Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for May 21, 2015

I never knew that Ted Tellum was such a nature-lover. That must make him even less happy about the drilling rig in the lake.

According to Wikipedia, there may not be any Ivory-billed woodpeckers left, even in the South:

Due to habitat destruction, and to a lesser extent hunting, its numbers have dwindled to the point where it is uncertain whether any remain, though there have been reports that it has been seen again.

In December 2008, the Nature Conservancy announced a reward of $50,000 to the person who can lead a project biologist to a living ivory-billed woodpecker.

Despite high-profile reports from Arkansas and Florida and sporadic reports elsewhere in the historic range of the species since the 1940s, there is no conclusive evidence for the continued existence of the ivory-billed woodpecker…

There’s a great painting of an Ivory-billed woodpecker (painted from descriptions). Click on it to read more:

Congratulations on being the first poster tonight, Neil.

Turns out Jimmy is both slippery and desperate – A deadly combination.

And, it seems, on a collision course with a certain lake-dwelling media figure.

Ted Tellum had better watch out for more than elusive ivory-billed birdies.

Such a great-looking bird.

So sad it’s likely extinct. :(

Looks like Doubleup’s cheek is still sizzling from the cigarette burn. Ouch! So I guess he’s not out on bail anymore and it all depends on whether he actually gets convicted of his charges.

So Doubleup was captured after all. Still, a lot of things don’t make sense this week. How did Jimmy get away after taking a shot to the face with Doubleup’s whip? Where’s Axelrod and Blaze? And who’s this radio guy and is he a criminal?

Tellum seems to have chilled out considerably since his last appearance.

Smelling of cigarettes? Not a chance old sport.

Isn’t that the bird that was reportedly spotted in Arkansas about 3 or so years back ?

Yeah, that would be the one, but there’s no hard evidence that it was actually spotted.

The last confirmed sightings were in 1944 in Louisiana and in 1986 in Cuba. Here’s a great page about supposed sightings since 1944: http://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/featured-stories/historic-ranges-of-ivory-billed-woodpeckers/

I would say that Ted’s chances of spotting an escaped criminal (or two) are much better than his chances of spotting an elusive rare woodpecker. So, I guess that the “little house over the creek” (and the broadcast studio) is on the west shore of the lake.

DoubleUp can claim self defense, as he’s marked. He didn’t kill Jimmy. I think he’ll walk.

I’m not warming to Tellum though.

My first comment, tonight, beause I was watching TV…Kinda remember seening Jack Paar. Loved and Enjoyed Carson, Then watched Letterman from the beginning. and watched him every night when I was old enough to stay up. Watched David Letterman’s last show tonight & enjoyed it immensely. “Good Night” to a comedy icon, and “Thank You”, Sir!

What Ted Tellum probably saw the other day was the American Gold Eagle.

It is possible that Ted became an enterprising media personality and somehow bankrolled Jimmy’s mining project.

Letterman had a great run, was amazed at how many of tonight’s clips I’d seen when they originally aired, including the legendary “Sparklers-and-Confetti-Don’t-Mix” debacle from his morning show.

Oh, and the “Velcro Suit” of course.

[Legend has it the late comic book and animation professional Dwayne McDuffy conceived the Velcro Suit bit.]

And then there was the time Dave had an entire rerun dubbed by New York based “Speed Racer” actors Corrine Orr and Peter Fernandez …http://youtu.be/pfp-Ja63ICc[Pardon the sloppy link phraseology, working from my tablet tonight.]

What can they hold Doubleup on? He hasn’t done anything wrong other than being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ted Tellum is about to set off on a journey to Big Trouble (no big birds involved). Maybe Jimmy will emerge from some cave-mouth over on the east shore and commandeer Tellum’s boat in his attempt to get to the gold (?), somehow retrieve it, and skip out of town, region, country….

I don’t think Ted’s a nature lover as much as a BS artist. If he did know nature as his engineer does, he’d likely have known the woodpecker wouldn’t be seen where he claims he saw it.I think it’s unlikely, but I can see Tellum’s house, which straddles the river, going into the water. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking.

Well, that was a Lightening Fast sequence - Wrap Up !!Only one panel needed … and then an Unbelievable Fast Forward in FOCUS to where the Action will now - likely be jumping next !

Guess that tells us, every one will now try to ‘Follow the Money’ to the Lake ? Except Tracy, the ‘Odd Man’ out, as that ‘realization’ hasn’t hit his ‘calculus’ yet ! ?As readers we know, but how will Tracy adjust his movements to this SHIFT, and that need now, to go “ELSEWHERE” ? All the characters in the ‘KNOW’, that could ‘tell’, have escaped !

.He hasn’t an ‘observant’ Woody Woodpecker to help. And Doubleup can’t either, hasn’t got a clue about ‘anything’ ever happening by that Lake ! (?)

Tracy’s new FOCUS, has been to get Jimmy Choo Shooz , and on nothing really related to the ‘Gold robbery’(?) No known “connection” there, rather - the fat man’s wanted for Murder !

For Tracy, looks like - it’s “HUNCH” Time Again !Maybe, it’ll ‘simply’ be Head Bruise plus Lake Cruise . . . to connect his dots, and that’s - Bingo ?? ;- )

And SUDDENLY the lights go on and Doubleup is apprehended…. for WHAT exactly? He was at two “bookies” places… big deal, coincidence. He was in the office…ok, so what? Did Tracy or Sam actually SEE him doing anything illegal?

For all they know he could have been in there telling them he is “getting out of the business”

I call “HORSEPUCKY” on this one!

No “confirmed” sightings of the Ivory billed woodpecker since the early 40s – the 2007 report from Arkansas turned out to be false.

Ted Tellum is confused. Actually, the ivory-billed woodpecker was highly valued (a) for its meat and (b) the ivory content in its beak. What Ted really means is he suspects the gold-billed submersible woodpecker is on the other side of the lake. They are quite rare and fetch $1,200 per ounce on the Zurich Market. He might even find Jimmy Choo over there supervising the salvage operation. While most birders are armed with their 35mm cameras, Jimmy uses a 9mm.

Good morning all!

Late start. No, Gweedo, it isn’t what you think!

Let’s Go…

So let’s look at Doubleup !. Our man’s apparently in “cuffs” (in panel 1) -In view of this, lets take a “look back” at his earlier criminal charges (below) . . .As we consider, if this ‘self defence’ reaction with his whip, to a personal attack, is a valid violation of his “out on bail” status?-———————————————————-

March 5th 2013

July 19th 2012

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And then, B-B Eyes (7-19-12) : “I’ll be outside in an Hour Catchem ! – - – just Wait and See !”

Well I guess, It’s just about NOW, that Sam plays back his Wrist Wizard ‘recording’ of that now famous arrest ‘statement’ by B-B Eyes on July 19, 2012 ?.

‘I can *’hear’* it now - like an ‘ECHO’ . . .

Are we now on the CUSP of a DoubleUp ??

“. . . Wait and see ! . . . Wait and see !” (??).

Some here have been complaining that Tracy and Sam shouldn’t be working on Fontane’s murder, when they are still working the gold heist.

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Don’t cops usually work more than one case at a time, especially in large cities, with high crime rates?

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In the last story, Tracy and Sam were working on the attempted murder of Blowtop at the same time they were looking for the Nitrates.

Couldn’t Doubleup be charged with: interfering with policeas a material witnessassociating with known criminalscarrying a deadly weapon(and my favorite for it’s sheer vagueness) suspicionAll depending upon the local laws, and Tracy and Sam’s creativity.

Considering Tellum’s claims of spotting an ivory-billed woodpecker, I wonder if anyone would believe him if he claimed he found a billion in gold?Or Elvis. Or bigfoot.

Ted Tellum and Vera Alldid are two of my least favorite DT characters. I do like Abner Kadaver and Rikki Mortis, though.

A few scenarios I can see coming up:

Jimmy finds Tellum, a potential witness. He makes him a deal (partnership or silence) and he continues in recovering the gold and give Tellum a “reasonable stake” (although with Jimmy’s rising body count, not likely.)

Tellum finds the gold, claims his “patriotic duty” to secure it (really, for his greedy own.)

Jimmy finds Tellum claiming the gold, shoots him before or after Tracy comes by.

As for DoubleUp, he’ll claim self-defense, self-defense, and has the burn on his face to prove it. “Assault with deadly weapon” could be Tracy’s angle to lock him up, lock him up.

Good afternoon Tracy loving people._________@Neil Wick: much thanks for posting the photo and info on the rare woodpecker. Too bad that it might be extinct._________@Sydney Phillips: thanks for posting the info on the bad guys._________Be happy and healthy my friends.

For those interested, Margueritem’s Birthday is Saturday. If she is reading this, and I am sure she is, Happy B-Day, young lady!

A flyby would be nice.

If he finds one, with LOTS of proof, that’ll be the find of the last 2 centuries. If he does, I hope they leave it alone.