Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for June 25, 2024

Enjoy a brand new VengyTale – “The Goat’s on you!”

In your search bar type in Youtube Avenger09

One thing you gotta say about Gabriel. He doesn’t run a nickel-and-dime operation.

Good morning™, everyone!

I had a feeling that the logo “–30– 4T” was pronounced “thirty-forty” so I’m happy to see that I guessed right on that. Those are pretty hefty payments!

Good morning™, Cryptic Numerals !

This is almost Voo Doo and Sam has the stick pin, right between his teeth. ‘Long Face’ is looking better today.

I can’t remember what goofy ’toon/comic P.3 Sam reminds me of ?

It’s secret code. Type “3040” into a calculator and rotate it 180 degrees. It reads “OhOE.”

That’s some serious money….$3,750,000 in around six weeks time.

Nice work if you can get it….and he definitely got it.

I am a little lost, I will wait for tomorrow!

Like the detail on panel 2!

Liz has got a handle as to the goings on. When the time comes, will she be the one who makes the arrest?

The “hidden ad” for both Micro$oft and App£e in the 2nd panel is quite surprising. Trivia : did you know that early versions of OpenOffice (v2 and maybe v3) could open any password protected xls file (not xlsx) without even asking ?

A $750,000 payment, five days after a $500,000 payment?

Pierce was a total moron. He wasn’t guilty of any crime. He was guilty of serious errors in judgement that were common at the time of the S&L crisis. It was embarrassing, but it wasn’t criminal. The worst that could happen? Getting tossed out of your country club and maybe losing your current job as the head of a prestigious bank – so you retire with millions. To let blackmailers bleed him at those ridiculous rates, and that fast rather than going to the police? No, the man was not a total moron. Total morons are smarter than that. How did a guy to stupid to know how to work a paper clip become head of a large bank?

Well WE know what 3040 means. But I’m not sure Sam does. And WOW! Millions moved in weeks. That’s a lot of Ma Zooma!

If it was really crypto, there would be a mention of wallets somewhere. Apparently MaZooma is Bitcoin. If it were some kind of celebrity token, you wouldn’t be asking everyone to pay in it. Also, who uses year-free dates in a spreadsheet like that? Is Gabriel going to cut and run in like, 10 minutes?

BTW, there supposedly is a font named “Standard” fontsarenacom/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/standard-free-fontpng

Sam Catchem is on the job !

>Whew< I just can’t take this whirlwind pace.

….I’ll just comment on Sam’s bow tie……..nice shade of red!! Oooooooo!!…..there, my work is done here……………

Ah the plot thickens.

1- SAM: What do want, you? BITSEY BYTE: I see by your tiny wood that you’re happy to see me. Anyway…

2: I figured out the code you used on the Department’s Graft Payments spreadsheet. It was PASTRAMI – all caps. Why do they entrust you of all people with sensitive info like this?

3- SAM: My laptop had the copy of Excel, only. BITSEY: Useful, that’s. ARRRGGHH. NOW YOU GOT ME DOING IT. SAM: OK. I’ll stop. Say – write that password on a Post It Note that I can stick on my laptop, for me. I don’t wanna forget, again it.

SAM IN PANEL 3: PUT HOAGIE HERE! NOW.

Wow…is Sam angry…frustrated….disappointed? His facial expression is a puzzlement?

Sam finally has a toothpick again—AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!

The problem with high-dollar blackmail AND a personal touch, is that it only takes one potential victim to decide to use the money in another way, and get in touch with the right guy. “I’d like very much for this Gabriel person and his little newspaper to never bother me again.”

So a summary of the problems with the above spreadsheet (some of which already mentioned):

1) The use of a little-known “Standard” font.

2) No years on the dates of the transactions (I guess due to the TPTB wanting the strip to be somewhat timeless).

3) The payments date interval between transactions varies between 5 and 15 days, and yet, consistently the transaction amount consistently alternates between $500,000 and $750,000.

4) The terminology of Excel uses the term “worksheet tab”, not “spreadsheet tab”. (An Excel spreadsheet contains one or more worksheets.)

5) The final problem: For some reason, this particular spreadsheet has brought out the nitpicker in me! LOL

Panel 3 – Sam’s face appears strange / younger than usual – or at least in my view. Not the crusty old cop we know and love. Perhaps the way the face is drawn causes confusion.