Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for May 02, 2013

  1. Zap
    60sFan  over 11 years ago

    Mamma mia, the plot thickens!

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  2. Mmdash6
    Pequod  over 11 years ago

    The patient is impatient; recovery such a boreIncreasingly she’ll have her way, excursions out of doors.Stopping crime out on the streets, even as she’s healingGood deeds are their own reward, yet still an empty feeling.Separation, isolation, wounds so slow to mendTribulation, tears and trials, patience at an end.Finally the last bandages due to come off soonEyes long to see family and the Valley of the Moon.Zy Ghote has his own agenda: prestige, fame and cashHe’ll spin a cloning story into a media-frenzy splash.Dr. Sail seems duplicitous, has he put his patient first?Devastated by a car bomb, she long has feared the worst.Mysta has grown restless, so anxious to be wellTo recover mind and body meant seasons spent in hell.

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  3. Moon maid points at doorstop
    Jerry1967  over 11 years ago

    Mysta still thinks Junior is “my husband”?? (ulp!) A huge reveal!!

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  4. Emerald
    margueritem  over 11 years ago

    Things are askew….

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  5. Wcfields1
    DaJellyBelly  over 11 years ago

    Sorry Mysta, Junior MAY be your husband, but you are no longer HIS WIFE!

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  6. Bill 1960
    Vista Bill Raley and Comet™  over 11 years ago

    Good morning all…

    What a mess this is going to be!

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  7. Mysta chimera invading blackhearts hq   8 29 2015
    willy007  over 11 years ago

    A ton to unpack today. From the way Mysta is talking, it sounds like she thinks she’s the real deal (“my daughter…my family…my real home”). She presumably agrees that Dr. Sail has “re-created” her, but it doesn’t matter, she’s Mysta! Eek is the right word for it, Tommygunner, if she knows about Sparkle and still thinks Junior is her man!

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  8. Chief patton
    Chief Patton  over 11 years ago

    Holy love triangle, Batman! While it would be harrowing for Junior and Sparkle, the option of Mysta knowing about their marriage AND still thinking of Junior as “my husband” is by far the most interesting option. I don’t dislike Sparkle in any way and don’t wish to see her marriage break up, but this is fiction after all, and I have to admit I am looking forward to seeing sparks fly. Literally!

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  9. Chester gould
    Yahsfirescribe  over 11 years ago

    This looks like real trouble, but makes for a dynamic story line. Mystra wants to see Junior and Honeymoon again; and she wants to return to the moon..not knowing that junior has remarried and Moon Valley has been wrecked and all but abandoned; and what has all this have to do with our new crime cartel? Wow, this type of story mirrors the old time Gould story lines, except team Tracy has now out done themselves. This story with Mystra’s reappearance was well worth waiting for. Go Team Tracy on a job well done.

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  10. Mysta cutie
    yumpinyiminey  over 11 years ago

    This story is heating up! As much suffering as Mysta has gone through, there are more big trials in store for her.

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  11. Groucho marx
    coldsooner  over 11 years ago

    Who says you can’t go home again? Well, somebody’s going to have to say it to Mysta and I’m glad I’m not the one who’s going to do it. She also wants to see her family, and as we should all know, when MAMMA’S not happy, ain’t NOBODY going to be happy. Can I get an amen on that?

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  12. Missing large
    ReneTray  over 11 years ago

    Back to the lace design I see.

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  13. Moon maid
    DayDay2001  over 11 years ago

    This story gets more complicated by the day. Notice, too, the dramatic change in Mysta’s demeanor compared to yesterday and the day before. Previously, she was anxious, apprehensive, and submissive to Dr. Sail. Today she’s standing tall, looking regal, authoritative, her laser power swirling and her voice elevated. No longer is she begging Dr. Sail, she’s resisting him, commanding him. “NO! I’VE HAD ENOUGH!” No longer do we have to wonder if she still thinks about her family. She is obsessed about seeing them. And we can understand Mysta’s frustration—she’s been “years” with Dr. Sail as her family moved on without her, and still she must wait. I sure wouldn’t want to be him if Mysta ever finds out he’s been lying to her! And like others have already said, the pending drama between her and her family is sure to be intense. Can’t wait to see how that plays out. I’m completely hooked on this story.

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  14. Samdouble
    mikeg52  over 11 years ago

    Has anyone mentioned the possibility that Moon Maid is an android/robot/mechanical ? Maybe T. Sail just can’t get the mouth right…

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  15. Missing large
    Asakura  over 11 years ago

    You know…

    Nothing that we’ve seen the doc say to Mysta, so far, has been a lie.

    Though I will add ‘that we know about’.

    It is common practise to not allow facial reconstruction patients to see their faces in the midst of their treatment. He neither confirms or refutes Mystas’ statement. Even if this Mysta turns out to be fake, saying ‘all our skills to re-create you’ is still the truth.

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  16. Moonbeam
    SlyMongoose  over 11 years ago

    Oh dearie My!

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  17. Plus green square
    Blackthorne42  over 11 years ago

    Two weeks into the arc, and the story has more layers than a peanut buster parfait. Mysta’s memories, the crime cartel, cloning from DNA found somewhere (my guess)… This is about to become an even more dense story day by day, and I can’t wait until tomorrow.

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  18. Stan lee2
    tsull2121  over 11 years ago

    SIGH the crime cartel has NOTHING to do with mysta’s story, i am willing to bet the ranch on that one! apparently “FORESHADOWING” needs to be abandoned in this strip cause it seems nobody “gets it”.

    As far as mysta being “in charge” today, i bet sail or ghote has some sort of “switch” to make her complacent again… maybe thats why stellaluna and retik are in the background, to help subdue her (tho more than likely they are responding to her voice being raised while talking to sail)

    and mysta being “obsessed” with seeing her family? sorry, that doesnt wash.. if she as SO obsessed with seeing them, why wouldnt she have sought them out in the first place? the first few times we saw her in her return, there were no “handlers” shown (tho they COULD have been “off panel”) and the ONLY time we saw stellaluna and retik was when moon maid smashed her headstone. and as for being obsessed with seeing the tracy’s again… she had PLENTY (not sparkle) of opportunities while she was stopping the mugger in the alley, or the one by the atm machine.. to run off to police hq and see tracy.. or at LEAST turn to the tv camera at the atm scene and speak directly to the viewers and tracy family.. or in the alley tell the woman who she helped to contact tracy for her

    no, something is NOT right here. all of a sudden she WANTS to see her family and return to the moon, yet she demolishes a headstone which she KNOWS would cause her family that she wants to see so much, untold grief? uh uh.. i aint buying it.

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  19. Bren suit
    FLIGHT SUIT  over 11 years ago

    How would a clone have Moon Maid’s memories?

    Regardless, this is getting really interesting. Probably the most compelling plot turn we’ve seen so far from Staton and Curtis. It feels like they’ve been building up to this since they first started doing the strip.

    And it feels like there’s no happy ending for this story arc.

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  20. Carnac
    AKHenderson Premium Member over 11 years ago

    I can’t make any sense of this. I remember that what killed the Mumbles scam is that the “clone” had memories of the original (in that case, Mumbles’ speech habit – a personality quirk and not some sort of genetic defect). Clone Maid having Moon Maid memories defeats the purpose of convincing people she’s a real clone..If she is a hoax, maybe Zy Ghote is hoaxing Dr. Sail…..Would the real Mysta be adamant about returning to the Moon?.Maybe she’s a GMO – a human with lunarian (?) stem cell implants. That theory will gain cred if a henchman named Mon Santo turns up.

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  21. Gedc0042
    johnrussco  over 11 years ago

    wow, this is gooooooood , soooo gooood. It seems that the wait was worth it.

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  22. Reedrichards
    jimakin  over 11 years ago

    My $.02 worth of speculation:

    Dr. Sail and co. have cloned MM, but want Mysta to think she’s the original article.

    Her face never needed reconstruction, but the bandages are part of the backstory they’ve fed her to convince her she’s the real deal — and perhaps to buy time to funnel her more (mis)information.

    Of course, the big question is WHY?

    Zy Ghote’s motives are clear enough. It’s easy to imagine him doing the cloning to satisfy his mad-scientist ego and prove it could be done. (But if so, he may need to be paid off — or silenced in another way? — to keep his achievement under wraps.)

    But what’s in it for Sail & co.? The domestic turmoil MM’s “survival” will wreak on the Tracy family hardly seems reason enough for such a complex undertaking. Retik and Stellaluna’s uniforms alone indicate they’re part of something big.

    I for one can’t wait to learn what it is.

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  23. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    Boy, am I glad I didn’t post yesterday. It was long and I hadn’t finished it before I went to work. Late in the day, don’t know if anyone would have read it, anyway. And, at midnight, just about everything in it became irrelevant..But I did want to give a “hat’s off” to Sullie (tsull2121) and his theory yesterday, so I saved this much:.Mysta says, “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow this mask off of my face!”.Doctor says, “Notta by the hair of my chinny-chin-Chilla!”.Thanks to Ray for the link to the Mr. Bribery story. Two things came from that thus far: Mysta was a contributor to “Sawdust,” Gould’s comic strip within a strip? Wow..And she only made $20 per contribution! That’s peanuts today. (In Chicago, Peanuts ran vertically down the side of Dick Tracy’s full page panels in the Tribune’s Sunday comics).But what I really wanted to mention from the Mr. Bribery story was yet another (gasp) retroactive continuity (retcon) inconsistency..Mr. Bribery was 1967; Mysta was killed in 1978. In 1967, the reason Mysta was ghost writing for Sawdust was that, as Junior said, she “can’t cook hot water.” With all the money she was making from Sawdust, she was buying TV dinners to feed Junior..Come 1978, just prior to her death, I think it was Pop Pop telling us about how Junior brags about what a great cook Mysta is. And, indeed, her death was set up by her having to go to the store to pick up some whipped cream for dessert..Moving on, I agree with AKHenderson, who said, “restoring” her memory defeats the purpose of presenting her as a “clone.” (I was also going to say that yesterday) Proof of the pudding is the Mumbles story in 1979..While we have had the “spoiler” that Mysta’s story allegedly began 26 April, I remain skeptical. I still think the old Ghote is still a phony. And where the old Ghote is, Mumbles can’t be far behind – especially with a new “contract” out on Tracy!.Though I admit, as yet, unanswered are the questions, if she “survived,” then where was she and why didn’t she try to contact family earlier..Early elements of this story could also be consistent with an “amnesia” angle – especially Hollywood style amnesia, where the victim doesn’t remember a thing for years..Other thoughts: Also from yesterday’s post, I had figured that the whole purpose of both Mysta’s death and the Mumbles clone story was dismissing and discarding all Space Era characters: The explosion dispatched Mysta, but the original Zy Ghote story appears to have been intended to get rid of Diet Smith, as well. Sam’s closing comments: “I’m afraid things will never be the same between Tracy and Diet.”.Fletcher’s big mistake may not have been that he “killed” the original Mysta, but that he tried to do it in an irreversible manner. Had he used another ploy, unconfirmed drowning or lost in one of Diet Smith’s space coupes, he could have left open the door for himself or a successor to bring back Mysta with a lot less drama..On the other hand, it seems about everyone here is on board for the drama to unfold..Last, and certainly least, whether this Mysta is a clone or the “real deal,” I like the turn it takes today..It is the issue I wanted to see explored..Junior might not know it yet, but right now, he has two wives!.Legally dead isn’t the same thing as actually dead!

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  24. Michael j fox marty mcfly back to the future johnny b goode
    avenger09  over 11 years ago

    Welcome to another intense episode of the number one rated program in all of Tracyville; “As the Moon Turns”!!!!

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  25. Stan lee2
    tsull2121  over 11 years ago

    Legally dead isn’t the same thing as actually dead!

    In REALITY it is cheapskate. whether or not the spouse is alive “hiding out” somewhere or a victim of a kidnapping/amnesia whatever… once declared LEGALLY DEAD the remaining spouse can be free to marry again if they so desire. if the formerly dead spouse somehow MIRACULOUSLY returns from the dead it does not change the fact that they were indeed declared legally dead and no longer have a claim to be the former spouses “current”.

    regardless of where moon maid has been, junior had waited enough time for her to be at LEAST declared legally dead before he married sparkle i am sure

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  26. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    avenger09: “As the Moon Turns” – cool!

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  27. Michael j fox marty mcfly back to the future johnny b goode
    avenger09  over 11 years ago

    Rene

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  28. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    I knew you were going to say that Sullie, and in a lawyer’s world, you are absolutely right. The question is not whether Junior had the right to re-marry; rather, the question is, what is the true status of the spouse mistakenly considered dead?

    Were they divorced? No.

    Is Junior remarried? Yes.

    Were the proceedings legal? Of course they were.

    So, what does this make of Mysta? Chopped liver?

    What are her rights going to be? To her child? To her husband?

    Who, by the way, never divorced her, nor ever intended to.

    Maybe Dick Tracy isn’t the proper forum to explore these issues, but I’m glad they’re being explored, anyway.

    I just hope it’s done with good taste.

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  29. Oddball
    Morrow Cummings  over 11 years ago

    SITOANMI

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  30. Dicktracy
    JB2K  over 11 years ago

    Why the bandage?? At the heart of it all, assuming this MM truly is “the real deal”, she is also a burn patient (you don’t get away from that explosion completely unscathed) — that is where Dr. S. Tim Sail comes-in…and since Zy Ghote has been exposed as a fraud, perhaps he aligned himself with Sail to get credibility…

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  31. Curly pres
    jmcx4  over 11 years ago

    I know it’s early for this, but how do they wind this one up? Kill Mysta off again? MORE anguish for the family. ‘Mysta’ goes off to the moon by herself? Still sad.Mysta ain’t really Mysta? The whole tragedy re-lived by little Honeymoon and Junior. This is gonna be a toughie to resolve.

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  32. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    And, I might add, that a happy ending is not possible in today’s monogamous world. Moreover, the one most likely to suffer will be Mysta, the Moon Maid. This, regardless of what we know regarding her original home, the moon, which we discovered over Christmas is now deserted.

    While I still prefer for Mysta to be the “real deal,” if Staton and Curtis have decided to at least explore the issue of rights for those mistakenly declared dead, then I will be able to accept what appears to be yet another “botched” clone story.

    The clone, that is, not the story. So far, I don’t think the story has been “botched.”

    If anything, this story is gaining traction as a possible classic retelling of Frankenstein!

    Last bad joke of the day: Anyone remember when Young Frankensteen asked Eyegore where he had gotten that brain? “From a guy named Abby,” said Eyegore. “Abby who?”

    “Normal.”

    Bed time for night shift!

    Bye y’all!

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  33. Oddball
    Morrow Cummings  over 11 years ago

    I’m doing fine…… thanks for asking! I’m now waiting to see a particular cat put about 40 stitches in a certain student’s throat! SITOANMI!

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  34. Jeep head 02
    Ray Toler  over 11 years ago

    Very telling today is Dr. Sails comment: “…it took all our skills to recreate you…”

    The word “recreate” seems to imply much more than simply cloning a cellular duplicate. It implies that EVERYTHING about her has been “recreated,”her body, her personality, her memories, etc.

    As has been discussed, based upon the age of Honeymoon at the time of the explosion compared to her age now, This “re-creation” process has taken about 5-6 years.

    tsull2121 asks: “if she as SO obsessed with seeing them [her family], why wouldnt she have sought them out in the first place?” This is a good question only if we assume that the cloning process, the accelerated growth of the clone, and the implantation of memories took place very quickly after the explosion and the “reconstructed” Mysta has been FULLY aware with ALL her memories intact since that time.

    More likely the medical and psychological processes took several years to complete and (according to the events of the strip) are still continuing. It is doubtful to me that either Dr. Ghote or Dr. Sail are so brilliant that they could have restored Mysta’s memories in one fell swoop. More likely, her memories have been returning gradually. Perhaps during her previous (crime fighting) appearances the memories of her family had not yet returned.

    This makes sense if we assume that the purpose of the visit to the cemetery was to show Mysta the tombstone in hopes it would stimulate the return of her memories of her family. It seems doubtful to me that Retik and Stellaluna would (after showing they were hesitant about taking her out) drive her to the cemetery strictly so that she could destroy a tombstone. What would be the purpose of smashing a tombstone? I think when she saw the tombstone, she recalled her family as planned but the rush of emotions angered her to the point that she grabbed a sledge hammer out of the car and broke the stone—an unexpected reaction which caused Retik and Stellaluna to want to quickly get her back to Dr. Sail’s laboratory before she did anything else. In other words, she didn’t behave exactly as expected at the cemetery.

    But being an alien, Moon Maid has never quite acted as expected. She was raised in a different culture. Her odd behavior was often commented about by other characters in the strip. In addition, Moon Maid was always portrayed in the strip as being incredibly naive (most of this due to her unfamiliarity with Earth culture). This is likely why she places trust in and obeys Dr. Sail.

    The implication we have in the story so far is that as Mysta’s memories return to her she is becoming more and more difficult to control by Dr. Sail, Dr. Ghote, Retik and Stellaluna. In other words, the more successful Dr. Sail’s and Dr. Ghote’s “re-creation” becomes, the more independent and uncontrollable Mysta is becoming for them.

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  35. 112siamesegif
    Linda Solomon  over 11 years ago

    This is being posted for Gweedo Murray….Measles Lives !!!.Homerun, Pequod ! .I expected to see a hint of deviousness in Dr. Sail but all I see is sadness..Can we keep Wayne from spilling the beans to “mystra” ?

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  36. Kantuck icon124x84
    kantuck-nadie  over 11 years ago

    As much as I’m enjoying this. I’m getting a red flag about Mysta’s personality. Although I have little to go on, the aggression, anger, and combative feelings is making me wonder if this is really Mysta, or a clone that has her memories badly interjected.

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  37. Schulzsense 0
    Paul1963  over 11 years ago

    “Re-create you” suggests that this Mysta is a clone with implanted memories. Her not knowing about Junior’s remarriage (and, not incidentally, second child with Sparkle) could make for a tense moment when she finds out the truth…and it might not go well for Sparkle.

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  38. I go pogo
    I Go Pogo   over 11 years ago

    Morning VB and all.

    In the words of the immortal Dick Lane, Keith Jackson and Bozo, “Whoa Nelly!”

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  39. Moon maid points at doorstop
    Jerry1967  over 11 years ago

    Some here are making multi-layered assumptions about Mysta being a clone, and that’s fine, speculate away. It’s half the fun. Just remember, she may not be a clone. In fact, there are good reasons to think she is not. Zy Ghote is a convicted con man, a man with a history of producing fake clones. Are we to take his statements and his accomplice Sail’s statements at face value? Why is that exactly? I keep going back to Honeymoon and how she is sure the new Moon Maid is her mother. Granted she might be wrong, but something tells me she will be proven right in the end and we’ll find out this is indeed the original Mysta. Right now, I trust her instincts over the testimony of a criminal and his accomplice. There, that’s my speculation. :)

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  40. Moon maid points at doorstop
    Jerry1967  over 11 years ago

    Plus I just think it would be weird to bring back this character and make her half as old as her daughter in real time. :/

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  41. 1682106 inline inline 2 mel brooks master
    Can't Sleep  over 11 years ago

    A long time ago, I put out my guess about Mysta…Retik and Stellaluna are “moon maid groupies” who were nearby when the car bomb “killed” Mysta. And at least one of them has been to the Moon Valley as a pilot for Diet Smith. (When the investigation of Moon Maid sightings began, Tracy said he wanted to check out former Space Coupe pilots.)The explosion did horrible damage to her, but – being an alien able to handle temperature and pressure extremes – she wasn’t killed.In the fire and smoke, she was able to leave the wrecked car unseen – helped by Retik and Stellaluna.Under Dr. Zy Ghote’s care (he really is a doctor), she ‘regenerated.’But the placement of the car bomb caused too much damage for her face to completly be restored.Why would they do all this? Retik and Stelluna for devotion, the others for potential money.Either way, I doubt if Mysta knows about Junior’s remarriage – you don’t want to risk angering anyone with her electrical powers (as we see Dr. Sail today).There.Now that I’ve said that, tomorrow we’ll see I’m totally wrong.But I still think a Space Coupe theft is in the future. (Maybe the only one operational, so…)

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  42. Missing large
    Dberrymanal1  over 11 years ago

    I used to think I hated Moon Maid, but I take it all back now. First of all, she IS hot! But during her time I was still a little kid and had not started noticing girls. Also I thought the idea of life on the Moon was ridiculous but the movie “Apollo 18” changed that. Though this will cause major problems for Junior and Sparkle, this is the best story “Dick Tracy” has had in years and years!

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  43. Groovygrove
    capo708 Premium Member over 11 years ago

    One thing about comics that always poses a problem is the time line and how one ages espiecially the introduction of children to the mix. The writer wants to have the new born baby or child grow, but in the end the other “cast” stay the same age. Try not to read into this to much. Gasoline Alley and For Better or Worse were the only strips I know of that aged their characters. Am I missing any? I cant think of any Marvel or DC books that have done this.

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  44. 112siamesegif
    Linda Solomon  over 11 years ago

    I am pretty sure you just did! …lol

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  45. 112siamesegif
    Linda Solomon  over 11 years ago

    Gweedo also says:.This Moon is waxing..

    .@av-09

    I can’t wait to see what a certain cat is going to do to a tough guy kid myself.

    “As the Moon turns”……… verrry catchy. I could go into orbit over that one.

    It’s about time someone addressed one-liner Rene !

    I wonder if marg misses him too ?? ..Kantuck Nadie Nata-Akon said, 40 more misguided guesses ago

    “Although I have little to go on,”……

    If speculation counts, we have LOTS of that !!!
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  46. Jeep head 02
    Ray Toler  over 11 years ago

    I am enjoying all the speculation even if we probably will all turn out to be wrong.

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  47. Missing large
    fredville  over 11 years ago

    Yes, Moon Maid needs to re-connect with her 40-something year old daughter, Honeymoon, lol. (actually, this particular story is way believable if you just pretend it’s set in the 70’s….)

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  48. Missing large
    fredville  over 11 years ago

    Dennis, you may NOT like her as much without the cloth, I fear, ha ha…

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  49. Missing large
    fredville  over 11 years ago

    …….aww, this is no problem…..Junior just needs to move somewhere where he can have multiple wives….I’m sure they’d be fine with it (….NOT!!!)

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  50. Missing large
    Perashe  over 11 years ago

    Wow! I’m really into this adventure now thanks to Willy007, Ken in Ohio, & Ray Toler for filling me in on Moon Maid’s history. Thank you guys so much!!

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  51. Mens vs womens shopping patterns
    mrichman  over 11 years ago

    Mysta looks great! And I am enjoying all these comments! Great thoughts! I don’t know what to think about what’s happening. I am going in circles and loving every minute of it! As much as I enjoyed Moon Maid as a girl, this mystery is way more intense. Mysta thinks Junior is still her husband? Watch it fly when they eventually meet! Reading all the history and getting questions answered about Moon Maid’s past has helped a lot. Thanks! I appreciate everyone’s help with my questions about Mrs. Chin Chillar. I DO remember her and it would be fun to see her get involved in this story. Mrs. Chin Chillar steals a space coupe and takes a joy ride with Mysta to the moon? That would be a Girls Night Out to remember! Even if it’s silly speculation it’s fun to think of it. I can’t get enough of this story. That’s all for now, newbie fan girl signing off.

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  52. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    A summary of today’s posts, of interest to me, of course.I think Ray Toler had by far the most detailed and plausible speculation – save for one thing, the sledge hammer, as noted by Sweet Betty. The sledge hammer was the only “fly” in Ray’s “ointment.”

    I think Ray Toler, Day-Day2001, and NightShade09 have the best speculations, so far. Of course, none of this is fact; we are all speculating about a mythical character in a fictional comic strip. Probably, it’s best to say that we are all guessing what Mike and Joe may be “up to.”

    Sadly, I don’t think anyone picked up on my thread – what are the rights of someone mistakenly declared dead. tsull2121 (whom I call “Sullie”) shot back at me twice, reminding me that in this world run by lawyers, legally dead is as good as dead, and the victim gets pretty much nothing. Later, Sullie softened up a bit and suggested that perhaps Mysta may get some “visitation” rights for Honeymoon, her daughter, but he pretty much ruled out a parenting role because Sparkle had adopted Honeymoon.

    Spoken like a true lawyer!

    What do I speculate?

    The short of it: Sparkle moves out, Mysta moves in. This was hinted at in the brief segue that included Montana Joe. I don’t like this ending any more than Sparkle wins and Mysta has to move out once again. (Do any of us want Mysta to go away again? Not many hands went up)

    But monogamy is the law of the land; a Big Love happy ending is not (currently) possible.

    The long of it: While too many details are as yet unknown (and, in Staton and Curtis’ style of storytelling, may never get told), I still feel sure that this Mysta is the “real deal.” Missing details include (but are not limited to):

    How she survivedWhere was sheWhy there was no contactAnd, assuming amnesia, when did she remember and realize who she was?

    We may even get “both sides” of the story – what the doctors claim to have done vs. what really happened through Mysta’s eyes.

    As for Sparkle: Sparkle has an “out”: A new life and a new career. I think that is what the Montana Joe segue was all about. And, we’ve already been told that her marriage to Junior is in “trouble.” (Junior mentions tension that can be cut with a knife around Christmas)

    As for our good doctors (cough, cough): Yet another “spoiler” says that this is going to be a four month saga. That’s plenty of time to get Mumbles back together with the old Ghote and maybe drag in others from the unholy alliance of the EJs segue last month.

    I’m sure Dick Tracy will again be in peril for his life at the hands of these characters – even if, as aptly noted, the good doctors may not be motivated by “revenge,” but their other unfortunate associates (such as Mumbles, for sure) most definitely are.

    After all, action, adventure, and danger are Dick Tracy’s “bread and butter.” Much as we may love these scenes of domestic tranquility (“holy love triangle, Batman,” from Chief Patton, another favorite quote of the day), in the end, Tracy needs some heads to knock together.

    And that’s all the news that fits.

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    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    And a “cheap shot” to close out my day: Another possible – but very dark – thread: With all this clamoring for Measles to be brought back, the old Ghote pulls that off, too. Unfortunately, in his zeal to take out Sparkle’s mother, Measles, too, gets the wrong prey.

    But seriously, I don’t think these revenge killings are going anywhere. One of the reasons I’m not a particular fan of Measles is that, in his current rendition, revenge seemed to be his only motivation.

    That, and self-medication.

    And, as much drama as the Mysta murder turned out to be, I really don’t think we want to go there with Sparkle, too.

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  54. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    I couldn’t say it any better, Ray.

    Thanks for noticing.

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  55. Painted lady2
    frankt0001  over 11 years ago

    Actually, friend, I do have a sense of humor, but I don’t find your comment amusing. Weren’t you banned once before for making such comments? I guess some people never learn.

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  56. Michael j fox marty mcfly back to the future johnny b goode
    avenger09  over 11 years ago

    Wonder if Dr. Sail is working on the remains of Stinky? Who knows, maybe in five years He’ll be playing softball again! LOL!!!

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  57. Stan lee2
    tsull2121  over 11 years ago

    cheapskate i NEVER said that sparkle had adopted honeymoon, i said she MAY have… but again, to play to the “prove it to me’s” on this board… if it wasnt SHOWN ON PANEL then it never happened. so, as far as “official canon” goes… sparkle is honeymoon’s step mother ONLY

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  58. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    tsull2121 and Sweet Betty: One big, big difference: In that article, the couple was already pursuing a divorce. During the proceedings, she deliberately abandoned her family. Perhaps considered the same legally, but in reality, and terms of the heart, quite a different story whatsoever.

    I would have no problem in denying everything to the woman in Sweet Betty’s article – she went out of her way to earn her disrespect.

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  59. I go pogo
    I Go Pogo   over 11 years ago

    and in the next panel, we hear Mysta say, “I’m not dead yet.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh8mNjeuyV4

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  60. Missing large
    cpalmeresq  over 11 years ago

    And Gweedo, nice to have you back, such as it is…

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  61. Missing large
    cpalmeresq  over 11 years ago

    Not to take away from Mysta (love the story!), but wasn’t Model Jones Junior’s 1st love? And he had quite the crush on Thistle Dew (boy did THAT end bad, too!)

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  62. Missing large
    cpalmeresq  over 11 years ago

    For those of you who want to see Gould at his best, find the Thistle Dew story (with her Uncle Punky , Mrs. Peek, etc.). It began on January 1, 1963. And, I take nothing away from Mike & Joe by bringing this up. They are ALSO superb in my opinion!

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  63. I m me mysta chimera
    TJ000  over 11 years ago

    Hey Retik, have you ever seen the movie, Independence Day? A word to the wise: we’ll kick your moon menace ass, too. Thanks and have a great day yourself.

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  64. Stan lee2
    tsull2121  over 11 years ago

    know what just popped into my mind? VERA ALLDID is on his way back… maybe thats gonna tie into the whole moon maid/junior/sparkle deal?!??!

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    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    Miscellaneous: I have figured out how to bold and to paragraph; how do you underline and italicize?

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  66. Mysta chimera invading blackhearts hq   8 29 2015
    willy007  over 11 years ago

    I agree, Night-Gaunt49. “Get this story moving”? We’re officially one week in (according to Mike Curtis), for crying out loud. We’ve already learned a ton.

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  67. Missing large
    fredville  over 11 years ago

    yes…….bring back MODEL JONES! Her demise was sooooo sad, and undeserved……..of course, her on top of the others may get Junior killed, lol…..but then we can always bring him back later, too!

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  68. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    Thanks, all!

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  69. Bakuman kato
    Tarry Plaguer  over 11 years ago

    <span style=”text-decoration:underline;”> for <span style=”text-decoration:underline;”>underline</span> and <i> for <i>italics</i>

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  70. Bakuman kato
    Tarry Plaguer  over 11 years ago

    Hmmm… It appears that the underline won’t work on the forum.

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  71. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    tsull2121, Ray Toler, and Willy007:

    First, apologies to Sullie; I thought you said Honeymoon was adopted; apparently not. Has she been? Maybe so, maybe not. But that is not really relevant to the thread I’m trying to develop.

    At last, it appears an interesting consensus may be building here (at least, as to the subject near and dear to my heart, “what of the person mistakenly declared dead”).

    First, if this Mysta (or any other mister or missus) is a clone, then all bets are off: It’s a different person. (That was one of my main points all along)

    Second, this Mysta appears to be back for good – there are too many comments for Mike and Joe to simply “off” her once again. Having given her a name, what is it, over a year ago? – I don’t think they have plans to get rid of her. Nevertheless, quote the coyote in that last Road Runner cartoon I saw (in which he actually “catches” the bird): Now what?

    That is where we are steering off into uncharted waters. And I don’t have the answer.

    Mysta’s back. And Sparkle’s not gone. Yet. Nor, do we want her “gone.” Especially in the manner in which Mysta was originally “gone.” (Hence my comments earlier, that the Montana Joe story may be a possible “soft landing” for this story, if that is what Mike and Joe want)

    Where do we go from here?

    One thing for sure: Mike and Joe ain’t no Chester Gould. We’ve seen interracial couples (Cinnamon Knight) as well as George Takei and his husband (Sweatbox story) – both of which I think would have been unthinkable under Gould.

    So, where are Mike and Joe taking us?

    Tune in tomorrow, same Moon time, same Moon channel!

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  72. German typewriter detail small
    Cheapskate0  over 11 years ago

    Day-Day2001: I’m not sure if an apology is called for; I’m not sure whether offense was really taken. Nevertheless, here goes, anyway.I really liked your post today. It summarized some of my points a lot better than I could and it shows that you are a “thinker,” something I look up to.

    But Tuesday, you were concerned that I (and another person) may have been “leading the charge” of “censors” on the strip. While certainly not my intent, I let it go inasmuch as it was the only mention of my name that day, and others did seem to get carried away on the theme.

    Then, ghurab commented yesterday about the “return” of the “moral police,” and I had second thoughts. Had I come on too strong on Tuesday?

    If memory serves me well (and, at my age, it usually doesn’t), I think I only had two posts that day related to the subject – though, granted, one was early enough to perhaps qualify as “leading the charge.”

    The first: “Some garb for a hospital patient being treated as a prisoner.”The second: An “amen” to others who had expressed the sentiment that “lust” for a cartoon character was “creepy.”

    My concerns were (and still are): One, consistency with her (then) current conditions; two, at the risk of sounding crass, I’m looking for some meat to this story, not necessarily skin.

    Not sure if this makes much sense; even less sure whether I have said this in an appropriate manner, either. But again, you look to be someone whose opinions I will respect and, as such, I sincerely hope that I haven’t offended.

    You, or anyone else in Tracyville.

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  73. Avatarneal2
    APersonOfInterest  over 11 years ago

    Steady on girls … don’t get your knickers in a twist.

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  74. Zap
    60sFan  over 11 years ago

    “The reconstituted Mysta is a nut-case.”She’s reconstituted only if you accept the word of a convicted con man, Zy Ghote, and his friend, Sail. For now, I’m sticking with the theory this is revived Mysta, the original. It has problems, too, but hey, if Honeymoon thinks it’s really Mom, that’s good enough for me. :)

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