Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for March 13, 2020

Good morning™, cookie lovers!

Today, he’s definitely bleeding, even as he shakes. I’m not sure if that white thing is meant to be blood or some kind of cloth to absorb the blood. (I imagine he has a handkerchief in this dated outfit.)

Good morning™, humouring hostesses !

Crystal will get on well with these two unless they bring up that little incident with Mrs. Tracy.

Wasn’t Crystal raised in a family of criminals?(yes)

Does it make any sense that she’s so “Howdy Doody” to strangers who trespassed in her house?(no)

Does team Tracy often lose track of their characters characteristics?(absolutely)

Did Crystal hang up her slingshot?(who knows)

What a bum Shaky is. Looks like he took Crystal’s rag right from her hand without her realizing it!

I mean, what other explanation can there be for it’s sudden disappearance?

Funny how this comic turns from serious to light in just a few short days…

Growing up surrounded by gangsters sure has given Crystal the gift of being cool under pressure when one comes bumbling through your front door. Both sides definitely see the other as a threat but are willing to keep up the appearance of conversation while they assess the situation and plot their next move. Crystal already made a nice opening gambit by mentioning she lives there with dad. So while Shaky is now burdened with processing the threat possibilities of someone not even in the room (maybe not even on the property), Crystal can focus solely on the threat in front of her. What will be most interesting to me is how Edison will or won’t react. Judging by her being involved with both Roboto and Shaky, I’m guessing she’ll be an active accomplice in the coming mayhem.

Still curious about what she was polishing! Shaped like a bar of soap!

Shouldn’t she be asking how they had a key?

She is so odd. Strangers open her front door with a key they obviously shouldn’t have, and she wonders if they’re selling cookies.

I’m Shaky. You are are.

I don’t know who’s playing it cool t he most here.EVerything will be fine as long as Crystal doesn’t turn on the TV or the radio—-Shaky 2 probably on “Most Wanted List” already.May Crystal earn enough reward money to pay her way through college.

I’m Riffin’ In The Rain, I’m Riffin In The Raaiiiiinnn

1-CRYSTAL BETH: You’re probably wondering why my hair is green and covers my eyes. JAY BOGART and WHATSRNAME: No, no we weren’t.

2-CRYSTAL BETH: Well, I’ll tell ya. My old man – he squats here too – was cookin’ a batch of meth and I fell asleep next to the stove while it simmered. When I woke up, I had sensitive eyes and green hair! Whadaya think about that?

3-JAY: I think it makes as much sense as anything else in this wacky play.

CRYSTAL BETH: Hey. What are you doin’ there? Are we gonna say the Pledge of Allegiance now?

JAY: No…oh what the hell. Everybody now…

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, TO THE FLAG…

Are you selling cookies?? OMG, sure all the girl scouts look like this pair. Can you spell WTF? Kids?

Still they don’t know who they have.

Be with us on Sunday,when Diet Smith makes “the non-violent gun” available on the open market.

So Crystal has tarot cards and a flask! My kind of woman! I hope she and Edison hit it off! Shakey needs to get lost.

Anyone got odds on HoneyMoon dropping by……

“You’d be shaky too, if you had a slug in your bicep.”

“Man, I wish I had a nickel for all the times I’ve heard that one!”

Am I the only one who’s expecting this storyline to set up the return of one of Crystal’s relatives, either a recently acquired aunt (on her father’s side) or perhaps even her mother, who used to wear some oddly belted outfits (usually without conspicuous buckles, though) and the story of whose demise has a very large hole in it?

Oh enough of this chitchat. Just tie up Crystal and patch up shaky’s arm, then vamoose.

—But enough of this frivolous banter. I’m Shaky and this, little girl, is my gun, see? Edison! Tie her up and gag her!

Don’t gag her,we want to hear her dialogue.