Dick Tracy by Dick Locher

Tags: DEATH stalks the Circus!!, HEY RUBE!!. Add Tags

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wndrwrthg said, 5 months ago

Are the tiger and the elephant the only animals that this circus has?
margueritem said, 5 months ago

Love that tiger, best thing in this strip.
VistaBill said, 5 months ago

The tiger’s listening to every word. I bet he knows who the killer is and he’s not talking. Tomorrow… the elephant returns! The show must go on!
Flight Suit said, 5 months ago

Ladies, if you are unable to find any eye-shadow in the makeup aisle of your favorite store, it’s ‘cause Agent Ennen has cornered the market.
Gweedo Murray said, 5 months ago

The tiger sez; “you lyin’ sacka….”
Flight Suit said, 5 months ago

Somebody should let kitty out of his cage.
Fearless_Fosdick said, 5 months ago

Yes, I am in hiding. Every night, I get to hide in front of thousands of people in the audience.
Flight Suit said, 5 months ago

Whenever Locher draws a police radio clipped to a cop’s shoulder epaulette, they look exactly like Karen’s earrings.
LudwigVonDrake said, 5 months ago

Why is Tracy talking out of the side of his mouth?
andyh40 said, 5 months ago

“Never shoot first, baby”, use to be a standard phrase of Tracy’s back in the early 70’s whenever a villain would attempt to put a bullet in him. Back then Tracy had no qualms about gunning a criminal down if he had to!
ridenslide65 said, 5 months ago

Let’s get the writer of Ringo’s autobiography on the phone. The one that covered Ringo’s decent into evil and eventuial transition to the Witness Protection Program. Make sure to bring pictures of his house and family.

” I shot first!” OK well that wraps this one.
DD FENCE EMET said, 5 months ago

Has Tiger left the greens and hit the bars?
morrow said, 5 months ago

It’s nice that there’s no spamming here today or yesterday.
BASSMANB0B said, 5 months ago

Some more tibets about this VERY IMPORTANT DAY IN OUR LIVES!!!!

4th October, 1976 : Barbara Walters starts earning her $1,000,000 salary tonight when she joins anchorman Harry Reasoner on the ABC evening news.

A credit to women everywhere!

Hi Maxine, Glad you missed me also. Where’s my popcorn?
:-)
countoftowergrove said, 5 months ago

Karen is uuuuggggggggglllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! At least Chester Gould covered Ugly Christine’s face with her bangs.
idarke said, 5 months ago

Maybe we should encourage a Mark Trail approach for a few weeks - just animals with word balloons coming out of the distance.
kab2rb said, 5 months ago

TV is doing a some history of current performers like Betty White current to past to high school. Now that is going back in time. For a minute I thought the referance to Oct 4 is referring to what has been talked about so much on this site.
Sydney Phillips said, 5 months ago

Someone wondered what ever happened to SAM Catchem (?) We have hardly seen him in THREE years ! (?)

The new Author has a compelling passion to introduce “his” OWN characters. So, his new sobriquet is “BROOM” - Dick “Broom” Locher Coming as a result of sweeping aside all vestigies of Gould’s original characters, and, right OUT of the strip.

“Broom” fancies himself as a sort of new Fran Striker writing “his” adaptation of LONE Ranger, a defective, detective strip we could aptly call “Sick Tracy, stands still again”. His NEW (once-in-a-while) side kick, (- not Tonto), just plain verbose “message-man” - Teevo !

He seems to be achieving his objective. Patton is gone, a “Sexy” Lizz tagged along, Junior, happily morphed into “Broom’s” son John !

Meanwhile, Sam now sits waiting in the departure lounge, he’ll take the same flight OUT that brings his well “advertised” replacment IN - October 4, 2009. Leave it out, Sydney. Final warning.

He should arrive at the Circus in time to save Tracy from –- be it Elephant or Tiger ! (?) – And as they leave the Circus, have an ear for it —- “Hi Ooh! … Nappie Away” !
kab2rb said, 5 months ago

I say a month ago someone put there interpetation on how DT would be a total execagration was worse then what is printed now. DT may be slow but keeps moving. The past comments had me thinking there was a fight happening not good. I like comics for fun.
avatarjk137 said, 5 months ago

Karen seems to be channeling Cleopatra here, presumably because she’s a ‘hottie’. And perhaps the reason why Ringo’s in such a public job when he’s under witness protection is right in front of us - he asked the FBI to hide him, instead of the proper authorities.

That TIGER shot the acrobat! Look how guilty its face is!

The October 4th spam appears to have dried up. Good riddance.
jumbobrain said, 5 months ago

yaaaawn, yawn, yawn! And I’m gettin’ awful tired of that tiger.
N7326 Foxtrot said, 5 months ago

And I just finished reading “Calvin and Hobbes”
Matthew Hansel said, 5 months ago

Liam: You must have missed my post from a few days back…I’m reposting and awaiting your response.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter of “spam”

MPH

Liam:

I’m so glad that you clarified that for me…I was previously unaware that promoting the anniversary of the strip underwhich I was commenting on was considered “spam”. This is a definition of the word with which I was not previously familiar. I didn’t know that promoting the strip was in fact considered spam.

Now that I am cognizant of this definition, I would respectfully request that you delete each and every one of the comments that are posted here daily about the quality of the strip. Since the strip is almost universally panned by those that post here everyday, and since by your reasoning posting the same comment (or even a variation of it) everyday is “spam”, then surely you would have to agree that all of the consistently negative comments about the pace of the storyline, the quality of the artwork et. al. would meet your definition of spam.

I know that GoComics is interested in equitable enforcement of its “User Agreement” and does not wish to appear arbitrary and capricious, so, since the POINT has been made by all those that get their daily giggles out of panning the strip, and since they’ve had years to make their point, I would ask that you please remove this “spam” from the board as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

MPH
Sydney Phillips said, 5 months ago

kab2rb,

Like you I’m relatively new and my “take” is, the majority of readers here are NOT looking for a fight. But some appear to resent complaints on flaws (too many in this strip) that appear, And those are quick to SAY so.

Everyone reads the strip for enjoyment and fun but this tale seems void of action. Tracy’s been in the Circus ring for a whole two months, enough time for an FBI Agent to fly all the way from Wasington and join him there.

If you read the comments carefully you’ll note the truly hillarious thing that often happen, are near impossible.

Reason to chuckle and laugh (and perhaps even CRY), if nothing else ! Shed a tear for dead creator Chester Gould

This is no longer the great comic strip we once had. Pity !

We still read it, “fingers crossed”, hoping by some miracle it will improve. Most think it’s NOT an acceptable option to walk away, that’s one they leave to the Author who’s conscience should tell him he’s NOT doing an acceptable job !

Walking away means an “ALSO RAN” effort triumphs !
BASSMANB0B said, 5 months ago

OCTOBER 4!!!!!!!!!!!

1969 China Hydrogen Bomb

4th October, 1969: China has announced a hydrogen bomb was recently tested in the western region of the Chinese mainland and the country had completed its first underground nuclear explosion

“It’s the end of the world as we know it”!
puddleglum1066 said, 5 months ago

Why is the tiger drawn with such realistic loving care, neatly shaded and with every whisker and hair in place… while the humans are cartoon caricatures? Yes, marguritem, it’s the best drawn thing in the strip… but it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t match the style. It’s as if one artist (Locher?) is drawing the humans and another (Brozman?) is lavishing all his attention on the tiger…
Sydney Phillips said, 5 months ago

BASSMANBOB,

Here you keep on recording wonderful Anniversary things Americans have reason to be proud of, while Lewis Carroll’s “Mad-Hatter” character, seemingly “sulks” - because nobody wants to listen to the repetetition of his exagerated poetry that doesn’t make sense or even play in the poor fellows saucer..
kab2rb said, 5 months ago

I know I used the word fighting for comments maybe I should use arguing insteading. Arguing/fighting for comments. DT is a about crime fighting the old way. And modern technilogy has changed and the way law enforcement handle crimes. I just like entertainment on comics and comments.
CougarAllen said, 5 months ago

The tiger doesn’t believe a word of it.

-Cougar :{)
LiamC said, 5 months ago

Matthew, I understand that this situation has not been resolved to your satisfaction. Unfortunately, comments that vary in content from day to day, regardless of whether they are consistent in their praise or criticism of the strip, and especially if they specifically pertain to that day’s strip, are not considered “spam.” The difference between the comments you would like to see removed and the comments of yours that we did remove are (1) Your comments had nothing to do with the day’s strip. (2) Your comments were identical to your previous posts. (3) Your comments were not part of an ongoing conversation. (4) The comments that were removed did not offer any information that hadn’t already been presented in comments by other users earlier in the day. (5) Your comments qualified as spam because of 1-4, and because they were spam, were generating backlash. All of the above led to the removal of your comments. The comments you want removed for being spam do not qualify as spam.

This is an open comments section where users can make comments that are positive, negative or indifferent in reaction to each day’s strip.
BASSMANB0B said, 5 months ago

OCTOBER 4!!!!!!!!!!!

World War II Taxes

4th October, 1942: The chairman of the Finance Committee told the senate today that the American people would have to pay a total of $36,500,000,000 in taxes to pay for the war effort and demands for a sales tax to finance this are gathering pace.

“ALL WE ARE SAYING, IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE”!
jumbobrain said, 5 months ago

Liam-
I appreciate your attention to the comments, and taking the time to explain them.

Kinda funny though to consider…if one of the four criteria for spam is posting the same thing day after day, I think the Dick Tracy strip itself nearly qualifies.
86krucar said, 5 months ago

It’s getting more and more intresting. Characters are also getting closer and closer.

These extreme close-ups can be the solution. I think that they have found they own award winning drawing style!

Show some parts of the characters faces and let readers imagine the rest.

Basically you can do the same with just showing one organ from human body. That would be the optimum solution.
BASSMANB0B said, 5 months ago

jumbobrain

Thanks for the big laugh! So funny yet so true!
Sydney Phillips said, 5 months ago

jumbobrain,

Yours is post of the day. .Keen obsevation !.
Sydney Phillips said, 5 months ago

Some one here should note and thank Liam for the CLARITY of his post today in explaining his decision and in particular his outlining the perimeters for comment on the board.
All including the person address should now have a better understanding on the subject.
Matthew Hansel said, 5 months ago

Liam:
Thank you for your response, but once again I must ask you to remove all of the “spam” comments by other posters on this board because:
1) The comments are identical to previous posts (going back YEARS in many instances)
2) The comments do not offer any information that hasn’t already been presented in comments offered by the posters in previous days
3) The comments cause backlash in the Dick Tracy Fan community, because many potential posters are not willing to post positive things about the strip because of the VENOM and BILE that posters spew about this place (I’ve talked to thousands of Dick Tracy fans at various conventions over the past few years, and this very issue has been mentioned!) (Interesting to note, too, that GoComics is denying itself income in this manner, because those are people who might otherwise be willing to PAY for the strip!)
4) The comments generally do not have anything to do with the strip other than paint it in a negative light.
As GoComics continues to make MONEY off of the Dick Tracy comic strip each and every day I would certainly HOPE that the moderators of this comments section would at least attempt to keep a CIVIL debate about the strip ongoing, NOT a constant drum of negativity which will only result in the termination of the strip, and ending of the franchise, and a loss of income and enjoyment of all involved.
Again, PLEASE REMOVE ALL OF THE SPAM generated by these posters as soon as possible.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
MPH
DonnieTevault said, 5 months ago

Matthew:

I believe that most of us here would love to say something positive about the Dick Tracy comic strip. Sadly though, in its current incarnation, there’s just nothing positive that we can say about it. Look at the comments for other comics. Is it a coincidence that Dick Tracy is the only one where the comments are overwhelmingly negative?

I mean, really. Under current management, Dick Tracy has degenerated into a parody of his former self. He no longer has the ability or desire to do actual police work. When was the last time that he did an actual police investigation? Since I rediscovered the comics last summer, Dick Locher has had Tracy do nothing but act like a total, incompetent buffoon. And you wonder why we criticize?

Also, I believe that nobody here wants for Dick Tracy to go away. Rather, we would like either that the current writer take a hint and start producing better work, or that TMS take a hint and replace the current writer with someone who knows what he’s doing.
Matthew Hansel said, 5 months ago

DonnieTevault:

You’re missing the point.

MPH
LiamC said, 5 months ago

If the thousands of devoted fans you’ve spoken to came to this site and heaped their praise upon this strip on a daily basis, the voices of negativity would be drowned out and would eventually go away. It’s not possible to “keep a CIVIL debate about the strip ongoing” when only one side shows up.
jumbobrain said, 5 months ago

Bassman, Sidney: Thanks.

Matthew: Shhh. Seriously, dude. You’re sorta signaling a serious need to get a life.
Matthew Hansel said, 5 months ago

I ask all here to TRULY consider the IMPACT their comments have not only the DIRECTION of the strip, but on the PERCEPTION of comics to civilians outside these boarders.

To the average person looking at these comments, you all come across as nothing more than a bunch of whiney fanboys who probably fit, like a glove, the sterotypical comic fan so wonderfully lampooned by “Comic Book Guy” on the Simpsons. CBG is the way that MOST civilians view readers of comics, because, remember, reading comics, to most civilians, is shorthand for being DUMB.

Sadly, many of your posts here, prove that steroytype to be true everyday.

MPH
Matthew Hansel said, 5 months ago

Liam said: “If the thousands of devoted fans you’ve spoken to came to this site and heaped their praise upon this strip on a daily basis, the voices of negativity would be drowned out and would eventually go away. It’s not possible to “keep a CIVIL debate about the strip ongoing” when only one side shows up.

Which is where it is the RESPONSIBLITY and DUTY of the moderators to come in an PROTECT their financial interests.

Sadly, again, GoComics seems not one whit interested in protecting the creators, the intellectual properties, or even their own bottom line.

It is this VERY mentality that is killing comic strips.

MPH
Matthew Hansel said, 5 months ago

Furthermore, Liam, those fans have told me SPECIFICALLY that they choose NOT to post here, because ANYBODY who posts POSTIVIE things about the strip here is IMMEDIATELY ATTACKED by the venom and bile spewers. WHY ON EARTH would somebody subject themselves to that abuse. ESPECIALLY when it is PAINFULLY obvious that a significant number of those posters are the same person posting under MULTIPLE screen names.

MPH
jumbobrain said, 5 months ago

Yeesh, Matthew, lighten up. Or here, let me put that in IMPRESSIVE CAPITAL LETTERS for you: LIGHTEN UP.

There’s no threat to anyone’s intellectual property going on here. GoComics does not own Dick Tracy, Tribune Media Services does. The strip was losing papers for years prior to GoComics picking it up.

People saying the strip is bad is not going to kill it, the problem is that the strip IS bad. This site should represent the most diehard fans of Dick Tracy, folks who remember when it was much better than it is now. If there are people who think it’s just fine, then they ought to be posting their support.

For my own part, I’ve followed this strip for decades and I am very sad to see it in such a sorry state. Frankly, the snarky comments I see posted here are the main reason I continue to read it…that and the vain hope that TMS will put a creative team on it who care about quality.
DonnieTevault said, 5 months ago

“Sadly, again, GoComics seems not one whit interested in protecting the creators, the intellectual properties, or even their own bottom line.

It is this VERY mentality that is killing comic strips.”

You’re wrong. As I’ve said before, Dick Tracy is the only strip that garners overwhelmingly negative comments. Can you really look me in the eye and truthfully say that the last several Dick Tracy stories have made any sense whatsoever? Can you look me in the eye and say that Dick Tracy is still the great detective he once was? Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you admire the artwork?
LudwigVonDrake said, 5 months ago

Mattie, to use one of your quotes from the comicspage board: “Be gone…”
wndrwrthg said, 5 months ago

When an artist chooses to put forth their effort into the public domain, they must accept whatever feedback they may receive, good or bad. Though the consumer may indeed be a fickle beast, they as a rule will present commentary that is consistent with the quality of the product. Produce a good or at least average product and the response will generally be positive in return. Produce a product that consistently delivers an insult to the sensibilities of said consumer and the effect will be almost always negative. This strip has deteriorated into at best a poorly constructed parody of itself. The artwork, though perhaps not what many wish is better than some comics produced and worse than some others. However the plots and dialog that accompanies the art is of such poor quality, that even the most pedestrian attempts by some posters surpasses it. Deliver a reasonably decent product and the response will improve. Continue to insult the intelligence of the reader and they will be most unkind in their response.
Sydney Phillips said, 5 months ago

Donnie Tevault is so well on target.

Sounds like Mattie is advocating censorship of all negative critiques (?) What should gocomics allow then (?) only cheering teams shouting how GREAT the strip is?

If readers can’t find it reasonable to speak the TRUTH as they see it, they may as well leave it to a few like Matthew to foster a false perspective, effectively, the OPPOSITE of what the public really thinks.

Is that what Matthew wants ? Nothing negative allowed ?

I’d think most are here because of support for this great comic strip, they are not here first and foremost to support the career of the Author, regardless of the quaity he produces, good or bad. TMS (the Owner) requires ACCURATE feedback - - - and I believe they are getting it.

And Liam is right too Matthew, if you are the Captain (?) your entire team was a NO Show !
morrow said, 5 months ago

Today is exactly why I keep on coming back day after day! It matters not what the meat of the strip says, or its lack thereof; it’s the cast. Liam, for example, tried to explain his take on things in a very nice way. I took it as very gentlemanly and intellectually sound. On four different occasions after he finished, he was basically invited to argue - for the sake of arguing. Wisely, Liam wouldn’t take the bait. When he finally did jerk the hook (or hooked the jerk), it was all over!

Bravo, Liam! Kudos to your parents and peers! They taught you a lost art.

Morrow