Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for July 29, 2018

Fail to slay then run away with Dick and Tess still living

To Sawtooth Grimm did spill the beans of money he’d been giving

To bookies for the ponies with nothing in return

His pockets now so empty. Some gamblers never learn.

Sawtooth very angry now, a twinkle in his eye

Grimm pleads to know what happens next. Sawtooth says, “You die.”

The horror of the choppers as they tear the life from Grimm

Crime does not pay some people say. Now look what’s left of him.

Grimm is dead. Last words he said just garbled, screaming wails

Hobo for real is the new deal. Sawtooth rides the rails.

To run and hide does hurt his pride. It’s Tracy that he blames

Broke and alone he won’t atone for vile hitman games.

Elsewhere at EJ’s look to see snoop Austin undercover

Grimm was spotted spouting off. Bought one round then another

Had big plans for living large. Destination Magic City

Seems the tables have been turned. His ending wasn’t pretty.

Good morning™, tipsters!

Lafayette finally shows his worth to this story. The last time I remember seeing EJ’s was when a number of villains were getting together with Stiletta Jones, who vowed to get rid of Tracy, once and for all (April 17 to 25, 2013).

According to Wikipedia, construction of the Great Northern Railway stopped in Minot in 1886, kdue to the lack of a trestle to extend the line farther.

A tent town sprang up overnight, as if by “magic”, thus the city came to be known as the Magic City, and in the next five months, the population increased to over 5,000 residents, further adding to the nickname’s validity.

Minot was also a hub of criminal activity during the prohibition era.

Neil (above): So, Magic City may be a “real” (to the comic strip at least) destination? Without that morsel you provided, I presumed Austin just powered Tracy with yet another red herring!

Good morning™, midnight ramblers !

Last panel…

I almost expect to see someone come around the building and cold sap Lafeet Austin into the sanctuary of unconsciousness.

When I lived in Kansas, I got several calls from a fun for the Highway Patrol. Then I checked it out and learned that on 19% of the earnings went to the patrolmen. I stopped donating after that.

Is he on the cheatin’ side of town ?

Austin had better be careful….stool pigeons can have a VERY short life span.

So, what’s the deal on Austin?

How many towns have payphones anymore, with cellphone use pretty much universal?

Look at all that paper blowing around in the panel with the neon EJ’s sign. It’s like a panel of a “The Spirit” comic.

Austin’s eyes (or lack of them) seemed much more pronounced to me today than they did before.

By the way, I have a middle name for Lafayette if one is ever need: “Beaumont”. It is on the standard travel route from Lafayette LA to Austin TX. “Lafayette Beaumont Austin” just sounds right to me :)

Maybe Magic City is a name for a local place, a neighborhood in the area? Or a dive type section of the city? Like “The Bowery”.

Or maybe the Title of a prettyh good Starz series about 4-5 years ago? Who knows?

I’ve seen at least one in my town at a convenience store and one at a highway rest stop.

Re Crimestoppers: my 90 y/o mom was regularly scammed by “charities” calling her on the phone. When I told them to “go away”, they would…for about a month, then start calling again.

Kind of a noir atmosphere today as Lafayette reappears with some possibly useful information for Tracy (it is important to note the factual connection Minot-Magic City that Neil brought to light in his “Good morning™, Tipsters!” post up above). He seems to be hanging around in the seedier part of Tracyville, the part where scummier individuals tend to congregate. But even if the tip is good, I’m not how much it can help Tracy; it appears he’d have to leave a possible arrest in Minot/Magic City to the local cops—and what’s the fun in that for us?!

He’s going to check in at the Marvel Cinematic Universe? He might fin it a bit… underpopulated at the moment.