Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for July 31, 2020

Good morning™, fellow fans!

Why is Mr. Wilson asking them if they are selling their home? He knows very well that isn’t why they are there.

I like the angle of the last frame looking up from Mr. Wilson’s seat as Tracy and Dethany stand on the other side of the desk.

Guess the story’s over at that other comic strip.

Tracy admits he didn’t really do anything, but Dethany thanks him anyway.

Not bad, really.

Good morning™, nosy dicks !

Normally this would be a turn-up-the-heat moment but Alex has been briefed about Tracy’s involvement in their little scheme. Tracy cuts an imposing figure in P. 3 while Alex remains unflappable.

Panel 3 is very well done!

I wouldn’t think a Commercial Realtor like Wilson, would be terribly interested in an individual, single-family house

he didn’t stand up for them. quite rude. but the fact tracy has already worked back to cony’s business office, not good for coney. but earlier this week tracy had just said he’d put a prowl car on the issue

Good spotting the seated position. I agree. It shows his arrogance.

“Why, I have NO IDEA what you could possibly want. I was just sitting here, polishing my halo…”

Sputter, gasp! Where’d Coney go? He was just there. Is he under the desk?

So the warehouse in question is at the corner of East Chester? A nod to Gould?

This strip is giving me whiplash…yesterday Coney was mid-conversation with Mr. Wilson, today he’s gone and Tracy is there in his place.Meanwhile, Howdy is (presumably) still getting looking for info on Dethany from Bookworm (remember him?) and wannabe Shaggy is alone in the warehouse, probably putting new batteries in his warehouse-search flashlight.

“Who is your mime friend?”

Tracy and Dethany must have had an unscheduled appointment with Mr. Wilson. Coney was shown in Wilson’s office via yesterday’s panel. His appointment must have been in the morning.

No, really, I’d like to help you sell your home. I hear it has double doors all around, restaurant seating and a HUGE parking lot. It’d make a great commercial property.

All right! Now he’s going to show the skeptics who’s exciting here by starting a few days of exciting real-estate banter! I’m gnawing my nails wondering if they’ll use all those abbreviations, or if they’ll spell everything out.

Today’s art work is a study in POVs (points of view). In panel 1, “we” are the passersby who overhear the conversation from behind the closed door of Wilson Properties. Location is set. Panel 2 offers the wide aerial perspective, showing us Dethany and Tracy, and behind his really big desk, little Mr. Alex Wilson. Mise en scene and cast are set. Panel 3: we look through little Alex’s eyes, up into the stern face of Tracy and the cold stare of Dethany Dendrobia. Mood is established.

We are ready for some verbal conflict and sparring about the Westwood-East Chester warehouse. Perhaps a transition to whatever may be happening there would fit in, too….

1-DT: Sorry to interrupt but we’re here on important business.

2-BOSS: You’re not interrupting a thing Mr. Tracy. DT: Oh. I thought I heard voices?

BOSS: No, I was dictating. FAT ARCHIE: from under the desk HA! Dictating! There’s an old joke where “tating” is changed to…OW!

3-DT: I’m certain I heard someone else that time. I’m trained to notice such things.

BOSS: I, uh, fooled you…I’m a skillful, ummm, proctologist?

FAT ARCHIE: (That’s ventriloquist! OWWWW! QUIT KICKING ME!). DT: Don’t you people usually work with a dummy?

BOSS: I’m working with a dummy all right.

FAT ARCHIE: HEY! OWWW!