Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 18, 2014

So when is Gruesome going to ‘lose it’, after being called Karloff 1 too many times.

Does anybody really know what an explosion does to the human brain? I love the funny pages…

Watch the SCU nab the Nitrates instead of Gruesome….

It’s nice that Joe & Mike acknowledge Forest J. Ackerman in the first panel! Forest published a magazine titles “Monsterland” for many years.

Well I’ll easily buy into that one . . . It was FANTASTIC !

They were standing within arms reach of each other, before the explosion, later - – Tracy Is buried under layers of doors and litter, while we find Gruesome walking calmly out the building, without a spec of dust.

But I guess with Tracy holding a Gun, they needed to show that his advantage was effectively “put out”; the picture. As Neil observed (in effect), if the police looked - “*too efficient*” the story might be BORING (?).Judged by that “yard-stick” you’ll likely agree, the Authors are doing an “excellent” job ! Patton may not do it, so we may have to wait for Mayor Armstrong to call the MCU in . . ./ On the Carpet !

One of the things that ‘sticks in my mind’ from the Locher years, is a (Feb.10th, 2009) sequence when (in the Angelorious case, Dr. Noll shot – on the ground) Tracy urgently called via Wrist Geenee - “911 Fast” .Language with a connotation of ‘crack efficiency’, In a way that scenario was mind-full of the current tale, by story’s end, the police had still failed to “*appear*” ! ?

Perhaps, it’s appropriate then, that the destination for today be the Locher Auditorium. A ‘Hail-Fellow-Well-Met’ scenario ? For who knows, perhaps it’s the same Squad (sorry, Unit) - that had been called in, as the Reinforcements ?

If Dicky Locher still reads the strip, recalls his less focused contributions and the more pointed comments here . . . Today, we may guess, he ‘knowingly’ SMILED ! ?

“Been there, done that” ! ?

What about Junior and Sparkle? And incidentally, whatever happened to Sparkle Jr? Will she return for the birth of her newest sibling?

HA! Good one JonaHex. I also gotta agree with Neil W that Gruesome is becoming “resigned” to being called Karloff. He also has a lot on his mind other than that right now…

Should we not, detectives, have a moment of concern for Vitamin Flintheart, Mel, Agate Annie Stone, and other cast and crew members who may be buried in the wreckage, alive and possibly injured, or dead, before dashing off in all directions to capture a crook who has made a clean getaway? Or are we obsessed with Gruesome, since Sam, Tracy, and Lizz all have bungled arrest attempts?

Morning, Tracyville!Actually, panel three pretty well illustrates the confusion inherent in an emergency situation like this. People will call for their loved ones first, and then check on the others. That’s what Lizz is doing. Once Tracy and Sam have been found to be all right, then they will all search for Vitamin, and then Mel, Stone, and the others.

Where’s Vitamin?

Seems Gruesome didn’t set the charges with intent to damage the building’s support structure — which is smart, ’cause the walls would have dropped on him as well — but rather to “chew up” the scenery.

Other than the aforementioned Vitamin, where are KandiKane, Tess, and the Nitrates now?

Times like this, one truly longs for the legendary fourth panel of yore.

Good morning guys… a bit late today!

So much happening! Tracy survives yet another explosion. Is anyone in the audience injured? Does the fire department respond to this kind of situation? What does the rest of the police force do in a situation like this? Where are the tv news people? Personally, I like things the way they are. Tracy, Sam, and Liz don’t need no stinkin’ assistance!

I suspect Gruesome’s sigh is one of, “so many people I need to kill, so little opportunity to actually do so.”

Really like Gruesome’s expression in the first panel. This is the price he’s paying for making a getaway.Of course, mingling with the crowd will only buy him so much time. Dr. Einstein must be either out looking for a new ride or posing with fans for photos.

Good morning my friends. All excellent comments. Will the Nitrates appear at Monstercon to further confuse the MCU?Y’all have a great day.

Gruesome’s “sigh” must have come from reading Matty’s past posts – or was it Stilldamatt’s?

Aside from that, I can picture the MCU arriving at the Locher Auditorium in a yellow and red Fiat, with each one of them disguised as a clown and a huge tinfoil badge. Tracy has chozen the personae of Bozo, with the red hair, huge shoes and, of course, a slapstick. Sam then gets out dressed as Clarabell, tooting his squeeze-bulb horn. The problem is that they will be in their natural appearance to those who know them and we’ll hear that familiar “Zzzzzzz” from under the bridge.

Doncha just LOVE the gap-tooth chick in the first panel? She came all the way from Hootin’ Holler!

In the last panel, why would Lizz use “Tracy” and “Sam?” Why not use both first names or both last names? Just curious.

Mea culpa! I can’t believe I spelled “chosen” with a “z” (see above post). Apologies to the Spell Police!

I have removed my two previous posts and apologise if my question offended anyone. Since my current state of mind is interfering with my ability to ignore the constant attacks one poster insists on subjecting me to perhaps it’s best for everyone that I stay off the board for the time being. I should be back at a later date. Goodbye for now.

You’d think a criminal who knows how to rig bombs would also be able to do something as simple as hot wire another car there, wouldn’t you?

Years ago I spent an afternoon with Ackerman and I questioned him about the feud between him and Lovecraft. Ackerman said that it was because he (Ackerman) at the time didn’t think Supernatural horror stories belonged in magazines that were devoted to Science-Fiction. Ackerman said that these stories had their own magazines such as Weird Tales.

@Chris Sherlock: thanks for your comment.

@avenger09: I hate to see you go even for a short time. I wish you the best. I’m looking forward to your return.Have a great day my friend. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

@avenger09: you and your family are in my prayers. God bless you.