Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for October 13, 2021

The return of Pouch. Working for the cops.

Good morning™, everyone!

Well, it’s good to see Lee Ebony on the job, picking up the latest intel from Pouch. For anyone who doubted that he would be back at his usual spot in the park, there he is.

On the newspaper: “Mondobux reaches [___] billion. T[icket sale]s soar for [___] drawing.” Very interesting.

So will the Apparatus try to send the time drone into the future to get the winning Mondobux numbers?

What…Pouch is back on the street? Last time we saw him he was in hot water over that Blue Balloon.

Let’s see, Mumbles and Blackjack are back. The Apparatus, the Ace of Spades, Rikki Mortis is pregnant, a time machine, Doubleup and Pouch are back, how does this all tie in to Tracy’s latest caper?

The Apparatus is too greedy.

Good morning™, unbagged cats !

If I were “recovering” all that loot I wouldn’t want anybody to know I have it. I think the Apparatus has a mole of its own. Will we get to see the conclusion of Pouch’s blue balloon ?

Ebony breaking the case!

Er, exactly how do various individuals know the Apparatus is finding lost treasures? Does the Apparatus distribute a free newsletter to the general public that it is discussed in the park? Is their security that bad? Does every member of the apparatus (and their agents) know every single activity everyone else is engaged in? That seems rather dangerous in a criminal enterprise where you don’t want one snitch (or undercover police officer) to be able to report everything.

Perhaps the ending will be the Apparatus getting too greedy and trying to send the probe into the future to get the Mondobux numbers—destroying the device.

Tiger named Tawky Tawny who KNOWS things? Was that what you were about to say? Pretty sure it was. Cagey beast, these anthropomorphics!

Appropriate for todays discussionhttps://www.gocomics.com/dogsofckennel/2021/10/13?ct=v&cti=1924075

1-TRACY’S DAUGHTER: You can have that newspaper if you want it. MEL T. FACE: I prefer to read it from my phone app.

DAUGHTER: I meant to stuff in your clothes to keep warm when you’re sleeping here tonight.

2-MEL: Don’t bother me. I’m checking my Apparatus stock price. It’s gone sky-high what with the Algamated Syndicates takeover.

3-DAUGHTER: Wait. So you’re rich?

MEL: Back off gold digger! Not interested!

DAUGHTER: No – I was just thinking you won’t have to sell balloons anymore.

MEL: Thinking of moving in on my balloon turf, eh sister? Better think again.

DAUGHTER: NO! I was…oh, I CAN’T BELIEVE WE’RE NOT SURROUNDED BY SQUIRRELS GIVEN HOW F’IN NUTS YOU ARE!

MEL: OH YEAH? WELL LOOK OUT “BIRD LEGS” – HERE COME YOUR PIGEON BUDDIES!

SLAP SMACK POW OUCH STOP IT NO BITING I GIVE!

Pouch….hopefully he is not still storing messages in his balloons anymore.

Even this lady knows about the Apparatus….I would think they were a low profile organization. Wait a minute….even the criminal underworld has a grapevine.

Neither of these characters know that Sterling Eliot is making possible all these “financial blessings” the Apparatus is getting.

This is reminding me of that Twilight Zone episode where three crooked guys and a crooked gal find a camera that takes pictures which, after a short development time (a Polaroid type “instant” camera? Don’t remember…..one of you is likely to flesh this out…..) shows the “captured” image in the near future……near enough that they photograph the screen at the horse race track, see the winners, and make fast huge bets just before post time…….

I think Pouch wants a piece of the action.

I shall also make the r ash observation that that’s Lee Ebony in disguise.For those whohaven’t noticed,she’s very good at disguises.

Not to put a damper on the “recovered loot” bonanza,but some of it has to have the serialnumbers recorded and cops would be ready to pounce if the dough would turn up.

Remember Blowtop’s problem getting rid of a marked 2 million bucks?

MOVIE QUOTE—-“If I’m not back by Tuesday,drag the river”.

Dick Powell—“CRY DANGER”—1951

—Strictly speaking, nobody said it, Pouch, since Undercover Lee Ebony was interrupted in mid-First Word….

But Ace’s greed may be his undoing, as so many scores so quickly will inevitably draw attention (as they just have!) and lead to MCU enquiries that Sterling Eliot won’t like….