Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for June 09, 2023

Clark Kent is in Tracyville???

Mike’s leaving no Kryptonite unturned!

“It’s not like there’s a long line of paying customers wanted an autograph or something. But free coffee is free coffee. And no I never heard of “Sprocket Nitrate.”

Good morning™, everybody!

Well, it looks like Adam Austin has gone more than half an hour beyond the time he was booked for. He’s obviously popular, but I think he has time to go out for a coffee with Tracy.

Why would Tracy know to go to the book signing?

Good morning™, suspicious hunches ? !

What does Tracy know that he is interested in Adam, unless Tess or ‘Moonchick’ is a fan, but I feel like this is business of a kind that will make Mr. Austin unbearably uncomfortable.

You can already see it in his expression.

The the ghost who (used to) posts.

I got back on late and so left a Reply to your Reply to me.

.I was getting worried . It’s been a full week since we saw a character in the strip drinking coffee.

With hands in his pockets and on the opposite side of those with books, Tracy is not there for an autographed copy of Midnite Mirror.

The book signing was probably in the newspaper, yet we never saw Tracy read about it.

Is Adam going to take a break to talk with Tracy? Ah, did Tracy flash his badge with his unseen hand? Guess I’ll tune in tomorrow for the answers.

SIGH let’s play “connect the dots” kids (and quite honestly, it TERRIFIES me that I can understand how today’s offering could work) 1) tracy knows that sprocket is on the lam, 2) tracy knows she disappeared around the same time Adam Austin left previously, 3) Adam Austin is back in town, 4) it stands to reason that Adam may know something about sprocket…tho its potentially coincidence, I dont believe the REAL dick tracy (as penned by a capable writer with a definitive vision) puts much stock into coincidence….he’s more of a “criminals are stupid, and they’re bound to screw up” kinda guy

Tracy, you gotta stop this Midnight Mirror Cosplay….

It is always wonderful when a writer manages an unexpected twist. And a letdown to discover lazy writing. So we should be careful what we assume. Austin’s fictional world has elements of Tracey’s life so it is only natural for Tracy to have been aware of the book signing.

But we can’t be sure if Tracy knows anything about Sprocket. Is Tracy there simply as shameless fan-boy? Is there a suspicion that Susan is Sprocket? (And, if so, what created the suspicion?) Do the police know Susan is Sprocket? (And, if so, why have they not arrested her… Unless we are forgetting some of the more vicious crimes she committed for the sake of the story-line — or the police are unaware and therefore weren’t going to hunt her down for the misdemeanors they were aware of.) If they know Susan is Sprocket and working for Silicon Consolidated and Manufacturing (SCAM) it will mean story is over before it begins.

Eh he not even spells MIDNIGHT properly. Some author he be eh.

“Coffee eh? Well I’ll be… Get in the line kid. There others waiting here before you.”

WHO is this mystery man? (ro to HONG KONG FOOEY). Totally effective disguise.

Dick turned up .

Oh, come on. Tracy should be wearing a Hawaiian shirt…

Clark Kent at a book signing?

Of course the bookstore positioned Austin’s table right next to the Mystery section.

I feel trouble brewing!

Dick in casual yellows today… is EVERYTHING he possesses in the way of clothing yellow?…

even his “Fruit of the Looms”?… banana, pear?…

or are the yellows for another reason?… he IS old and getting up in his years and he may be getting a little loose and lax in his control… LMAO…

Just WHAT in the world is going on?

Identity: This is probably the real Dick Tracy, but given the Midnite Mirror arc from a few years ago this could be the most recent actor who played Tracy, though he would have to be in makeup to pull it off since he looked a little bit different otherwise.

Unusual dress: If this is the real DT, we should wonder how he isn’t at work at 2:30 in the afternoon, unless he took a day off or it’s Saturday.

Purpose: If Tracy is there for business regarding the current boiler room case, he’s not dressed right for it and we have some important missing events to have filled in later. If he’s there on his off time to hound Adam about what is now a relatively old story, it seems odd, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he can hold a grudge fairly fresh for a while. We’ll have to see.

- I do note that the story seems to be moving along better than what has become usual. I’m glad for that. Let’s hope this trend continues to improve.

1-ADAM AUSTINPOWERS: No, no. You’ll have to buy your own crayons – they don’t come with the book.

2-DT: Pardone a moi, Monsieur Austinpowers. PEOPLE IN LINE: NO CUTS! LINE ENDS HERE, PAL! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE – KING CHARLES??

3-DT: Pssst. It’s me – Dick Tracy – in the uniform of my side hustle – BOOK SIGNER RULES ENFORCER. This is just a warning – IF you heed it. You’re 30 minutes past the scheduled end time AND your jacket doesn’t have suede elbow patches. Correct these things NOW or I’ll be forced to take action.

AUSTINPOWERS: And that would be…? DT: Well, the Death Penalty equivalent is leaking to the press the false story that Stephen King ghost writes your books on the toilet when he’s constipated.

AUSTINPOWERS: AIIEEEEEE! That’s frighteningly believable! All right! SHOWS OVER FOLKS! I GOTTA GO FIND A SEAMSTRESS SOMEWHERE!

MOVIE QUOTE

“Who do you think you are?”

“J.Edgar Hoover”

Lee Marvin—-PRIME CUT—1972

Dick has the same affection for Adam Austin that he does for Vera Alldid.

If he could have arrested either of them for their insulting books(not to mention a movie set that turned into a slaughterhouse), he would have done it a long time ago.

Dick’s casual dress means he’s there on an unofficial basis—-so far. If he showed up in his coat and tie,thecrowd would swarm all over him for autographs.

Tuesday June 6,2023

NEW YORK TIMES Science Section—-Article “WAYS TO GIVE YOUR FEET A BREAK THIS SUMMER”

“Re-think Flip Flops”—-“Don’t Forget The SUnscreen”,and don’t mow your lawn barefoot.Hospitals make dough off people who do.

Did our hero borrow those clothes?!

Tracy undercover.

Tracy’s going all Miami Vice on us.

Why would Tracy go to a book signing ?

Tracy is in his undercover Clark Kent-stye disguise!

Why? Is it just a “leisure thing” that we rarely see? Or is he really trying to disguise his identity (known so well through Tracyville’s hometown media)? Does he have any reason (that has been revealed to us up to now) to suspect Adam Austin of anything more than writing a novel he considers offensive (to say the least; maybe also scurrilous and/or libelous)?

As the MCU saying goes, in coffee veritas….

The story is beginning to have some movement beyond Chick Tracy II. Although we don’t know that much about it, we do have what seems like a crime. Whether or not he is Mr. Big, we have a loose-cannon villain. Sprocket takes a job with the scammers. The threads seem to be converging. I like the way things are happening so far. It seems to be shaping up pretty well.

Who knows, now that the Chicken Delite promotion is finished, maybe Klinique Plenty can get a job as a phone scam operator and keep Chick Tracy in the picture (or the platter).