Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for February 28, 2023

Good morning™, everyone!

He says he’s a private investigator which makes sense to me. It seems that Nero Wolfe has been taken to Tracy’s city by kidnappers, so that’s why Archie is in Tracy’s city and why he wants Tracy’s help. Also, it seems that Wolfe is more the victim than the investigator in the story. So, that probably means that Tracy is in charge. It is Tracy’s strip.

why would kidnappers transport someone of Nero Wolfe’s stature and reputation to Tracyville where Tracy has a known reputation of his own?…

What dis kidnappers use a construction crane?

Why does every writer dance around the fact that Tracy’s home city is CHICAGO! It’s been obvious since 1931! Mike’s dropped as many hints as his predators – perhaps more by percentage! Is this a Tribune mandate, or just tradition.

“I’ll do better than that, I’ll team you up with Al Williamson!”

Good morning™, kidnapped korpulent !

Maybe he winds up in Tracy’s town because the kidnapper is someone who left Nero’s town, after doing time, and now has reestablished him (her?) self and is going to fix Wolfe’s ‘whistle’ and perhaps for keeps.

What did the kidnappers do? Bring in a reinforced trailer and bait it with a 5-star, 7-course meal, decorated with rare orchids?

Come to think of it, it’d be easier and faster to kidnap Fritz, and steal a crate of orchards from the greenhouse, then let Wolfe come to them.

“How do you he’s in my city, Archie Goodwin?”“Because the ransom note came with a return address in your city, Detective Tracy.”

this is beyond lame

Love the art again, and the story is promising!

Archie Goodwin meets with Tracy…did the kidnappers leave a ransom note for him? If so maybe he will pull it out of his pocket tomorrow.

I pity the kidnappers.

wait—Pat’s out of town, and Nero’s missing. What if they’re throwing a surprise party for Tracy?

I would check piano moving companies to see who could move something of that weight. And food service companies since the kidnappers would need a source to feed him !

His face is unnerving enough to be a villain. (Yes, I know he isn’t.)

let’s also call in Ellery Queen, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, Travis McGee, Nick and Nora Charles, and….

To arise and walk unwelcome shock

Hips, knees, and ankles scream

With better luck he’d have braised duck

A repast for which to dream.

Piano crate could bear his weight

Yet soon the hoist was broken

Farewell to mirth. Abundant girth

Such mass precludes most jokin’.

Definitely a flashback. A typewriter AND a rotary phone! Egads!

Infinite monkeys typing on infinite typewriters.

Oh, wow – it’s like having a notable literary duo come to life in this strip!! Nero Wolfe would be gladdened in his grave on this opportunity, because he’s their creator!!

1-DT: Here – lemme take your hat for you.

ARCHIE: Can’t. It’s hiding my, uh, excitement, at meeting the great Dick Tracy. I’ll make this short but I’ll be up for a while so I hope you don’t mind if I just hang out afterwards…

2-…Anyway. A few days ago, I’d had enough of Nero Wolfe’s superior, condescending attitude so I told him off and quit. His ego, as big as his butt, won’t let that happen. He’s followed me here and I need protection, Tracy! Oh. And a job. I promise to wear the same suit and hat everyday per Division regulations! DT: Sorry. I recently hired a leprechaun.

You have all my attention!

read his lines as if James Stewart were saying them…

Well, let’s hope the kidnappers cuisine is up to par, because Nero is gonna be a big pain in the rear if the quality of the dining isn’t up to speed.

SO O.T. IT’S IN ANOTHER UNIVERSE: Spent this morning sorting through original comic book art from projects I’ve worked on (for Mike SHANDA, KATMANDU and the NAUTILUS ashcan), LARK & KEY and HAVOC, INC. (with Terrie Smith doing the art), RHUDIPRRT (for Dwight Decker, inking Terrie Smith) and couple of other filler stories. Even found a page from a superhero title revival I penciled and inked.

This is what they call a ‘royal pain’. I must have about 80-90 pages filed way. So annoyed the rubber cement holding the dialog on the HAVOC pages dried out and many balloons were in a pile in the bottom of the case.

“Nope, sorry Archie. If he’s not an actual resident of our fair Metropolis there is nothing I can do for him. You’re on your own. Good-bye.”

to all those that wonder how kidnappers could have transported Wolfe-man from one location to another…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIFrgZm6TRg

Since Archie is always the narrarator in the Nero Wolfe books, he should be the one reminiscing and telling the story, not Tracy.

I like Archie’s piercing glance in panel 2; it suggests the sharp wit and acumen attributed to him. It’s not clear how he knows that Nero Wolfe has been kidnapped specifically to Tracyville, but he is a skilled detective and there may have been some clue (such as a ransom note).I think we can presume that Tracy will accede to Archie’s request for assistance in finding Wolfe (were he to say “no” there would be no story). The story has good potential, depending on whether or not our author can keep focussed and not drift off into some one of his pet sidetracks (comcons, cosplay, etc.) that are so banal….