Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for February 14, 2020

Good morning™, everyone!

Is that what happened to Edison Lighthouse, Mr. Roboto’s old girlfriend that he ignored? She’s in Opal City with Shaky? Maybe it’s not her, but how many woman are named Edison?

Good morning™, Great Great Great Granddaughters of famous inventors !

Is she his daughter ?  If she is his girlfriend she is about the dimmest “bulb” to come down the pike.

The key to a long and successful criminal career is to keep one step ahead of them, whoever they are…

Opal City! Shaky wants to split before Jack (Starman) Knight shines the light on him!

Old Grandpa Bourbon – An old leathery taste with a musky scent.

Shouldn’t his drink be swishing around in the glass? Maybe he had a stabilizing mechanism installed.

Just asking.

surprised ‘shaky’ can pour and hold a drink.

Opal City! Home of Starman!

Is Quiver Trembley this Shakey’s sister?

Opal City has a long tradition of heroes and a whole family of dedicated cops—maybe not the best place for Shaky to be operating.(For those reading this and scratching their heads: Google “Starman” and “James Robinson.”)

Owing to the frequent set changes, Riffin’ Without A Script is expected to take days before the final curtain. Meanwhile

1-JOE JACKSON SONNY SR*: I’m actin’ in a play with real booze and a hot chick as my girl friend. This is fantas…

2-…WHAT THE? You’re the girlfriend?

3-DAMN. The booze is cheap too. Sugar Daddy, ya lousy cheapskate. Let’s see how you like the direction this play is going now. “HEY DOLLFACE (ugh). How do you feel about living in the Taj Mahal? Or on the edge of the Grand Canyon?” (Let’s see you deal with that set change Cheapee)

DOLLFACE: Wait a sec. I thought I was going to be the ingenue and you were the producer secretly in love with me.

J.J.S.S.: Yeah, that was before I got a look at ya. The audience ain’t gonna buy that. You’re no Audrey Hepburn baby.

DOLLFACE: What audience? J.J.S.S.: SHADDAP! Now go have the prop man find us some guns. You’re Ma Barker now.

The original Shaky NEVER smoked,this is one of those “subtle differences” we have to look out for.And he’s looking downright dangerous here.“Edison” looks underage.The original Shaky’s weakness for the ladies was his downfall.

I wonder if we’ll get to see Shaky’s machine.

It can be downright dangerous to suggest crossovers because readers seem to be violently divided on them.But there’s one famous TRIBUNE strip that deserves an update.ANNIE ended so miserably that SOMEBODY had to straighten out the mess,and you did a decent job of it.And a famous strip that faded out almost as ignonimously was Zack Mosley’s SMILIN’ JACK.He ran out of ideas in the early 60’s and the Chicago Tribune dropped it around 1964.But when it was good,it was very good.And a decent gallery of their own personal“grotesques”.A favorite gimmick was to have a disliked member of the cast on trial for murder,and therest of the crew doing the detective work that cleared them;usually to minimal gratitude. I can see it now.Jack and Vitamin Flintheart compare complicated romantic lives.Downwind and Attitude Plenty compare profiles.Cindy The Incindiary Blonde puts Vera(THE WOLF)Alldid in traction.And nobody can get Hubba Hubba Hubert to shut up.

Amazing. He shakes uncontrollably, and yet doesn’t spill a drop.

Is he still shaking from freezing to death in the mid 40s?

I guess his martinis are shaken but not stirred.

Be with us on Sunday,when Mr.Bribery becomes the new warden at his max security prison.Gift of gab,what can I t ell you?

Does " Old Gran’Pa" mean anything

Opal City—a reference to other crimefighter comics. Edison: likely, Lighthouse, the recently ex-girlfriend of Mr. Roboto. “Old Gran’Pa”: probably a parody bourbon, too.

Today’s strip is loaded with these nuggets, not quite “Easter eggs,” but something like that. But the real takeaway of it all is that Shaky, with his moll, Edison, is on the move!

And guess whither? —Would that destination be…Tracyville? Hmm….