Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for June 27, 2020

Good morning™, centenarians!

Well, that’s the problem with having Shaky reach into his pockets. Great drawings, though. Lots of action happening. Sam always seems to suffer the most from Shaky. A bullet nearly hit Sam when Shaky fired from that girder.

That’s horrible. I can’t believe Shaky did that! Doesn’t he know what that will do to the value of the buckle?!

Well, the buckle has some worth after all.

Too bad both the crime and the resistance is – pointless.

Good morning™, cracked craniums!

Tracy has the look he had when Locher showed him frightened. Will Lizz shoot Shakey as he tries to make a run for it ?  Will his next words be “Ye gods !” ?

OUCH! That’s bound to leave a mark!

Anyone surprised that “Shaky” would do that ?

BTW… He’s got a good accurate arm…

I miss the Nitrates.

I saw that one coming and “Shaky” isn’t shaking when he throws the buckle and is accurate enough to nail Sam…

Also, it looks like he might have another gun on him…

Now that Shaky has resisted arrest and assaulted a police officer, is Tracy within his legal rights to shoot him ?

Shoot him.

That’s going to leave a mark

Very curious what will happen next! Nice action today! Will Shaky make a break for it?

Will it cause enough confusion for Shaky to escape? Tune in next time…

Tomorrow is Sunday, the day villains always die in Dick Tracy strips. Maybe Shaky will take a swing at Tracy and his wife will shoot him.

Look at the glee from Tracy as he sees Sam getting hit in the head. What a fiend.

Ow! A poke in the eye with a panhandle!

should have done a pat down

Tracy’s quick reflexes don’t do Sam any favors. As always, Shaky needs to think harder. The detectives are armed and Shaky is all out of buckles. He could be home with Edison. Instead, his bail is about to be revoked. Not smart.

I watch some real broadcasts of police work. I’ve never seen the police ask suspects to reach into their pockets for anything. “Why don’t you look through your pockets and see if you can find something to use as a weapon,” is a line I’ve yet to hear. You cuff the suspect, ask if there is anything dangerous (like a hypodermic needle) in a pocket and then the police check themselves.

Shakey is an interesting combination of grifter, gigilo, petty thief and violent idiot. Tracy and his entire team should be written up for violating basic police arrest procedure. There is no way real police are going to allow an armed violent suspect to reach into his pockets, much less throw something.

Technically, Tracy could have and probably should have pulled the trigger then he saw Shaky reach into his pocket.

Pore Sam is daid,

Pore Sam Catchem is daid,

All gather ’round his cawfin now and cry

He had a heart of gold

And he wasn’t very old

Oh why did such a feller have to die?

(Apologies to Rogers & Hammerstein)

This is EXACTLY what i said would happen when tracy doesn’t do things by the book. but let shaky put his hand into his pocket. this is an embarrassment and an insult for when they do the honor roll, telling of those who gave the last full measure of devotion while the officers in the strip do STUPID things

1-DT: Just stand right there and keep in mind that we got two guns aimed at your heart. Not to mention whatever I’ve got my hand on in my pocket.

SAM: Yeah! And I got TWO hands on my gun so there’s nothing in the world you could possible do to…

*2-…OUCH! HE’S FOUND MY ACHILLES HEEL, TRACY! MY SENSITIVE FACE!

JAY: That’s right, saps! Did you think I could see all those round scars on Sam’s face and not put two and two together? IT’S OBVIOUS THAT A SHARP POKE WITH SOMETHING SMALL AND METALLIC TAKES HIM OUTTA THE GAME!

DT: Ha, ha! He’s got your number all right, Sam! Good one, Jay but I’m still here!

JAY: I’m counting on your bad aim and your tendency to sometimes forget to put bullets in your gun…

DT: Hmmm, do I feel lucky? Did I remember to put bullets in my gun? WELL, DID I PUNK?

JAY: Ermm, I’ll just be going…

Buckle down, Winshaky, buckle down!

Begosh and begorra! Shaky killed the leprechaun!

Looks like Sam took it alright!

How has this idiot stayed out of jail/the morgue?

You mean you didn’t fence it yet? What kind of crook are you?

Like a ninja throwing star, the Oklahoma commemorative belt bucket can be a deady weapon. Is Sam going down for the count? Who know, until the next strip is seen. My guess is that Sam will survive.

Is Tracy losing it in his elder years? Ye gods! Do something, Mr. Look at My Yellow Trench Coat! Slug Shaky. Even shoot him, if you feel you life is threatened. But DO something!

Wouldn’t it have made more sense to wait until Shaky was in custody & being processed at HQ before emptying his pockets? Just asking.

“Feared for its unholy sharpness, the threat of the Oklahoma Days belt buckle was thought laid to rest with its last owner, who accidentally disembowled himself putting on his pants on one morning, until Shakelton Trembley the Third threw it straight through the right side of Detective Sam Catchem’s head, shearing off his ear and part of his neck.”