Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for April 20, 2015

Always great to see Jim Doherty (& Mugg) appearing in the strip!

Mugg!

It sounds like it was quite a serious outcome — one federal cop apparently confirmed dead and two others missing.

Three fed cops in the debris.

Ouch!

Repeating my comment from late last night, if they’re going to need to consult the book, they don’t need to go all the way to the Library of Congress, because Owen has a copy.

I would prefer to think that Mugg (or, I’d assume, a descendant of the original) is only in the strip today to enhance the story, and not as a clue to the identity of Mr. Bigg (since some have speculated that Mr. B. may be P.S. Tone – aka “Pear-Shape”, whom Chester Gould modeled on himself).

This is reminiscent of the first WTC plane impact from 2001, in the sense that there’s little or no video documentation to detail precisely what happened.

Barring first-hand accounts, the MCU will need to piece things together from forensic evidence.

Good point, boboscar.

Keep “The List” on standby, just in case?

Did someone – Either on the ground or electronically – Throw the switch so that The Billion Dollar Limited would plow into the concrete facade blocking the side tunnel Abe Ongo used back in 1924?

That would account for the carnage and debris.

Good morning DT friends, but it’s really good night for me and up this late for this house nowadays … just doesn’t happen all too often. Gweedo, I was fishing earlier trying to find out some info on Peter K and North Salem New York and a few minutes turned into a few hours and still did not find what I was looking for … but I will, … I think … maybe!? The farm you mentioned is not the Stony Brook of North Salem. I haven’t tried to call my brother-in-law yet but when I do I’ll find the name or new name of that place. I was looking on google maps of that region earlier and apparently thing have changed somewhat in the past 25 or more years.

Good morning guys!

We’ve lined up the Budweiser Clydesdales for the job, Gweedo. G’morning!

We are now on Day 30 of the current story, according to when I think it started. I’ve started to assemble statistics on the characters and settings, as I did for the previous story. I still haven’t given a full report on that. I’ve been working overtime and hardly have had time to even comment.

The main characters in this story so far are Blaze Rize with 11 mentions or appearances and 9 speaking days. Dick Tracy follows with 9 and 9, and Mr. Bigg is third with 8 and 4.

The main setting for the action has so far been the Blackhearts’ penthouse headquarters which appeared on 10 days, followed by the train tunnel on 5 days and Notta’s house on 4 days.

Some 40 different characters have appeared or have been mentioned in the 30 days since this story began. Dick Tracy continues to have a fairly large cast!

Looks like the Gold Car Heist was a ruthlessly destructive job. And although it is not yet clear whether any of these three federal cops mentioned in panel 2 is alive, or dead, it may be that the MCU is going to have to endure collaborating with the FBI once again (did you hear me, Sam?)….

It’s good to see Mugg again.

Mugg III, I believe …?

Wasn’t there a comment a few days ago by Tracy or Sam about “the survivors” of the robbery?The phrase that worker used, that they’d “dug up one Fed cop” implies to me the officer was dead. Otherwise he’d have said something like, “we rescued.”

Officer JIM’S - my favourite (minor) in-strip character . . .Save for Rikki, our Vista Billy’s stunning ‘daughter’

But today, Jim’s had - a ‘Fender Bender’ . . .Joe - ‘draws’ them as he SEESToday, It’s a ‘Tummy Tuck’ surrender . . .Joe’s always out to please, Jim’s got a ‘belly’ freeze

Here now, it’s reflected in that thinner face . . .No need to see a narrow waist . . .‘Abs’, working North, not wide circles round Equators Just fit, like all those Schwarzenegger - ‘impersonators’

Contrast the past . . . Just 2014, February 18 - last . . .

When he eyed, Sprocket’s shoeless feetA warning perhaps (?) no condition … to take a seatWhile she noticed, his feet and elbows widely spreadAnd it should be said, a portly (‘green-lighted’) waist line, fully fed ?

We must assume an “exercise” regime, One to build up Team esteem . . . And for this no doubt, it must be further said … ‘twas Mugg that led, no leash - just ’affection’ in his head

And so on today, a touch-screen scene, they’re both looking FIT and really LEAN . . .Total Recall - a brand new Team, the Arnold DREAM !

If Bill is near, ‘lend a ear’, you may even hear - your Rikki Scream ?

And yes - Gweedo, lots of things change, (people/Teams), Slim is in, as we’ve see here, and considerably quicker than over 25 years !

Hmmm. A lot of damage and debris from a “fake wall.”

Good morning Tracy fans.______@Sydney Phillips: good info. Thanks for posting.______Have a prosperous day my friends.

I’m still kind of surprised by the newspaper coverage of this event. The paper we saw said, in headlines, that the gold car had disappeared, but not one word about any train wreck. We were not sure ourselves until today if there had been a wreck – we are getting bits and pieces of the picture from the dialog. Surely, a newspaper the day after such an event as this would have said:BILLION DOLLAR TRAIN DE-RAILS!Gold Car Is Missing!Search is on for survivors – Police are investigating.

@Ken in Ohio:Correction: they unhitched the car, and took the car down the track, in the April 16th dialog. I think what they’re trying to tell us is that the train itself was stopped by the old service car blocking the mainline. Maybe they couldn’t stop in time as they exited the main tunnel, and plowed into the blockade?Again, it’s a bit odd – Tracy asked Owen if there was something unusual about this particular train robbery. That’s an odd question to ask if you’ve just stepped over the debris left over from a wreck.

The “rollout” of this particular crime is kind of spotty, to say the least. I hope it isn’t as confusing to Tracy as it is to the readers here. I’m still having a hard time with Tracy reading about it in the paper instead of through police channels, to begin with!

Lookout Sam! Be on the lookout for Fritz Ann! She might be able to teach Rikki a few tricks!

Upon closer look, the switch did failcausing the car to jump the railand then it crashed into the wallcausing both brick and mortar to fallagents buried under rock and sootbest call the specialist that treads ‘pon four footsniffing and searching was Officer Muggand Sgt Doherty too, that big ol’ lugthey’ll find those lost to naked eyeby the skilled and trained nose of Officer K-9

Mugg is well rendered and his expressions are great too !

I love the shading on his nose, especially in Panel 3. I think that’s a legacy of the Annie crossover. Some of the shading techniques stuck.

Mugg?Never heard of him before.He looks to me like a cross between Marmaduke and Scooby Doo.

Rudolph will guide the Clydesdales, Gweedo!

that dog is brilliant.