Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for March 21, 2021

See the Tiger on the run

Cold and wet is never fun.

Fallen tree provides a chance

Bob and Gertie find romance.

BO not afraid to fight

Knocks out Tiger. Dims his light.

Ty back home. Crosses the lawn

Lizz greets him with weapon drawn.

Tiger rides with EMTs

Bound to spill beans by degrees.

Ty now taken to the station

In the box for conversation.

In the park with blue balloon

Pouch’s troubles over soon.

Pouch got in over his head

Gun goes Bang! Is Pouch now dead?

Oh No! Did Pouch just get shot?

Good morning™, park visitors!

The officers who noticed that Pouch has been missing from his usual spot all day, I wonder if they are the same ones who followed Tiger Lilly until the fence blocked their progress. They do look similar, but I suppose that many generic police in uniform look similar.

Pouch is down! I guess the “client” was not happy with the situation after all, or maybe they had always planned to shoot Pouch instead of paying for the information. You can’t trust criminals to be honest. Pouch chose a dangerous line of work!

Good morning™, mystery shooters !

You have no idea what I went through to get this to you and that’s the thanks I get !?

Depending on where the bullet went in and how long he was lying there before the officers found him will have bearing on Pouchs’ survival.

Great use of the scarf since they can’t actually show blood. I’m in shock like the rest. Pouch is one of those move plot forward characters that would be too valuable to kill off…… Or did they?

Oh, not Pouch!

Looks like a futuristic version of a Luger Pistol?

Shot at close range, it’s hard to imagine Pouch surviving this episode.

I’m with Leo Cannyn who says that Pouch is one of those characters quite possibly too valuable to kill off. To date, not involved in any specific crime, but always up to date on what’s going on in the criminal world.

Worst possible outcome: This is the Sweatbox ending, upon us now, with crooks getting caught or killed on a daily basis now (since last week).

And Pouch may exit the stage with none of us knowing what his secret was.

Please tell me he’s finally dead. These types of strips usually despise change, so I can’t help but think he’ll survive and somehow be back selling balloons next storyline.

Fortunately, his pouch is Kevlar-lined.

While I’d miss Pouch as a recurring character, I’m hoping there isn’t a miraculous rescue for him. It’s more in keeping with Gould’s “the wages of sin is death” cold, dark pragmatism.

Did the client take his money back?

Left handed shooter.

Pouch’s hope for cashing in on the balloon are now deflated!

Hope Pouch survives, an interesting character!

Can anyone tell what Pouch is holding in his hand in panel 4?

Like Pouch, I didn’t see this coming.

So long, Pouch.

he knew to much

Just as it looked like the story arc was wrapping up, with many thinking the blue balloon was simply a macguffin…

General question to this well-informed community. How common are the checkerboard hat bands for US police officers? They are quite prominent in Tracy’s city, but I don’t remember seeing them on any police TV shows.Of course they are familiar uniform for British and Australian police (and probably elsewhere), but where are they worn in the US?

As they say; “No good deed goes unpunished!”

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Ah, there it is, fully blown up the blue balloon. Also a deadly gun shot!

I initially thought “Oh brother. Pouch reinflated the balloon. How dumb!” But by the end it changed to “WHOA BABY! THAT WAS UNEXPECTED!” Very nice turn of events.

The guy with the ballon did not look like Pouch to me. I thought the “original” blue balloon was already deflated.

1-OFFICER BACKUP: Well, no sign of Pouch anywhere we can easily drive to. I guess we’re gonna have to get out of the vehicle.

OFFICER TUCUTE: I’M TOO OLD FOR THIS SH**! OFFICER BACKUP: Nice Danny Glover!

2-TBD: Keep the change. POUCH: Very nice of you!

3-TBD: YA FILTHY ANIMAL! BLAM BLAM BLAM!

POUCH: Ugh, nice takeoff on Home Alone… THUD

4-OFFICER TUCUTE: You hear that? Somebody’s watching Home Alone in the park…

5-…Check it out! That bum didn’t even make it to the park bench! C’mon. Let’s roust him and then call it a night.

OFFICER BACKUP: DIBS ON ANY Night Train HE HASN’T FINISHED!

So Pouch’s mystery client is capable of much greater wrath than just squiggly swearing over the phone; a dynamite plot twist in this continually surprising epic!

So Pouch finally delivered the blue balloon…his last act.

What are the odds of Pouch and Tiger Lily ending up at the same hospital and in the same room? Hmm…anything is possible in Tracyland.

Snow on the ground….shooter had to leave footprints.

Wow, first BO and Gravel Gertie and now this! Gadzooks! The surprises just keep rolling in!

Well, since Pouch had to be approaching 90+ years old, it’s maybe time he was “retired.” “You can’t trust criminals”?? Neil, surely you jest

Doesn’t anyone watch Lt. Joe on Disco ID? Pouches feet are crossed “that way.”

Best story in quite a while.

The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay! The Shadow knows….

Likewise the crime of weed and other illicit substances does not pay. We may never be sure exactly what information the Blue Balloon bore, now that Pouch’s payment has been in hot lead, though it may well have involved drugs in one way or another. Pouch is down, shot at close range with a pistol using a suppressor, in a typical (if unexpected) double-cross. As the two beat cops rush up to his fallen body, we are left wondering whether or not he survives.

Can this be end of balloon-vendor Pouch?