Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for September 15, 2021

Good morning™, everyone!

Could the Time Drone revolutionize police work like the Wrist Radio did? I doubt it will last, but you do have to try different things.

I notice that Tracy calls this version the “current one,” although Smith originally said it was a temporary one.

“So about that time drone you mentioned . . .”

“You mentioned.”

“Whatever, what’s a gal got to do to see that? Maybe see where in the building it is. Get a look at security to make sure nobody sneaks in and swipes it. That sort of thing. Tee Hee.”

Good morning reminiscing raconteurs !

…Starting to get suspicious of her again… Dick is drunk with reverie.

Does the wrist wizard have an analog watch? If so, it’s 7:50, presumably AM.

Wow, time sure flies in Tracyville! Yesterday Dick’s watch said it was 5:05 and before you can say; “More coffee please!” it says 7:55! What a long winded story teller he is!!!

The Story So Far… for those just getting into DT for the first time. (Welcome, kids!)

Not sure about the working wrist radio/computer. but a company has made a Bluetooth receiver that looks – and functions – like the communicators from the original Star Trek series.

Love how the conversation mentions the wrist radio and the time drone, and the radio is the one she feels the need to go into detail about.

Mr. Fantastic in the third panel.

It probably doesn’t need the antenna that runs up the arm and tapes in place like the old model.

Is Diet Smith the real inventor or just CEO of the company?

They must be serving good coffee at the precinct, no doughnuts around?

The current model of two-way wrist radio also puts less of a dent in the police department’s budget.

It became a novelty gadget – sorry, fans – because the present officers wear cameras on their chests, according to The Rookie which ran on Sunday nights!!

BTW, Smith didn’t invent the wrist radio, a young scientist aptly named Brilliant did. Brilliant was later murdered by a woman called Irma, and old Diet mourned for months.

Dick’s fascinating reverie goes on. And on. And on…

1-SUKI: This is my 10th cup of coffee and my bladder’s about to blow. Where’s the restroom, please?

2-DT: I’m not telling. That’s how we get perps to talk. Load ‘em with coffee and then we don’t let ‘em pee. Works better than a phone-book beat down!

3-DT: So – tell me what you’re really here for. Nobody’s buying your Reporter story, sister. Just lay it out clearly so my watch captures every word…wait. What’re you doing. STOP!

SUKI: Ahhhhhh… you can depend on Depends!

DT: Clever girl. Well then, back to my stories…

SUKI: NO!!! STOP!!! I’LL TALK!!!!!

Since now every person with a smart watch has better technology!

“So the focal point of our conversation was designed to be a boring, flat shade of brown which criminals’ eyes would slide right over instead of being drawn to? Ingenious!”

“Er, yeaah….”

Not much plot advancement.But oh,that art!!’

Never understood complaints about “talking heads”,as Staton’s heads are better thananybody else’s high speed chase.

And she should hold the cup by the handle or she’ll burn her hands.

So now we have a tutorial on the history of the strip? Where is this going?

WE’RE only up to 1946.Coming up are Junior’s 1st Crimestoppers Club;Spike Dyke’swardrobe;and Tonsils making you wish you were deaf.

Briar Rose is Queen of Spades. Clue is hands and finger nails. See Sept. 8, 10, 12 and 15.

So now the lovely but vapid Ms. Rose is aware of Diet Smith and knows the “current,” retro-design of the two-way wrist radio. Bully. I hope she remembers enough of this conversation to produce an at least half-way decent article for Law Enforcement Magazine!

As it works out, Tracy’s spare, laconic recounting of precinct history may be just her speed—few enough words so that she can remember them! (Or would any of you guys like to chip in on the purchase of a recording device for this cub reporter?)

I remember seeing an ad long ago. Was tempted, but I’m chronically broke.

I gave one of those watches to my best buddy as a birthday present.

The wrist radio “revolutionized police work”? Did cops have no way to communicate before that? (No walkie-talkies, no pay phones, no police boxes?)

Now the time drone, though—that is revolutionary. No more detecting necessary—just send a drone to the time and scene of the crime and see whodunnit. (Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man discusses a murderer who carefully plans a scenario that he knows in advance will be time-viewed.)