Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for July 26, 2020

The Bookworm sticks his beak into volumes, tomes, and books

Is not above consorting with criminals and crooks.

He has a greed for books to read. Tactile are the pages

Collected works by saints and jerks, by artists, fools, and sages.

He will not read the bitter screeds by sneering malcontents

The angry and the misinformed, the red-faced miscreants.

His taste does lean toward literature, to rousing, robust tales

Heroic feats and wicked creeps. Old ships that raise high sails.

With head in book he must look up, for Howdy’s at the door

He has a human subject to research, reveal, explore.

“I need the scoop on Dethany. Share all that you can find

Facts give power at this hour. Her fate shall not be kind.”

Maybe like the name of her intended?

Hey, wasn’t Bookworm a villain on Batman? : )

Good morning™, bookers!

For a seemingly minor character, I like the design of “Bookworm.” He is skinny like a worm and of course he is surrounded by books. Judging by the text in the optional panel, it might be a law library. “Whereas … // [a]ssembled … // … for …” It seems like a will.

Do they not have the internet in Tracyville?

Neil Wick for the defense motioned 22 minutes ago

@Gweedo it’s legal here Murray

There is a lot of white space, yes, but it doesn’t fit my definition of “bald” (like Telly Savalas).

Okay. I was fast and loose with the word “bald” but she definitely has some “open space” up there. I believe she has done some shaving to get that appearance.

Gweedo and Neil – you guys still at it (about Dethany’s hair)?

Good morning™, dastardly dirt diggers !

Knowing where she lives, where she hangs and who her friends are could be very bad for her. Her ‘Guy’ being kidnapped could change her work assignment most drastically. He would be harder to find than Junior in tsull’s tale.

The original Howdy Doody smiled. This Howdy is always scowling

Sigh,, I don’t care!

Sadness galore.

Only the same in store.

Can’t take anymore.

Using google?

Speaking of Bookworm – whatever happened to Pouch?

Howdy has better watch out. Tracy has assigned Inspector John J. Fadoozle to put a tail on him.

https://lelands.com/bids/inspector-john-j-fadoozle-marionette

Not a good sign.

I wonder if the “Worm” gets paid for his work???

wow…Howdy’s on the fastrack

This Bookworm looks more like Marvel’s Terrible Tinkerer.

1-HOWDY DOOGIE: I think I’m being followed…2-I’m sure of it3-Hey doc. I’m here for my court mandated therapy sessions.

DR. HERMANN TORR: Put on your mask, please. I’m not as strong and robust as I appear to be.

4-DOC TORR: We will begin today’s session with the Rorschach Test. Here’s the first image. Tell me wha…

HOWDY: SCHRIEK! TAKE IT AWAY!

DOC: Oh so sorry. This is from my personal box of Pound Town Pics.

HOWDY: Geez Doc. I’m here to manage my inclinations towards evil and violence and now you got me questioning my sexuality. That was enough to make me consider changing teams.

DOC: Hmmm. Maybe I should open a niche practice using that picture on men who are about to be sentenced to long prison terms…

What – you don’t read the comics, kid? Binge back strips of “On the Fastrack!”

Well here’s a twist…Howdy is going to have research done on Dethany…in the hopes of finding a weak spot. Obviously as this story goes along Bookworm will find out about her fiancée. Now will he be lured to Tracyville under some pretense that she needs his help.

I get that Coney wants Dethany to stop snooping around, but wouldn’t it make more sense for him to focus on the warehouse search? He knows hie’s on Tracy’s radar and that it’s only a matter of time before he police show up again. FORGET DETHANY AND SEARCH THE DAMN WAREHOUSE!!!!

“…but first—boys and girls in the gallery and all the kids at home, we have to sing my theme song! Let’s GO! IT’S…”

I’m loving the crossover!

Bookworm? A new character?

The reasons for this hit seem dubious at best. I suppose the point is to buy themselves some time to find the treasure, before FastTrack sends out another representative, but they are already there. If they could find it, they would have found it. Escalating this to murder, and bringing down the heat on themselves seems a poor life choice.

Most people would use a computer for their research. But Coney’s puppet Howdy does it the old way, consulting actual books, albeit through a Third Party, Mr. Bookworm….

Even in our internet age there still can be a thrill in watching dogged investigators uncovering information the old-fashioned way, pouring through old government documents and digging through old paperwork, as in tonite’s episode of Perry Mason.