Now you see it, now you don’t. While he said he got ONE arm out of the chains, he’s holding the chains with two hands. Suddenly, his right arm appears to be restrained again in the final panel.
The storm of the century appears to be less intense at Police Hdqtrs. If all communications are out, how did Sam find out about the AWACS plane? Who is the German field marshal standing next to Liz? For being heavily sedated, Mordred is able to hold Tracy down while he chains him with one (?) arm!
Okay, let’s overlook the fact that the Sentry aircraft are based at Tinker AFB, not the imaginary Brett. Why on Earth would the Air Force have an E-3 looking for Thick? An AWACS aircraft is a valuable military asset and would only search for something that is a dire threat to national security, something that could cause widespread devastation and terror, a total menace to the American way of life–
All communications are down, so how did Testicle Chin find out about the Sentry? Smoke signals? Semaphore? I’d suggest carrier pigeons, but in the “storm of the century” even the birds are walking when they can find dry land to walk on.
Assuming that there’s a local AF base with AWACS planes, would they fly one off during “the storm of the century?” Or would they have got it aloft before the storm hit?
Both yesterday and today, the Doctor is clearly shown with both arms free. So what’s this “got one arm outta your weak restraints” stuff? Or is he talking about a different “arm” that’s about to come out of its restraints…?
And… “outta”? The Doc’s developing an accent?
As for the AWACS, I do not think a transport plane with a huge disc antenna on top would be cleared to fly over the “storm of the century,” let alone take off in it. Then again, perhaps Locher’s been watching those bizarre recruiting ads that the Air Force has been running lately–y’know, the one where they do a helicopter rescue on planet Pandora (well, certainly not planet Earth, as there are two moons in the background at one point), or the new one where they evacuate a collapsing city using the new Osprey/C-5A hybrid aircraft… “It’s not science fiction; it’s what we do every day…” If only that were true…
Well, now I don’t know what to do with my valuables. Should I bring them to the sporting event? Should I leave them home for the burglars? Should I bring them with me and hide them under the seat while I go to the concession stand? I guess that’s probably the safest thing to do….
They might fly something like an AWACS plane into a storm, at that. Hurricane Hunters come to mind, the planes they fly look an awful lot like an AWACS plane. Whether they would do it to locate a missing police detective—- hmmm, that might be another matter. Tracy would have to be really important to justify the risk to men and materials, and face it, most local city detectives don’t rate that high.
Edit; correction: I just did a quick look-see. Hurricane Hunters are transport-type aircraft, they have to be to fit all the stuff and crew they carry. But, none of the planes I saw had anything like AWACS discs on them. Not that such a plane can’t be used, but it doesn’t appear to be standard Hurricane Hunter equipment.
Another example of Locher being up to date. The last E-3 Sentry was produced in 1992… almost 20 years ago. Maybe they paid for it with $1,000 dollar bills…
At the rate this story line is progressing, the chain should have dissolved into rust by now.
morrow said, 43 minutes ago
Sam’s facial expression looks like (a) he is really constipated, or (b) he’s got his panties on too tight, or (c) both.
How about (d) he’s reacting to the taste of the lines he’s being forced to deliver, or (e) he’s all too aware of the quality of the strip he’s stuck in.
Michael, the E-3 AWACS is basically a 707 being molested by a flying saucer. Globalsecurity.org says its maximum altitude is a bit over 29,000 feet, and it can fly without refuelling for eight hours. That ceiling would put it over a normal storm cloud deck, but it might have problems if the storm had a lot of cumulonimbus clouds (thunderheads). Someone from the Air Force would have a better answer for this, but I don’t think anyone would want to risk refuelling a plane over that storm.
Back before Hurricane Andrew the Air Force evacuated one base–Eglin?–in the hurricane’s path. The planes didn’t loiter in the area.
Hurricane hunter missions are flown by modified C-130s. Before that I think it was RB-29s and RB-50s. The WC-130J Weatherbird can go up to 28,000 feet, but as you said, it isn’t carrying that rotating disc.
Another issue here. It’s humid in the granary. Mordred’s helmet looks badly-ventilated. He must be breathing hard. How long will it take his goggles to fog up? Even if they’re coated with an anti-fogging compound, do the goggles give him a big enough field of view for hand-to-hand combat?
Good catch, woodworker. I think Locher is confusing GPS locating with a flying radar machine. Locher would have earned a star by me if he had opted for the GPS app on cellphones to locate Thick. But to Locher, a cellphone is a payphone in the jailhouse. Recently, Charles Manson gave a new definition of a cellphone.
(Leader of the Moon People) “How long has it been since we talked to the Earth people? Maybe we should tell them about the huge asteroid that will kill them all in 20 of their years, and you know, maybe help them do something about it.”
(The lunar spyray is engaged and seeks out Dick Tracy. The Leader of the Moon People watches the events surrounding Tracy and Mordred)
“Tracy, are you retarded or something? Shoot him, you jerk. Right, Earth people are just effing useless. Hey, is there anyway we can speed up that huge asteroid, maybe put Tracy’s name on it or something?”
Remember that Ming the Merciless Atomo Counterfeit Money Analyzer from the last arc? The AWACS plane is this arc’s equivalent: a fancy gizmo that does whatever Locher wants it to do. If Locher remembers it a week from now.
OneUrantian almost 14 years ago
Now you see it, now you don’t. While he said he got ONE arm out of the chains, he’s holding the chains with two hands. Suddenly, his right arm appears to be restrained again in the final panel.
margueritem almost 14 years ago
No, Tracy’s on the bottom of this…
Steve Bartholomew almost 14 years ago
Was that a sexual innuendo about being on top? Actually none of this makes any sense whatsoever.
mrbribery almost 14 years ago
The AWACS can pinpoint his location.
And then they can bomb him!
Vista Bill Raley and Comet™ almost 14 years ago
The storm of the century appears to be less intense at Police Hdqtrs. If all communications are out, how did Sam find out about the AWACS plane? Who is the German field marshal standing next to Liz? For being heavily sedated, Mordred is able to hold Tracy down while he chains him with one (?) arm!
Bill Thompson almost 14 years ago
Okay, let’s overlook the fact that the Sentry aircraft are based at Tinker AFB, not the imaginary Brett. Why on Earth would the Air Force have an E-3 looking for Thick? An AWACS aircraft is a valuable military asset and would only search for something that is a dire threat to national security, something that could cause widespread devastation and terror, a total menace to the American way of life–
Oh. I just answered my own question, didn’t I?
Bill Thompson almost 14 years ago
Slimegobblers Wrecksbook: I’ll remember that the next time I take my valuables to a sporting event.
In panel #1, Thick notes that the old granary is falling apart. Locher is foreshadowing. That is never a good sign.
Midnite almost 14 years ago
In that last panel Mordred wrapped the chain right around Tracys mouth. Thats gotta hurt.
But I gotta ask, what happened to the water? Wasnt the granary flooding?
Bill Thompson almost 14 years ago
All communications are down, so how did Testicle Chin find out about the Sentry? Smoke signals? Semaphore? I’d suggest carrier pigeons, but in the “storm of the century” even the birds are walking when they can find dry land to walk on.
Assuming that there’s a local AF base with AWACS planes, would they fly one off during “the storm of the century?” Or would they have got it aloft before the storm hit?
FLIGHT SUIT almost 14 years ago
Did Locher use this as a model for drawing that plane?
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5289/5269750206_670eb94c37.jpg
Major Matt Mason Premium Member almost 14 years ago
Flight Suit: Nah. The photo looks too realistic. ;)
puddleglum1066 almost 14 years ago
Both yesterday and today, the Doctor is clearly shown with both arms free. So what’s this “got one arm outta your weak restraints” stuff? Or is he talking about a different “arm” that’s about to come out of its restraints…?
And… “outta”? The Doc’s developing an accent?
As for the AWACS, I do not think a transport plane with a huge disc antenna on top would be cleared to fly over the “storm of the century,” let alone take off in it. Then again, perhaps Locher’s been watching those bizarre recruiting ads that the Air Force has been running lately–y’know, the one where they do a helicopter rescue on planet Pandora (well, certainly not planet Earth, as there are two moons in the background at one point), or the new one where they evacuate a collapsing city using the new Osprey/C-5A hybrid aircraft… “It’s not science fiction; it’s what we do every day…” If only that were true…
CougarAllen almost 14 years ago
Well, now I don’t know what to do with my valuables. Should I bring them to the sporting event? Should I leave them home for the burglars? Should I bring them with me and hide them under the seat while I go to the concession stand? I guess that’s probably the safest thing to do….
-Cougar :{)
Araldite almost 14 years ago
What difference does it make if they pinpoint him? Nobody’s looking for the all weather gear; they’ve all decided to stay in out of the rain.
jkebxjunke almost 14 years ago
Nah.. they dont need to bomb him… the story line is doing a pretty good job of bombing itself.
Morrow Cummings almost 14 years ago
Sam’s facial expression looks like (a) he is really constipated, or (b) he’s got his panties on too tight, or (c) both.
mjmsprt40 almost 14 years ago
They might fly something like an AWACS plane into a storm, at that. Hurricane Hunters come to mind, the planes they fly look an awful lot like an AWACS plane. Whether they would do it to locate a missing police detective—- hmmm, that might be another matter. Tracy would have to be really important to justify the risk to men and materials, and face it, most local city detectives don’t rate that high.
Edit; correction: I just did a quick look-see. Hurricane Hunters are transport-type aircraft, they have to be to fit all the stuff and crew they carry. But, none of the planes I saw had anything like AWACS discs on them. Not that such a plane can’t be used, but it doesn’t appear to be standard Hurricane Hunter equipment.
Dr. Midnight almost 14 years ago
Well, this is the last time I bring my AWACS plane to the big game. It’s too valuable!
JCFremont almost 14 years ago
“Got one arm outta your weak restraints. Then, apparently, I got the other one out. For awhile.”
Dr. Midnight almost 14 years ago
Another example of Locher being up to date. The last E-3 Sentry was produced in 1992… almost 20 years ago. Maybe they paid for it with $1,000 dollar bills…
prrdh almost 14 years ago
At the rate this story line is progressing, the chain should have dissolved into rust by now.
morrow said, 43 minutes ago
Sam’s facial expression looks like (a) he is really constipated, or (b) he’s got his panties on too tight, or (c) both.
How about (d) he’s reacting to the taste of the lines he’s being forced to deliver, or (e) he’s all too aware of the quality of the strip he’s stuck in.
LudwigVonDrake almost 14 years ago
morrow said, about 1 hour ago Sam’s facial expression looks like (a) he is really constipated, or (b) he’s got his panties on too tight, or (c) both.
Morrow, I’m going with C! :)
I guess it’s chilly in the squad room since the German General looks cold.
Bill Thompson almost 14 years ago
Michael, the E-3 AWACS is basically a 707 being molested by a flying saucer. Globalsecurity.org says its maximum altitude is a bit over 29,000 feet, and it can fly without refuelling for eight hours. That ceiling would put it over a normal storm cloud deck, but it might have problems if the storm had a lot of cumulonimbus clouds (thunderheads). Someone from the Air Force would have a better answer for this, but I don’t think anyone would want to risk refuelling a plane over that storm.
Back before Hurricane Andrew the Air Force evacuated one base–Eglin?–in the hurricane’s path. The planes didn’t loiter in the area.
Hurricane hunter missions are flown by modified C-130s. Before that I think it was RB-29s and RB-50s. The WC-130J Weatherbird can go up to 28,000 feet, but as you said, it isn’t carrying that rotating disc.
Bill Thompson almost 14 years ago
Another issue here. It’s humid in the granary. Mordred’s helmet looks badly-ventilated. He must be breathing hard. How long will it take his goggles to fog up? Even if they’re coated with an anti-fogging compound, do the goggles give him a big enough field of view for hand-to-hand combat?
moonmaid almost 14 years ago
As my late father used to say “E GADS!!!”
woodworker318 almost 14 years ago
I didn’t think that AWACS could home in on signals from the ground, only on approaching aircraft or missiles. The dish on top is a radar antenna.
Morrow Cummings almost 14 years ago
Good catch, woodworker. I think Locher is confusing GPS locating with a flying radar machine. Locher would have earned a star by me if he had opted for the GPS app on cellphones to locate Thick. But to Locher, a cellphone is a payphone in the jailhouse. Recently, Charles Manson gave a new definition of a cellphone.
billdi Premium Member almost 14 years ago
my valuables, aka the family jewels, go with me wherever i go and they are well-protected.
we know that locher doesn’t read his own story from day to day in order to have a semblance of continuity and logic, but this is ridiculous.
tuckerch almost 14 years ago
(Leader of the Moon People) “How long has it been since we talked to the Earth people? Maybe we should tell them about the huge asteroid that will kill them all in 20 of their years, and you know, maybe help them do something about it.”
(The lunar spyray is engaged and seeks out Dick Tracy. The Leader of the Moon People watches the events surrounding Tracy and Mordred)
“Tracy, are you retarded or something? Shoot him, you jerk. Right, Earth people are just effing useless. Hey, is there anyway we can speed up that huge asteroid, maybe put Tracy’s name on it or something?”
Bill Thompson almost 14 years ago
Remember that Ming the Merciless Atomo Counterfeit Money Analyzer from the last arc? The AWACS plane is this arc’s equivalent: a fancy gizmo that does whatever Locher wants it to do. If Locher remembers it a week from now.
thejensens almost 14 years ago
Now everyone remember what Sam said about the Awacs Plane and Tracy having his Wrist Geenee turned on.
This coming Friday, Lizz will ask a question of Sam.
You will see once again, Locher will have forgotten what he wrote a few days earlier.
It is just like how this story at the start, went into repeat mode.
Sending a AWACS plane is perfect for this story, as this story is really a
“Whack Job”