Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 30, 2017

Good morning, guys!™

There must be something wrong with Sam’s calendar, because Hanukkah ended 10 days ago, as far as I know.

Sam’s wrist wizard resembles the two-way wrist radio he and Tracy wore during the previous century. What gives? Diet Smith had upgraded the technology where the devices came with screens.

This is the first time I saw Sam’s wife.

Based on what I posted yesterday, it looks Sam gets the chance to be the hero again.

Yesterday we saw the wrist wizard transmitting. Indicated by the little electric symbols emanating from it. Therefore it cannot receive signals. I believe Sawtooth or his cohort taped down the transmit button. I think we will see Diet Smith somehow track the signal from Tracy. Thus locating him for his rescue.

Drat those “dead zones!” Lemme guess – Mayor Armstrong gave the network contract to the cheapest bid…

Aren’t they late for Hanukkah this year?

I’d said Tracy might be saved by “A Late Christmas Miracle” a day or two back.

Oh, come on. Sawtooth didn’t steal Tracy’s car, did he? It should still be parked out in front of the house, probably still running. Does Tracy normally wander off from family gatherings without telling anyone? Why are they acting like he’s my senile old uncle who was simply distracted? Instead of the head of a large, internationally know crime investigation unit with literally 100’s of mean, bad, deadly enemies? “Junior, have you seen Dick?” “No Mom, I thought he was with you!” “Oh well, he’d better hurry up, we want to open presents” Meanwhile, the dude is lashed to a tree, in a snowstorm.

Hot Flash! Today’s Dilbert appears to be encouraging yet another Moon Maid experiment!

He was loading presents when he was kidnapped. Why was it not reported? Was he walking back to HIS car when the attack happened?

Bill’s visitation should be starting in just over half an hour, really wanted to be there, couldn’t pull together safe travel plans in time, but my thoughts and prayers are with his family today.

Is it kind of sexist to refer to her as “the wife”? Does she refer to him as “the husband”?

I recently read an article about DT. The author commented that the strip today is kitsch. Anyone agree?

Not sure if it’s been mentioned here, but Crime Novelist Sue Grafton passed on the 28th.

She was perhaps best known for her long-running “Alphabet Mystery” Series, which began with 1982’s ”’A’ Is For Alibi,” and introduced her signature character, private detective Kinsey Millhone.

Her most recent – and final – book in the series, ”’Y’ Is For Yesterday,” was published August 22, 2017.

It’s a little off-topic but I feel compelled to mention the death of Rose Marie at the age of 94. Best known for her role as Sally on the Dick Van Dyke Show, she spent five years more recently doing voices for The Garfield Show. She is one of the few we had left from the vaudeville era and her career spanned nine decades. She started at the age of 3 as “Baby Rose Marie” and it wasn’t till her late teens that she dropped the “Baby” from her stage name.

Tess’s concerned call to Sam probably has come in time for Sam to get the MCU team rolling and in due course rescue Tracy (unless some unexpected passer-by finds him first: still not out of the question, as in the Reichenbach Falls Incident). There is the issue of Tracy’s car; is it still parked by the house? Was it hijacked by one of the Bad Guys (off-camera)?

I wouldn’t fret too much over the Catchems’ seemingly late Hannukah celebration. Time is a wobbly, rubbery concept in Dick Tracy as in many other comic strips. At least we’re in the right general season….