Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for October 04, 2009

Mr. Pops served his time and was released. There was no way Ringo could extort him. Unless they intend to shoot Ringo also, he, as the chief suspect could very well testify against the entire bunch. This story has more holes in it than Bonnie and Clyde.

Wouldn’t the tiger be tame and not really interested in killing people?

No wild animal is ever truly tame.. ask Roy of Siefried and Roy….

That is the most hard-hitting Crimestopper’s Textbook yet!

WATCH THIS SPACE ON OCTO…

ER, I MEAN…

WATCH THIS SPACE TODAY!!!

Tracy’s neck tie turned from red to black in the last panel.

I am not sure about the relative proportions of Tracy and that tiger! - And the tiger looks slightly different than the usual depiction! Oh, joy!

Matt’s first installment is up there:

http://www.apollocomicstrip.com/

I don’t think commenting is enabled on his blog, so I’ll say it right here:

Well done, Matt!

I think that coming here every day, some folks are primed to criticize, and it appears some of you may very well be inclined to hold on to whatever issues you and Matt have had with each-other. If that’s the case, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of things to nit-pick his comic to death over.

If you keep an open mind, however, and just take the comic on its own merits, from a neutral starting point, I think you’ll agree with me that there’s something to like there. Heck, we’ve even got one panel with the “Iron-Man” face in silhouette, which is right outta the DT style book.

Regarding Water World, I’m not sure what to make of it so far. It appears there’s a plot synopsis/prologue up there, but I’m guessing it’s not yet ready to be officially unveiled. Presumably tomorrow (when it really is October 4) there will be more stuff up there.

Back to the subject of Apollo:

The mythological figure of Apollo has great significance to such esoteric mystery schools as the Illuminati, the Free Masons, and the Rosicrucians.

In light of that, I find it especially interesting that the stylized letter A he wears on his chest is actually a triangle, i.e., a pyramid, which is also tremendously important in the symbology of the above-mentioned secret societies.

Is it possible that Dick Locher is the Grand Master of a Masonic lodge, and Matt is one of his initiates?

I’m going to have to put on my tin foil cap and begin scanning both DT and Apollo for hidden Masonic messages.

Heh, heh…

I know it would not be truly tame but it is used to people. Maybe Macy has a hidden whip he can use to keep it in check. Its time DT did something.

Fortunately, that tiger’s legs are so short it can’t run very fast.

Cribswapper’s Textmessage: Go steal this Dick Tracy Bronze Statue, IF YOU CAN LIFT IT!

Sorry.

Pops seems to be working through a purple haze, while Barb is lit from within by the golden corona of steroid use.

Drugs are bad, kids, like sensible character motivations!

In other news, that is a BFT - Big Furry Tiger. It has to be the size of a rhinoceros!

Let’s be fair: The tiger only looks bigger because he’s in the foreground.

So that was the October 4th surprise eh? A big statue of DT. I hope it wasn’t designed by Locher!

436rge, I think the big October 4th surprise was the beginning of two new online strips by Matthew Hansel:

http://www.apollocomicstrip.com/

And now, 24 Hour comics day is finished. And I did my love story to Dick Tracy - I wanted to make my peace with Dick Tracy to conclude some of the “dangling” storylines in my mind, and stop reading this strip, until they change the writer/artist team - because the current storylines have been getting worse and worse every day!

But first, I am going to bed, as I spent 24 consecutive hours drawing the 24 strips I placed on the blog:

http://24hourdicktracycomic.robertomacedoalves.net/

This was not a professional drawing or story or whatever, just a fan who wanted to have fun and “close” several open points, dismissing all what has been done in the last years, without dismissing it totally.

That’s a heck of a nice job you did there, Roberto. I love that Rogue’s Gallery portrait of Mumbles with the hypodermic needle! Did you choose an especially difficult-to-draw pose just to prove that you can draw hands realistically?

;-)

Roberto, I’ll give you a “Thumbs-up” on that one. Your comic would go a long way to explain what we see here today.

I’ll give Matthew a “Thumbs-Up” on his comic too. Not bad, kinda reminds me of “Batman”.

Oh, DUH:

According to yesterday’s posts, Methuseleh’s Water World doesn’t officially “boot up” until Monday, October 5. That would explain why there isn’t too much on that page at the moment.

As long as it’s nothing like Kevin Costner’s Waterworld, I’m sure it will be a great success!

I like Tracy’s black jumpsuit in the last panel.

That drawing of Mumbles in Roberto’s blog shows what a great artist Rick Fletcher was and how poor things have been lately.

Hi, Flight Suit

The Rogue’s Gallery portrait of Mumbles with the hypodermic needle! was not drawn by me, but by RIck Fletcher. I wish I could draw hands like that!!!

After 24 consecutive hours, I couldn’t manage to draw a pose like that, so I used an existing Crimestoppers drawn by Fletcher (that sort of gets credited in the “title” panel).

… because I can’t draw hands realistically, LOL!

Newenglandah,

It’s really (robot), Traze-R pretending to be a statue and policing the Naperville River. it can grab and hold offenders under statute 9 ;-)

Originally desiged by Locher for Woodstock ILL. intended for the Town Square opposite the D.T. Museum. It was rejected by the town elders after the Museum closed last year.

The orphan creation finally found a home in Naperville where Dick Locher lives.

Llewellenbruce said, about 8 hours ago, “Tracy’s neck tie turned from red to black in the last panel.”

Just wait until you see what the MAGIC COLOR-CHANGING TIGER does tomorrow!

Todays Crime Stoppers is outstanding. A very appropriate place to honor the great detective. If the statue is carved half as well as the panel was drawn it should be worthy of Detective Tracy.

I am highly impressed with the overall quality of todays comic. Everyone is well drawn. There are lots of background details. Even the weapons Mr. Pops and Barb are holding look good. They all give a new perspective on the same old views we’ve been seeing during this story arc. Todays recap is done in a way which is actually interesting to those of us who follow the comic every day. I’ll even compare it in quality the work the Benders do on Alley Oop. Well done!

PS And, thank goodness, Mr. Pops never laughed, not once!

I don’t want to be there when somebody has to take Tracy’s remains back to Tess. One small box of Tiger Turds.

I read ahead and 1) this story is still going on Halloween and 2) later this month the art gets downright embarrassing.

Flight Suit,

Must congratulate you on that perceptive speculation on triangular symbols and secret societies (Free Masons?) in Mattie’s strip, and a possibly lead back to Dick Locher. Sounds good but of course I just don’t know.

Locher does know the art of keeping “secrets”. It’s a year now and he won’t tell us where he’s hidden Sam Catchem or Sunday’s yellow rubber duckie or even why Tracy now seems to work out of home rather than from HQ ?

Don’t want to nit pick on Mattie’s work but a few things puzzle me. Does the arm in the last panel belong to Crandall ? There is no box that indicates “meanwhile” or “elsewhere” to suggest it’s someone else. He refers to the girl (first panel?) but there is no certainty where she IS or what she screams for (we have to “guess”, it’s near the dead body (?) as she isn’t depicted there again). If the arm is not Crandall’s WHERE is it, and who is he ? The clothig does appear similar (?)

Then, led to expect an alternative version of Dick Tracy, Where is he ? Do we see the familiar face when the “caped crusader” goes home and takes off the familiar mask ?

I’ll be waiting for the next round of developments !

Matt: Very good job. I’ve bookmarked your blog to keep track of your strips.

Roberto: Also very good job. Enjoyed the 10 years in a coma idea. It explains a lot……

Than_Q for the new comic Matthew Hansel

Nice looking moustache on the lady in panel 5

Wow, I stop following this strip for a month and now there is a giant statue of Dick Tracy in my hometown. Madness! Has anyone seen this thing yet??? I hear that the organization that funded the building of the 9 foot statue is going to sell minatures of the statue, which they expect to be popular with “law enforcement personnel around the country”. Now let’s be honest, how many of us in this board are going to buy one????

Matt, I was just being silly when I brought up all that stuff about the symbolic significance of Apollo and triangles and pyramids to secret societies. I figured it was just a funny coincidence that the Apollo character had a triangle on his chest.

But your comments, along with hints you’re dropping regarding Apollo’s identity…

Well, one might speculate that what you’re getting at is that this Apollo guy might possibly be the creation of some sort of secret organization. In that case, just as Alfred, Robin, and Azrael have on occasion worn Batman’s cowl, one might speculate that Apollo could even be more than one person.

Just speculating, of course.

Regarding Sydney’s question about expecting an alternative version of DT, I don’t know if that’s what we’ve been led to expect. Based on what we can see of Apollo’s facial morphology, he does kind of have that square-jawed, DT kinda look, but then, so do a lot of costumed heroes.

Back on the topic of this strip, I think there is some nitpicking going on here. For example, in the last panel, I can see how one might think DT looks like he’s in a jump-suit, but so what? That’s not bad art; it’s just a guy in a suit-and-tie who’s mostly lit from behind.

Similarly, his tie’s apparent color change isn’t a continuity error: He’s wearing a red-and-black striped tie in Panel Five, and in Panel Seven, there’s no way such intricate detail could have been rendered in such a tiny scale.

I’m all for snarky comments, but snarkiness loses its meaning if you’re just seizing on any excuse, no matter how flimsy, to whip it out.

Don’t Tracy & Ennen carry backup guns? Were they frisked, or did Emmet Kelly overlook the possible extra weapons?

Okay, so a few days ago having our heroes trapped in a tiger’s cage was supposed to look like an accident. Yeah, like, they were trying to find the restroom and just happened to open the wrong door.

Today though, there’s been a change of plan. The clown would just tell everyone that Ringo put them there. But, how would this be any more believable to the authorities?

Has the tiger grown or are Tracy and Ennen shrinking? This story is becoming harder to understand every day.

I like this strip a lot… and the colors really add to it this weekend

plus… I think I’m going to inquire about getting to this Naperville, Illinois statue… how sweet!

Roberto, I’ve been enjoying your strip, but what happened to the “October 17” installment? I saw it there last night, and now it’s gone…

Look at the tiger’s expression in the last panel–it looks like he’s recently eaten something (or someone) that seriously disagrees with him. A meal of Tracy and Agent Enema is probably the last thing he wants.

Of course, maybe he’s wincing because there’s a thorn in his paw… and Tracy knows this, so he’s stringing Mr. Pops along until he finishes confessing all (speak louder please, and into the Wrist Geenee…)

Hey, at least that ending would make some sense…

Is it a Freudian slip on my part or just wishful thinking that I read it as “We have some shady pastes here at the circus”

Matt, that APollo is a good representation of early comic book art. I still have (in my collection) early Bob Kane and Jack Kirby art among others. I like the way you move the story through hours between panels instead of seconds like this strip. Talk about slow moving……never mind the art mistakes etc. It just plods along at a ssssssssssssnnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiillllllllllsssss pace if you get my drift.

Flight Suit,

Your explanation about the BLACK TIE on Tracy sounds rational, and I’m sure it is right, but it squashes an amusing theory I was developing …..

I thought that in anticipation of his own FUNERAL he had been appropriately dressed for that occasion

Particularly, as we have come to know, how fastidious Dick Locher is about detail in the comic strip ;-)

Mattie,

I think I owe it to you to be serious. I truly didn’t realize the girl had been murdered. I honestly assumed she was a witness to the death of another. And her screams were as a result of the obsevation. My fault, but the word Director made me think male.

I could more quickly agree the garment was different in the last panel although the was an element of confusion because the sleeve was “striped” in the same direction. And reading a second time I realized, he did use the word “wench”.

I’m atempting to be a bit of a “devil’s advocate” here. As you say to your students you want HELPFUL feedback.

I’m trying !

Waitaminit, waitaminit, wait just a gol-durned minute here!! Yesterday, the clown said Ringo was going to RELEASE the tiger who would kill the cops. That would look like an accident. Today, it’s back to putting them in the cage and saying that Ringo did it. Why haven’t Sydney, Bassman, and Flight Suit (to name just three) mentioned that? Did you all take Saturday off, or am I nuts? Did I misunderstand yesterday’s strip (it seems clear)? Or did I not read the comments closely enough?

EatDickTracySandwiches, how are you doing? I live much too far from Naperville now to buy a statuette; even when I lived in IL, Naperville was quite a drive. Now Woodstock would have been a piece of cake. Would you be able to take a picture of the statue and show it to us?

Hey Folks, if you want to comment on Hansel’s comic go to his site and do it. His strip has NOTHING to do with Dick Tracy.

Maxine_Viller: I don’t know how the October 17 post disappeared, but it is already fixed (probably I overwrote it… slopinness due to sleep deprivation, I guess) –

I’ll have to get down to Naperville and see the statue, I guess. It’s only a few miles south of me (I’m in Carol Stream), so driving to downtown Naperville isn’t much of a problem. Parking for my big beast— now THAT could be a problem.

So Barb Els, who shot Louise in front of thousands because she wanted to kill Ringo first, is now content to do nothing and go along with Pops’ ridiculous scheme?? This story sounds like it’s being written by a six year old.

Matt, good start. The last panel confused me for a second but then picked up on the clothing design. I don’t see a comment section yet.

RayC,

You’re just as right here, as you were over at Annie. The problem here is serious and cronic. It will be an effort but I’m thinking of carefully recording the shameful harvest of errors and sending it to Locher and or TMS to ask for COMMENT !

And by reading ahead I can assure there are several more

They outdo any other Tracy story 5 stink eggs to 1. It’s a disgrace !

And some will vote for Hall of Fame. Sorry, Hall of Shame !

One gets the sense Locher simply doesn’t CARE anymore !

They’re all “SELF INFLICTED” injuries. He has Tracy in the strip seldom wearing a hat (a couple days a year). YET, he craft’s the sculpture WITH the hat !

What’s the upside for discarding the hat ? It’s a poorly thought out “idea”, a serious Locher contrived image change that hasn’t helped the stip one iota ! Another regression.

Okay, I thought the tiger cage was about the size of the one in the lower right hand corner of the middle panel. Not a large tiger pen. If we had had the actual layout of this area shown to us, instead of talking heads, tiger head clip art close ups & umpteen shots of “girl on elephant” I would have understood what the clown was talking about. Now that I can see the layout of the tiger den I can honestly say it makes no difference, the clown’s plan makes no sense. And if Ringo has data on the circus folk, won’t he simply blab it to them if they say he killed the cops? Also,I can’t afford a thousand dollar statue of Tracy. I’ll just have to be content with my Soaky.

SIZE of the TIGER’S Cage …..

Further on when readers see the HEIGHT of the Cage they’ll wonder why it isn’t just as LONG. (?)

No wonder readers noted the Tiger’s underdeveloped, short front legs. No room for lateral exercise,

Just high jumping

Good luck, MPH! Hope we taught ya something!