Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 03, 2015

Well, there is an interesting twist! Not a surprise that Team Tracy would create it!

Uh …

… what exactly is going on here?

.Good morning guys!

Forsythe wants revenge for the killing of his friend, Freddy Capp! There is a gun struggle I never would have expected. Meanwhile, The Hangman is only too happy to shoot Tracy but Forsythe is jumping right into the path of that shot. Anything could happen now.

Sounds like “The Hangman” doesn’t much care who he kills.

Not the attitude you’d expect from someone with a specific grudge against this production. It certainly doesn’t glorify Tracy.

Is “The Hangman” just a pawn in a greater game?

Meanwhile, “The Chalice” is very quick to react.

Was the ultimate intent to film Tracy killing a dupe – or a dope – on-camera?

Gweedo requested,You’re just in time. Pass the popcorn.-——————————————————-.They ain’t no more, Gweedo. I et it all!

Wendy Wichel, at least, will be pleased that Tracy is not shooting first, if she find out about this sequence of events.

Probably no-one will read them, but I did leave a few super-late comments at the end of yesterday’s page if anyone is interested.

Seems like “The Hangman” is a mere stooge …

Thought it was odd Forsythe would choose to make a stand with Tracy.

That said, and taking his actions today at face value, he has more clear-cut motivation than “The Hangman” does!

‘morning, all.

Perhaps the Hangman and the pilot wear masks to hide a “B” branded on their foreheads.

Didn’t Bribery have a helicopter pilot? Hmmm…a movie featuring Tracy’s greatest foes and Bribery not included?

By the way, Joe’s art gets better every day.

There’s also the outside possibility that Forsythe has been manipulating events from the get-go, with the intent of maneuvering Tracy into killing “The Hangman” on-camera.

So, why would he intervene here to pull the trigger?

Perhaps because “The Hangman” could finger him …

… and dead men tell no tales.

Wonder if Tracy and Forsythe are wearing kevlar vests.

It’s been established they’re wearing safety harnesses.

Proper dramatic structure all but demands the villain’s ironic death by hanging.

Or am I overthinking this?

For the record, the correct answer is yes.

Someone is going to get shot? Who would take the first bullet? The Hangman, Forsythe or the pilot.

Well this certainly took a wild turn.

This is all very confusing.-The threats were all to force the movie to shut down. But killing the writer’s agent wouldn’t affect the filming. Killing the actor playing “the Brow” would affect things, but only if his scenes weren’t already filmed. Since the climax is the only thing left to film, we can assume Freddy Capp’s scenes were over.So now the Hangman is trying to kill Morgan Byrd.But when the other two murders took place, there were no witnesses.So why is he suddenly changing his M.O., using an accomplice to hijack the helicopter, and attacking Byrd during the filming of the last scene, in front of all those witnesses and cameras?And now he’s eager to kill Tracy instead?-The only thing I can think of is that the Hangman is the writer (Adam Austin, wasn’t it?).He hates Tracy; why else would he write the stories with him as a bad guy?Austin could easily have lured his agent, Cassaday, to the studio, where he could kill him.And if it is Austin, that would explain why he’s glad to have a chance to kill the real Tracy instead of Byrd.Who knows? Austin may have been the one who had the idea of getting Tracy to stand in for Byrd. Then he could say, nice and loud for the witnesses and microphones, that he’s surprised to find Tracy there.That would make it seem that the Hangman wasn’t really after Tracy, when destroying Tracy was his goal all along.-Of course, with Forsythe fighting for the gun, it might go off and hit the copter, and…

Yeah, I know that’s long. But consider it all the words I didn’t use in comments over the past couple of weeks.

Whaddya know? Forsythe is a feisty, disturbed (and, I think, doomed) actor who must have been very close to Freddy Capp. The Hangman’s first shot will almost surely hit him. Will Tracy be able to regain control of his pistol in time to return fire, or will he also be wounded before other cops (Sam?) can do something to stop the sinister sinistral Hangman?And, if I may assume The Hangman’s rôle, what’s my motivation?

The only thing I can think of is that the Hangman is the writer (Adam Austin, wasn’t it?).____________________

“Adam Austin” could be the mastermind – Heck, Lloyd Newman could be the mastermind – But I’m pretty sure neither was anywhere near the ’copter when it took off from the airport.

Morgan Byrd’s current whereabouts remain unaccounted for at the moment.

Ditto “Byron Orlock” …

… though he’s pulling a Generalissimo Francisco Franco.

Gweedo responded,Say it aint so, Bill !-———————————————————————.OK, I had a box of Cracker Jack hidden in the pantry. I’ll share ‘em with you but I’m a-keepin’ the prize for myself!

Can’t stop staring at the artwork.

Given the SPEED of those 14 executions, plus 17 more wounded in San Bernardino yesterday … in lees than 90 seconds - this seems (despite the helicopter approach) like a ‘walk in the park’, a slow motion film ?

Then, Forsyth (Flattop), ought to do some “Jail Time” for his pseudo reaction of interference by pushing Tracy gun ‘off target’. to the danger of the two !He’s a big man, what an ‘infantile’ excuse !

Whoever the Hangman might prove to be, there’s got to be a MOTIVE (a real one) for going to all this trouble. Something more, than just a spoilt box of ‘Cracker Jacks’ !

I’ve never seen Tracy look so surprised before.

I just had an odd speculation. Could this actually be part of the script? Remember how the strip started and we thought this was an alternate universe?

This would be a perfect ending.

Why do I have the feeling that “Flattop” is about to die all over again?

They still don’t know Dick..

Neil Wick

* “don’t know what could keep the pilot hanging around unless he’s very loyal to The Hangman. I don’t quite know what he has to gain from the whole situation. I wonder if we’ll ever find out.”*-————————————————

It’s “Shaping Up” like a Unique Dick Locher “IDEA” – not unlike those he ‘released’ in his 2009 Circus story, which …

1) ‘spawned’ the Pig on Wheels, and 2) Set a ‘record’ for having a “character” in One Place (a Circus Ring) for all of 8 weeks. Enough time to get back technical report ‘analysis’ he’d sent to HQ . . . and 3) For FBI Agent Ennen to ‘fly in’ from Washington and join him in the Ring (?)

Additionally, (wore a mask too, never saw his face) ‘Mr, Pops’ “rationale” for “killing” the trapeze artist, was because She, was going to Kill Ringo (the Boss of the Circus) … AND HE wanted to DO it First !

What the IDIOTIC police force didn’t have a sharpshooter stationed for this situation?

Gweedo confessed,I like the cereal box prizes better anyway.-———————————————————————-.Gweedo snitched the decoder ring from my cereal box while I had my back turned! Don’t lie, Gweedo, I know it was you!

Night-Gaunt49 indicated,Or snatched is probably what you meant.-—————————————————————-.No. “Snitched”…

snitch (used with object), Informal.1.to snatch or steal; pilfer..Don’t forget, Night-Gaunt49, I’m an old-timer in the world of slang terms!

This is turning into a big saga. Get it? Forsythe Saga? OK. I’ll go to my room.

Gweedo confessed,I need one to replace my PF Flyers ring I lost years ago.-—————————————————————-.So, you admit it, Gweedo? Why didn’t you use eBay, the honest way!

Thanks to all who mentioned that they read my late remarks yesterday. It’s good to know that they weren’t in vain.

If only Tracy had had the Forsythe to see what that guy was going to do!