Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for September 10, 2023

Good morning™, everyone!

So, Hoo and Demain were the only left-handers, but Hoo was merely in the sauna, leaving Demain as “da man,” plus he is taller than Hoo, I suppose. Well, it seems reasonable and I think I could have solved it, even if I didn’t. As far as a mystery puzzle for the reader, it wasn’t as bad as some of the earlier ones.

Hoo was on first after all.

since it started with possible potential, this one was a fizzler, as well…

thank the gods it’s finally over… now after tomorrow’s installment, it’s on to the next case…

hopefully it’ll make up for the past few months worth of nothing…

No big surprise…

Well done, for a change.

Are we there yet?

Yeah, I’m sure that’s enough evidence to convict him in court! (Not!)

What a lame, unimaginative snoozefest this Norma Jean was!

Greetings and salutations, Busted Blondies!

I KNEW it was him from the start! Actually I just suspected and I was not alone in that. Those beady eyes make him look like a blonde praying mantis in the last panel. I may be in the minority but I actually liked this Minit Mystery because it gave us clues in the artwork, but Blondie was not the only lefty in this group of suspects. This made it more of a challenge but he was the most nervous of the 4. This is the way the minit mysteries should be IMO. Challenge us readers to solve the case before Tracy does.

So he swapped his batting gloves for fingerless weight lifting gloves?

- Or did MC stuff up last time?

I suspected this case was going to center around the murderer being left handed, however, big problem with the resolution is that there are plenty of left hitting baseball players who are right handed. Canadians especially (e.g. Larry Walker, Justin Morneau) because many as kids played hockey left handed.

Yellow Hair! called it in the first five minutes of this story! Am I the man or what?

firestrike1 preferences about 2 hours ago

@Gweedo it’s legal here Murray

I was into the first season, I think, where it seemed to play it for serious and not any laughs… it was also where Dr. Smith was an enemy agent working for Aeolus 14 Umbra, an unknown group that was never revealed… I lost all interest in it when it became campy… the only Irwin Allen series that didn’t go extreme campy was Land of the Giants, but Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea even got silly after a season or two…

We diverge o’ king of the fruitcakes. I was at home in “camp”. I followed them other two too.

Good morning™, bagged suspects !

The art has been good on this one minus the promptly and duly called out occasional slips. Last panel. From Demain’s expression I get the feeling he is thinking “Yeah. I’m going down but boy was it worth it”.

What if the murderer was a switch hitter?

That’s all folks! Not too bad!

Well Demain gets to emulate his hero, and go to jail for murder…

I quite liked this. Multiple clues, and only one person who fit all of them. Much better than it all depending on a single obscure clue.

But methinks we need some classic car chases and shootouts.

I solved this on the first day, not much of a mystery

Onward we go>>>>>>>>>>

I love the way murderers always admit it after seeing the detective’s chain of reasoning, and never realize that this isn’t anything you could actually bring to a jury.

Most of us nailed it – but it wasn’t very challenging.

Hoo has a smug look again in the last panel, as in the strip with his spokesperson/interpreter.

A pitcher knows how to swing a bat? Since when do pitchers in leagues above “little league” bat? It would be all “designated hitter.”

SA: Soooo, Tracy. You gonna’ do anything with that BAT?

TRACY: It’s EVIDENCE, Sam! Evidence!

SAM: Okay, I can wait.

I figured he was the bad guy just because of the eyes. He should have had a classic Tracy villain name like EggEyes.

……coulda, woulda, shoulda…….well, you didn’t….D.T did!Now let’s move on………….

Great showcase mystery – please do make it quarterly in this strip as long as it runs onward!!

And there you have it……also Mike’s art work was excellent!

Is that dog wearing a mink stole?

RE: the HOF panel – As we approach another anniversary of the events of 9/11, much love and thanks to all the search and rescue dogs who helped in the recovery effort, and in every disaster situation. Truly special dogs.

1-DT: One a youse four guys did it. I ruled out the Manager even though he also had motive. MANAGER: How come?

2-DT: turning to wall to hide his embarrassment Well, I kinda like you, ya old walrus…

3-…Anyways, I decided the killer was EITHER taller than you OR A PITCHER because a professional batter never swings above the strike zone.

4-…I should probably mention that I ruled out Watt right away because I didn’t want to be accused of profiling so that left only…

5-… Phil OR Ted Turner! And Ted has enough money to beat the rap but Phil spent all his dough on a baseball card! So… YA BUSTED!

6-SAM: What about Hoo’s bloody uniform? *DT: I said “YA BUSTED” That’s my new way of closing the case. Respect the new catch phrase, Sam!

SAM: Can I say it? DT: No.

Watt has a bad right shoulder. He was in the tub. Wet. He would use his left arm. Tall. That’s called “reasonable doubt.”

Right handed people can swing a bat left handed, accurately enough to clobber someone. “Likely” taller is not proof. Towels can be wet by anything. The Asian guy was also in the shower.

Congratulations Inspector Danger Junior. You have possibly identified a reasonable suspect, but you have no significant proof.

What happens next: His lawyer demands an immediate trial. His lawyer demands dismissal of all charges, and the D.A. concurs. His lawyer initiates a lawsuit for false arrest, the D.A. concurs, and the police department dismisses Tracy.

Then some legitimate detective has to try to pick up the pieces. And hope that jeopardy isn’t attached.

Did we every clearly establish that Hoo was on first and Watt was on second?

Who’s a good dog? Who’s a good Dog?

And me thought this was Hoo done it.

Well, that was fun. Thanks to Mike C. for the opportunity and to Eric for writing a hoot of a whodunit. If I’m ever invited again, I’ll have plenty of notes to mull over. For now, I’ll sit back and enjoy the next adventure (and comments, of course).

No real physical evidence like DNA or an eyewitness to connect Demain to the crime? Seems like any competent defense attorney should be able to get him off. As they said on “Pokerface,” Encyclopedia Brown clues have a habit of not standing up in court.

Too bad the person gripping the bat in the first panel is right-handed…

A well-done Minit Mystery in my view—a decent story for a two-week window, and mostly good art (aside from Tracy’s fedora, which seems to have been troublesome for Mike). Demain had been “da man” for me for a while, and by yesterday I was as certain as could be (see my Comment late yesterday). Tracy today, IMO, doesn’t even cite all the clues that point to Demain, who slinks away reeking of his guilt….

I thought for sure that Hoo done it.

A lot of circumstantial evidence to be arresting someone….

Darn! I was hoping it was an Agatha Christie type ending where they ALL did him in!

Hoo Demain?

Yoo Demain!