Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for April 08, 2018

Good morning™, arresting officers!

I don’t understand why Tracy is saying that “It was impossible for a spent shell casing to be located under Reeds’ body.” Isn’t that exactly where the spent shell casing was found?

I missed the point here somewhere, although a week of artwork that’s different from the usual was kind of fun.

So, is the reason she didn’t have an engagement ring because they broke up?

Motive ‘and’ clue …? ✨

Which hand does Reed use again primarily? Which way is the spent shell ejected? Was he standing by the bed or sitting on it when he was shot?

I’m gonna miss old cow catcher Tracy! And the delicious Al Capp artwork! At first, I dreaded yet another Minute Mystery, the last one being kind of a bust. But this one was rather fun.

Well, kids. Stick a fork in me. I loved drawing this week of Tracy and chewin fat with you guys has been fun.

I read the regular strip in stops and starts. So, I’ll be around. I won’t be a stranger.

You’ve got about 24hrs to give me the needle over pointy ears and creepy leprechauns. Make the best of your opportunity. Tic toc.

One more thing. I had April 8th marked in my calendar as the day we’d get a tribute to our dearly departed Vista Bill. Next Sunday?

Dom de DOM dom…

What is the meaning of the unplugged electric cord in the first panel?

If someone shoots himself, why is it impossible that he might fall forward onto the spent shell casing?

Mr. Lucas, thanks for sharing with us all week. Even though I personally did not care to see Tracy and Company drawn that way, I’m glad you had fun doing it, and I appreciate an artist who interacts with the readers.

I appreciate what Mike is trying to do here— actually show Tracy in full detective mode. But the initial deduction is flimsy, the arrest unwarranted, AND the subsequent parrafin test is dated methodology (why would the suspect’s lawyer even agree to it)? The arresting officer would need to determine beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither the corpse nor the casing were manipulated ’tween the time the suspect left the room & the 1st police arrived on the scene. Good luck in court, Tracy!

Heartily recommend Bill Pronzini’s BONES for a slightly similar suicide or murder scenario. Involves a cold case re. death of faded pulp writer.

And, John, you seem like a nice guy but the art was a mismatch for me. And not sure why Tracy’s distinctive profile is replete w/ cauliflower ears & a sickle moon chinny-chin-chin. People were always on Fletcher for drawing the lead character as too “horsey”. But this depiction of Tracy just looks mean.

When do we get the Vista Bill tribute?

About seven hours ago Gweedo said,

Good morning™, remorseless killers

I enjoyed this story, the artwork and best of all Mr. Lucas’s participation in our little Law ’n Order enforcement group.

Here I went back and re-read all the strips yesterday looking for a convoluted answer and all along it was the obvious one.

With that last panel, the first panel of the week should should have said, “This is a true story. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.”

“Uncle Ray! Get your name off that mailbox!” LOL

From Thursday’s comments: “Tracy is implying that Lenore did it – after all, he’s saying she’s the last one to see him alive.”

SO much to snark on today! First- the Crimestoppers tip: Don’t put your name on your mailbox? Because there’s NO way a criminal could look INSIDE to see whose name is on the mail.

So is that plug we see in close up a clue? And a shell casing COULD land on the bed as he fell backward, depending on which way the ejection port pointed. Otherwise, they imply his body was moved after he was shot, to be put on top of the casing. And he just struts down and says “Oh well, eenie-meenie- YOU were the last one to see him alive! So YOU are under arrest!” Maybe one of the others saw him and killed him and didn’t tell Tracy the truth.

I was worried about the legality of the arrest in this case but since the story apparently is based in the 1950’s and not 1980’s or 90’s – no problem. Tracy needed probable cause to arrest Lovecraft – the fact that she was the last person with Reeds gave him reasonable suspicion about her, and, since there were no exclusionary rules of evidence in the 50’s, the administering of a paraffin test (even without consent), with positive results, gave probable cause for her arrest.

That was a fun little story. Some awesome art, a nod to HP, a salute to Superman and a reasonable plot. Tracy can tell it wasn’t suicide, looks for evidence and finds it. Good job.

Calling Captain Colorado! Calling Captain Colorado! Are you by chance in Colorado?

Well, a week of air and space was used. Let’s get back to (hopefully) a Phishface tale.

My new postage stamp is one of Vista Bill ‘s old _avatars. I’ll wear this for a while in tribute to the fallen from Tracyville: Sydney Phillips, Morrow Cummings, and Vista Bill! And an extra shout out to Gweedo – may he be legalized once again in the near future!

I guess the lesson here is if you’re going to kill your partner, don’t do it, stick around, and tell the police you were the last one to see him alive.

After two misfires with “Minute Mysteries” it may be time to retire the concept. Not every experiment results in penicillin.

Tracy’s initial premise for the arrest seems flimsy to me. I think the shell casing could easily enough have bounced to a place on the bed ending up under the body, before the corpse toppled over backward (if Reeds was found face-up, like Reeves). But Tracy’s summation in the last panel indicates that he was nonetheless right (at least in the finding of the court). I pointed out some troubling loose ends in a Reply to Constantine500 above (where’s the weapon and what about her alibi?)….

Anyway, thanks, John Lucas, for a job well done and for being a witty presence in these Comments!

I don’t think we had enough clues to identify the killer. I thought it was the guy that walked in and asked if Reed was O.K.

Someone was asking for Vista Bill avatars to use in tribute this week. I have provided some here if you want to use these ones:

http://worldofdt.info/vistabill/tribute/

We’ll I guess my Imelda so Ustinov bouts up. So, once more, a big thanks to everyone for making it such a kick. If you’re interested in what else I’m working on, you can keep up with it here- https://www.facebook.com/JohnjoltinJohnnyLucas/posts/2092143950815624:0

Impossible?

Not a bad story, at all! Good job, Mike Curtis!