right Tigger, only the characters’ names have stayed. The whole strip otherwise is a mishmash, which I have termed “submitting from cutting-room-floor directly for publication”.

meh!

I was serious the other day when I suggested reprints.

Seems to be working out for Calvin and Hobbes.

I love Gerties phone. That’s the kind of touch that makes me love Dick Tracy. Like Dick’s jalopy last week. All that retro 1930’s technology coexisting, somehow, within todays timeline. If there’s anyone out there trying to figure out what to keep about DT and what to throw out in our modern world keep the retro! It is possible for us bumpkins to believe that a police inspector can go around as if it was 1935. It’s all that other stuff we hate. Lame story lines, lack of continuity, art-school student perspectives, that we can do without. We love Tracy and his cast of 1000’s. We love the gizmos and gadgets and other retro touches. Just give us a little respect and keep up your standards!

Dypak, Tracy’s jalopy was really Nubby Noll’s car. It was originally used as “character development” for Nubby but that didn’t seem to work out.