Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for June 20, 2023

Good morning™, everyone!

Tracy is not giving a lot of information to Sam, other than that the callers would want to clear up the static on their lines. We are still in the dark.

All the digging in the world won’t get us out of this pit hole of a story.

The question is; “What exactly are we digging?”

Tracy, annoyed at Sam’s constant nagging, responded by telling him; ___________________(fill in the blank)

Interesting they went out in a cruiser, doesn’t Tracy and Sam usual use unmarked cars these days?

They want to show up at the call center disguised as repairmen?

Good morning™, new car smells !

Looks like the latest in cop gear. Of course a big burg like T-ville can afford to loose the bux on such luxuries. We’re getting a lot of “static” at this end too, Dick.

Ooh a fancymobile today.

Sounds like Tracy found a call center repairman! I didn’t know Tracy covered India !

Up to date Squad Car they are driving! (They still called that?)

See, this is why it was important for the head of the MCU to stay up all night listening to the recordings from the Plenty phone. A technician would never have noticed static on the line. He’d simply have traced the signals back to the point of origin and Tracy and Sam wouldn’t have the chance to dress as repairmen for the single company in Tracyville that offers landline phone repair service.

Oh, and while it is vastly important to get those phone lines repaired Audie will not notice the problem until Tracy and Sam are wearing overalls.

Hopefully the digging is for the unmarked grave that this story is going in

(sigh) Another uncredited day.

“Well, Sam. l learned FAR too much about the Plentys and their approach to hygiene! Let’s stop at my psychologist on the way. I feel a trauma coming on. Hope Dr. Hartley can fitfir me IN!”"

And off to the DMV yet AGAIN. This time due to my middle name being misspelled on the titles of both cars. GREAT way to usher in another day of standing on a rickety ladder, cleaning the forest out of the gutters.

They drag this out much more they’ll leave skid marks on my screen

SAD OT: The Looney Bin where I performed for two years, when I first moved to the city is closing down. And, before you yahoos ASK, it was a comedy club.

I know what you yahoos were all thinking!

Mike Curtis – The Master of Nothing – strikes again . Got a good look at Sam’s two way wrist radio and Dicks overgrown Hot Wheels car but nothing else . A two panel black hole .

Is the car budget for the “Tracyville” PD so small that detectives must use marked units?

1-DT: We sure are short. We can hardly see over this modern Squad Car. SAM: That’s why we wear hats – gives a couple more inches of needed height.

2-DT: I’ve heard you could use a couple more inches but it’s not in height. SAM: True. I’ve been neglecting the bench-press lately in favor of curls. DT: Yeah…sure.

SAM: One Adam 12 – see the man. ROGER – IN ROUTE! DT: STOP THAT!

…that IS kind of a “ruff ’n tuff” poe-leece car they’re drivin’….for a change…….notice the cityscape in the background looks….eerily empty of life….just sayin’……

So the Major Crimes Unit is investigating phone scams…

MOVIE QUOTE

“I’m gonna open this town like a can of oysters”

John Davis Chandler—-MAD DOG COLL—1961

Okay,today’s purpose is to see what up-to-date squad cars the MCU is using in 2023.Not exactly Flattop Jr.‘s Wonder Car,but it’ll do.

I’m thinking of the opening credits of the 60’s cartoons with t he squad car screeching t hrough the streets at all angles.

Tomorrow—Blowtop in line at the DMV

So they look for a company digging a new line thru phone company construction records and get the location.

Apologies In Advance: Upon reflection, bringing the Lobster People who arrived in that Space Coupe in for every panel for the next 10 days was a mistake. I just couldn’t resist the hefty $1.95 the Lobster Lobby offered me.

When you SEE them, just think ‘Sam’. or ‘Tracy’, or ‘Oscar the Grouch,’ ‘fireplug’ etc.

That’s one sharp police cruiser that Tracy and Sam are using today! I’ve read how in some European and Middle Eastern countries, high-end sports cars confiscated for one reason or another or purchased are sometimes converted into police cars, used for really high speed pursuits. You, too, could be pulled over by a Porsche, Lamborghini, or Ferrari! Here’s a selection, e.g.: https://tinyurl.com/2btjlrcj

I managed to miss notice yesterday and at first today also (some Comments seem not to follow in chronological order) that Wichita1.0 is filling in for Mike Curtis for six weeks, if not more, as writer. On the one hand, this leaves me hopeful that the story will cohere better. On the other hand, I hope that Mike is okay, or if his health is not at its best that he recovers quickly.

Tomorrow, Sam and Tracy in swift, sleek pursuit of enigmatic static….