Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for August 09, 2020

Good morning™, informants!

Sleet (also known as “Merry March”) was known to Sam back in Boston before he moved to Tracy’s city and became Tracy’s partner. Sam previously coerced her into using her criminal connections to help the police. Sam was always able to identify her by perfume, Odora Number Five.

She is either an informer on the whereabouts of Guy or this is a preview of an upcoming story. Maybe it’s both.

Oh come on…an appearance by ANOTHER classic villain?? I don’t care if it just turns out to be a cameo, come ON, guys…

We started with Coney (remember him?), Howdy and Wannabe Shaggy looking for Stooge Viller’s treasure. Howdy stupidly drew Tracy’s attention by taking a shot at Dethany and then went to see Bookworm while Coney went to Mr. Wilson’s office to whine about the sale of the warehouse. Now Howdy has Dethany’s guy and Sam has gone to see Sleet. Meanwhile, Stooge’s treasure remains as safe now as it’s been for the last 80 years because apparently it’s more important to waste time dealing with Dethany rather than search for the treasure. Seriously, send Dethany home and give me a sledgehammer…I’ll find the treasure, give it to Coney and let them skip town ahead of the law so we can end this story.

I always thought Sleet was modeled on actress Gloria Graham.

Not only Sleet make return to the strip. I recognized ‘The Glass Stem’ from her story arc where she contacted her associate Johnny goes as ‘26’ for information on Big Frost gangsters. 17 is her code. The restaurant in the fifth strip reminded unchanged since the last panel in January 12, 1944. Merry March is Sleet’s last-minute alias.

So are Sam and Tracy working on separate cases?

Remember Johnny of the Glass Stem saying that if she put again foot in there he’ll break her neck. Now what’s she doing there? Did she kill Johnny or what?

Besides, wasn’t Sleet jailed for the murder of her blacknailer twist and attempted murder of Sam? Has she been paroled?

I don’t know about anybody else but I like these little sidelines like this….

Good morning™, old “business” associates !

Looks like Sam is doing some serious digging for info on Coney’s group; more specifically about who and where they are keeping Guy. ….Or this could be a sly way of sneaking in a next story preview ?

And a sudden swerve from the Trials of Dethany tale to I-know-not-what: a sub-plot? Sam seeking intel of some sort? I am not familiar with The Glass Stem, nor with the lugubrious and aromatic Sleet and her equally pouty hostess-subaltern. (But thanks to Pequod for some backstory, including the useful clarification that “Merry March” and Sleet are one and the same person….)

Interesting……….Hummmmmm!!!

It did seem incongruous to what’s been happening with Deathany.

Thank goodness we aren’t being subjected to another day of that crybaby Dethany!!!

This is one of my favorite stories, as it was the first appearance of Sam Catchem. However, after yesterday, I was really hoping to see Tracy in action. And it does not seem too likely that Sleet would return to Tracy’s city, if she did get parole, because Sam Catchem is her nemesis: she tries to avoid him. It seems at times that Mike just writes in excuses for Joe to draw classic characters. I hope this will make some kind of sense.

What is this all about??

Well this is an abrupt departure from yesterday’s strip.

I could smell out where you were sitting, Clarice…

1-SAM Hands at 10 and 2 – check! Seatbelt on – check! Lights and siren on – check! Now to go get that drink.

2-VALET: Wow! I never got to park a cop car before. I think I’ll go pull some people over for kicks.

3-SAM: Table for one. HOSTESS: Sorry Mr. Carlson. You know you’re banned ever since you got into that slap fight with Nancy Pelosi.

SAM: I’M NOT TUCKER CARLSON! Besides, he doesn’t wear bow ties anymore after Rupert Murdoch told him he looked like a second-rate George Will.

4-THERESA CHIC (better known as Tres~): It’s ok, Pearls. I’ll take him to a table. It’s dead in here tonight anyway.

5-SAM: Well, that’s mighty neighborly of you ma’am. What say you and me split a plate of spaghetti and a bottle of gin?

TRES~: I’d rather date a Yeti with a double chin.

SAM: Well, I’d rather eat with ummmm, Betty and…all of her kin?

TRES~: “And have a night of sin” would’ve been better.

SAM: DANG IT! You’re right. Just point me to my table… I’M SUCH A LOSER!

1-SAM Hands at 10 and 2 – check! Seatbelt on – check! Lights and siren on – check!

“Atomic batteries for power…turbines for speed!”

“Roger — ready to move out!”

More proof these guys can steal from Gould, and draw his characters. No proof they can tell a story. Bastardized this strip almost irreparably. Sad.

does anyone in this town have a normal name? i mean if you emigrate to japan you have to take a japanese name but do they do the same thin in tracy town?

What kind of foolishness is this? This better tie in to our current story, or somebody’s gonna pay.

Now, this is a side step I enjoy.

That’s not even a resting B face on her is it? Just pure disdain.