Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for May 03, 2021

Shelley’s back!!

Who’s playing whom?

C21 playing Tracy?

Or Mike playing us?

Sam: Something smells funny about this Charlie guy.

Tracy: Ughh… you ain’t kidding! But he who smelt it dealt it Sam, and it smells like something crawled up your…

Charlie: Hehe, that was me guys! Why else do you think I’m way over here?

Good morning™, sore losers !

Going back a day. If Tracy was distracted by a passerby what distracted Sam, that he missed seeing Charlie take a powder ?  I think that was some flimsy writing tho’ it established that Charlie is an imp and T & C are getting a complication that could cause them to miss a small observation that gives Abner the opening he needs to get his job done.

Good morning™, everybody!

They’re going to have to watch Charlie a little more closely. He’s a bit of a mischievous scamp.

If I were Tracy I’d have Charlie in handcuffs for that stunt.

Tracy’s already annoyed enough with having to guard the guy without him being a clown.

Sure his name isn’t Waldo?

I think he recognized the guy from yesterday’s strip, and was scared off by him.

Oh, Boy!

Is he going for a Hide and Seek title, or is he up to something?

He’s definitely a /whole bag/ of fries short of a happy meal.

In a regular stage magic trick, the guy that goes behind the screen is not the same one that comes back out. May want to take Charlie’s glasses off and see how dead his eyes look.

Great expression on Tracy in panel 1. Methinks he’s pissed.

What is with this guy? He want a Darwin Award?

Interesting facial expressions on Dick Tracy. He really looks pissed!

Is this now the real Charlie21 or a ringer?

I called it yesterday. He just wanted to check out menu prices.

1-SAM: Which way did he go, George, which way did he go?

2-DT: Let’s split up! You take the north end of the mall and I’ll check Hooters!

3-CHARLIE: Hey guys! I finally found the only restaurant in the mall that doesn’t require masks. Come on!

DT: Hmmm. That means that they’re violating the law and that suggests that the place is an APPARATUS FRONT!

SAM: SEE IF THEY HAVE SEASONED FRIES!

Looks like Charlie may really be a Mxyzptlk for Dick & Sam….

….AND a ’lil kid who likes to play Hide ’N Go Seek………..

Charlie 21….Tracy and Sam are peeved at you. Any more stunts like this they’ll go to the district attorney and ask that he assign someone else.

There is a target on him and this guy thinks its all a game.

Already this is turning into a Marx Brothers film. Captain (Neil) Obvious strikes again.

Looks like Tracy and Pickle Nose were asleep at the switch.

Why should Tracy & Sam be worried? They’re not the ones with an Apparatus contract out on them.

I’m wondering if that’s the real Charlie. Before, he had referred to “Mr. Tracy”, not just “Tracy”.

Could be a switcheroo with Putty Puss.

“I’m right here!”

BANG BANG

“Sorry, reflex. Looks like we’re done here, so how about that lunch, Sam?”

What the heck?! Does this little twerp not understand that his life is at risk? Or is he just too much of a joker to play it straight? Keep him under tighter control, Tracy and Sam!

It’s pretty obvious to me that Charlie’s been replaced with a doppelganger. Different wall and different side of the wall.