Why the state police? Isn’t the site within the city limits? And what jurisdiction does the MCU itself cover? Are they a city or state force, or something else? We know they aren’t federal.
Periodically there’ll be comments here about strips of yore and their violence, and the refrain, “You can’t show that any more.”
Here we have a strip where a member of the US military was wounded and underwent a profound psychological change. The alterations in his personality were dramatic and noticed by all. He spent all his time reading about those attacking the United States and engaged in unacceptably hostile behavior directed at his peers. We are given no indication he received any sort of counseling for the changes in behavior. Instead the army just kicked him out. No mention of any effort to diagnose or efforts at rehabilitation.
Even though the Army did a lousy job of dealing with psychological problems for the troops in WW II they tried. Militaries have recognized problems suffered by vets for ages, even before the term shell shock was invented to cover it in WW I (and it was 1980 before the more technical sounding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was added to the discussion). There are questions about how effective the army is in handling psychological issues, but there is no denying they try.
Except in this strip. And, let me assure you, they could not have shown this disregard for a wounded service man in a strip running during WW II. With a bit of irony rather than Cicero’s nostalgic nonsense I echo his observation O tempora o mores.
So, basically it appears we’re going to be shown a man wounded during his service to the country, and who received no help for his injuries, as a murderer at least and possibly an attempted mass murderer?
BTW, Tracy’s ESP seems to be running on all nine cylinders today. They were looking for a murderer. They feel confident they have identified the murderer. (Still no hard evidence of that, but the circumstantial evidence might be enough for a conviction.)
So, from there were move to looking for a bomb in the tower? There is no leap of logic in that, just lazy writing.
I’d love for Tracy’s ESP to fail once and there being nothing of interest in the tower – it was all simply a distraction.
But, maybe we’ll be tossed a crumb and given a hint why Springy was murdered and not just the idea everyone suffering PTSD is a potential killer.
About 2 years ago, my friend and old college roommate, the famed, award-winning author Anthony Flacco called me and asked if I could recommend an excellent comic artist. Anthony was converting one of his true-life best sellers, In the Matter of Nikola Tesla—A Romance of the Mind, into a graphic novel. However, it would be an arduous task involving around 150 panels. I recommended Joe Staton, previous DT artist. I put Anthony in contact with Joe.
According to Anthony, at first Joe was hesitant. At the time he was ill and liked the project but wasn’t sure he would be able to agree to such a large commission, so he understandably had to refuse.
My friend called me back for a second recommendation, and I suggested Charles Ettinger. I contacted Charles and put him in contact with my friend.
Charles had many of the same fears as Joe. It was a large project and Charles had other projects going, plus he was involved in some stressful situations in his private life on top of his daily chores on Dick Tracy. He did not have the time. Understandably, Charles had to refuse as well but agreed to help Anthony find another artist if need be.
After over a year Joe, however, has had a change of heart. The following announcement by Anthony Flacco this morning on Facebook reads:
I’m so happy to announce that renowned illustrator Joe Staton of Marvel Comics fame and much more, has agreed to illustrate the graphic novel adaptation.
Congratulations, Joe and Anthony. I can’t wait for the result from these two award-winners.
Standard procedure Really? You believe you have identified a murderer, so standard procedure is to call in the city police and state police to comb through a construction project the suspect was associated with? Are you checking out his grocery store, his barber, and the companies who supply materials to his construction business?
Junior is in the background,seeming confident that the sweep won’t find anything.So don’t let your guard down.Did he use “Xylon”,Max Collins’s favorite explosive?
And who’s the “spy” taking the overhead sweep shot?
Oh, right. I’ve seen this before. See, there’s this huge treasure buried beneath the city. The Brow III will steal a signet ring and then battle Junior on the hands of the clock tower clock.
In a pulse-pounding moment, B III will grab the ring and push hm off, then fit two rings into opening in the clock face. This will speed up the clock mechanism which will cause a massive explosion that will send the crumbled ruins of the city into an underground cavern, thus exposing a fabled treasure.
B III will have miraculously survived, and will ride off into the sunset with the gold. As he does so, he’ll rip of a mask and reveal himself as Stealin Sam. Lizz, sitting next to him in his sleek racing VW Bug ragtop with the raccoon tail on the antenna, will giggle and snuggle up to him.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it until I hear from a team of Japanese lawyers.
DMITOHELL! I was certain that yesterday’s P3 had tee’d up another day of the Colonel revealing more hot goss about Totten only to have Eric disappoint me in a new way – UNINTERESTING UNPREDICTABILITY!!!
(So much for the Alt Take I had in the chamber with the fun-gun cocked…)
1- DT: I’d send this case to Homicide if they hadn’t already punted it to us. Soooo – I’ve given it to the State Police…
2- : …They’ll love having something to do other than writing speeding tickets. I can just picture them now, under the severe scrutiny of their Training Manager, practicing their investigation techniques! HAR HAR! Anyway…
3- : …Now that we don’t have anything to do – GET BACK HERE, SAM! THAT WASN’T A DISMISSAL! As I was saying – with nothing to do, let’s plan our day at the Two Foxes Shopping Center and Clock Lighting Ceremony! I’m sure I can get us all early entry into the Clock Tower! Should be a real BLAST!
Wait. Did anyone hang up on the Colonel? Is he still yammering…?
firestrike1 about 13 hours ago
and the manhunt begins…
avenger09 about 13 hours ago
Tracy definitely bites his nails! How exciting!
avenger09 about 13 hours ago
Tracyville has turned into Frownsville.
Chucky, draw a few smiles, please.
SHAKEDOWNCITY about 13 hours ago
Hickory dickory dock. The schmuck could not “blow up” the clock.
avenger09 about 13 hours ago
Tracy has always insisted that everyone fold their arms in front of themselves whenever he talks.
What an ego he has.
avenger09 about 13 hours ago
I don’t know why Eric doesn’t like me. Lol!
Brian Premium Member about 13 hours ago
“Later, a team of bomb specialists will mop the tower. Homicide will be in charge of washing windows. The Mayor wants this tower lookin’ gooood!”
Gweedo -it's legal here- Murray about 12 hours ago
Good Morning™, Clock Sweepers !
Great top-down view, Carlos and the tech geek guy poses actually have a comedic taint.
Junior is firm and confident, knowing they wont find anything worth finding. That will go back in after they leave.
Neil Wick about 11 hours ago
Good morning™, everyone!
I also love the bird’s-eye view. The techs can’t stop what’s coming up or we’ll have no story. That’s much logic as a reader.
BigDaveGlass about 10 hours ago
So they haven’t clocked anything yet?
Mark Jeffrey Premium Member about 9 hours ago
Why the state police? Isn’t the site within the city limits? And what jurisdiction does the MCU itself cover? Are they a city or state force, or something else? We know they aren’t federal.
tsull2121 about 9 hours ago
How nice that they have a PORTABLE TOILET for the mcu….cuz that’s exactly where this story belongs…sorry eric
LawrenceS about 8 hours ago
I was reflecting on this story yesterday.
Periodically there’ll be comments here about strips of yore and their violence, and the refrain, “You can’t show that any more.”
Here we have a strip where a member of the US military was wounded and underwent a profound psychological change. The alterations in his personality were dramatic and noticed by all. He spent all his time reading about those attacking the United States and engaged in unacceptably hostile behavior directed at his peers. We are given no indication he received any sort of counseling for the changes in behavior. Instead the army just kicked him out. No mention of any effort to diagnose or efforts at rehabilitation.
Even though the Army did a lousy job of dealing with psychological problems for the troops in WW II they tried. Militaries have recognized problems suffered by vets for ages, even before the term shell shock was invented to cover it in WW I (and it was 1980 before the more technical sounding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was added to the discussion). There are questions about how effective the army is in handling psychological issues, but there is no denying they try.
Except in this strip. And, let me assure you, they could not have shown this disregard for a wounded service man in a strip running during WW II. With a bit of irony rather than Cicero’s nostalgic nonsense I echo his observation O tempora o mores.
So, basically it appears we’re going to be shown a man wounded during his service to the country, and who received no help for his injuries, as a murderer at least and possibly an attempted mass murderer?
LawrenceS about 8 hours ago
BTW, Tracy’s ESP seems to be running on all nine cylinders today. They were looking for a murderer. They feel confident they have identified the murderer. (Still no hard evidence of that, but the circumstantial evidence might be enough for a conviction.)
So, from there were move to looking for a bomb in the tower? There is no leap of logic in that, just lazy writing.
I’d love for Tracy’s ESP to fail once and there being nothing of interest in the tower – it was all simply a distraction.
But, maybe we’ll be tossed a crumb and given a hint why Springy was murdered and not just the idea everyone suffering PTSD is a potential killer.
iggyman about 7 hours ago
I like the serious demeaner shown in panel 2!
iggyman about 7 hours ago
Is that the “Tower of Power”?!
markwillman4 about 5 hours ago
Our clock kookoo (see what I did there?) Doesn’t appear to be the least bit concerned.
Ray Toler about 5 hours ago
HAPPY NEWS:
About 2 years ago, my friend and old college roommate, the famed, award-winning author Anthony Flacco called me and asked if I could recommend an excellent comic artist. Anthony was converting one of his true-life best sellers, In the Matter of Nikola Tesla—A Romance of the Mind, into a graphic novel. However, it would be an arduous task involving around 150 panels. I recommended Joe Staton, previous DT artist. I put Anthony in contact with Joe.
According to Anthony, at first Joe was hesitant. At the time he was ill and liked the project but wasn’t sure he would be able to agree to such a large commission, so he understandably had to refuse.
My friend called me back for a second recommendation, and I suggested Charles Ettinger. I contacted Charles and put him in contact with my friend.
Charles had many of the same fears as Joe. It was a large project and Charles had other projects going, plus he was involved in some stressful situations in his private life on top of his daily chores on Dick Tracy. He did not have the time. Understandably, Charles had to refuse as well but agreed to help Anthony find another artist if need be.
After over a year Joe, however, has had a change of heart. The following announcement by Anthony Flacco this morning on Facebook reads:
I’m so happy to announce that renowned illustrator Joe Staton of Marvel Comics fame and much more, has agreed to illustrate the graphic novel adaptation.
Congratulations, Joe and Anthony. I can’t wait for the result from these two award-winners.
LawrenceS about 5 hours ago
Standard procedure Really? You believe you have identified a murderer, so standard procedure is to call in the city police and state police to comb through a construction project the suspect was associated with? Are you checking out his grocery store, his barber, and the companies who supply materials to his construction business?
[Unnamed Reader - 14b4ce] about 5 hours ago
MOVIE QUOTE
“Boll Weevils are getting at the oranges—-we gotta smoke em’ out”
John Garfield(making an excuse to leave town)
EAST OF THE RIVER—1940
Chocolate_Chip about 5 hours ago
Cool effect with the flashlight of the Statie who looks like Mr. Freeze
[Unnamed Reader - 14b4ce] about 5 hours ago
Junior is in the background,seeming confident that the sweep won’t find anything.So don’t let your guard down.Did he use “Xylon”,Max Collins’s favorite explosive?
And who’s the “spy” taking the overhead sweep shot?
That Wichita Guy! about 4 hours ago
Oh, right. I’ve seen this before. See, there’s this huge treasure buried beneath the city. The Brow III will steal a signet ring and then battle Junior on the hands of the clock tower clock.
In a pulse-pounding moment, B III will grab the ring and push hm off, then fit two rings into opening in the clock face. This will speed up the clock mechanism which will cause a massive explosion that will send the crumbled ruins of the city into an underground cavern, thus exposing a fabled treasure.
B III will have miraculously survived, and will ride off into the sunset with the gold. As he does so, he’ll rip of a mask and reveal himself as Stealin Sam. Lizz, sitting next to him in his sleek racing VW Bug ragtop with the raccoon tail on the antenna, will giggle and snuggle up to him.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it until I hear from a team of Japanese lawyers.
Another Take about 3 hours ago
DMITOHELL! I was certain that yesterday’s P3 had tee’d up another day of the Colonel revealing more hot goss about Totten only to have Eric disappoint me in a new way – UNINTERESTING UNPREDICTABILITY!!!
(So much for the Alt Take I had in the chamber with the fun-gun cocked…)
Another Take about 3 hours ago
1- DT: I’d send this case to Homicide if they hadn’t already punted it to us. Soooo – I’ve given it to the State Police…
2- : …They’ll love having something to do other than writing speeding tickets. I can just picture them now, under the severe scrutiny of their Training Manager, practicing their investigation techniques! HAR HAR! Anyway…
3- : …Now that we don’t have anything to do – GET BACK HERE, SAM! THAT WASN’T A DISMISSAL! As I was saying – with nothing to do, let’s plan our day at the Two Foxes Shopping Center and Clock Lighting Ceremony! I’m sure I can get us all early entry into the Clock Tower! Should be a real BLAST!
Wait. Did anyone hang up on the Colonel? Is he still yammering…?