Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for April 17, 2024

Good morning™, everyone!

This looks like confirmation that nobody ever heard of Scardol robbing banks before, so I think this is something that Mike Curtis invented. If he never spent any of the bank money, there is probably a story about where he “buried the treasure.” Unfortunately, we are not quite there yet.

This story is more boring than Firestrike’s love life!

what SHALL I do with the money and where SHOULD I stash the stash?…

decisions decisions decisions… it ain’t easy being a small-time robber…

“You never heard that before because the new writer made it up.”

“New writer? What do you mean? What new writer?”

“The new writer that made me up! I didn’t exist until last week.”

Good morning™, New Backstories !

Looks credible so far. Love the running silhouette and the back view of Scarface as he surveys his haul. I sure could use a fist full of Bengies, like what his face is holding (only real actual legal tender and not the “Mono” money he is flashing).

I could be wrong, but I seem to have a memory that there was a storyline several years ago, when the Apparatus or whatever that crime outfit where everyone wore masks was called was after a lost fortune … I think Mumbles was involved & looking for clues to the location (now I could use Boboscar’s list of Tracy stories) … assuming this storyline is about CropTop after Scandal’s hidden loot, Mike’s tradition of recycling material continues.

So Mike did a “He did, but didn’t”? Oh Brother!

He (Scardol) planned to retire on the bank money…was he going to use a radio flyer wagon to transport it?

Masked? Looks like they do read the comments. Still loving the artwork….

Maybe he is saving up his bank job money until he gets enough to by a gas station.

You would think all those bags of money would be stashed in a more secure location!

Artwork is great today, like it!

I’m beginning to think that Dave is a plant

“Wait, Croptop, he stole money from four banks and didn’t spend any of it?”

“Not a penny.”

“But that makes no sense!”

“He’s a Dick Tracy villain. He doesn’t have to make sense. I don’t. And he wrote down where he buried it, and someone who has the book would rather sell it to me than dig it up for himself.”

“And that makes negative sense.”

Yes. You told us yesterday there’s a story. Perhaps you can start telling that story, instead of telling us that there’s a story again.

I like the cut of this Scardol’s jib .

The last half of the Dillinger Gang’s bank robberies in 1933-1934 netted the robbers sums between about $17,000 and $75,000. Using that as a template, one might reasonably suggest that Scardol, in performing four robberies, might have collected anywhere between $60,000 and $250,000 in Depression-era money. Depending on how he got his loot, and when, there could be issues of the numismatic value of any stash (e.g., a pre-1933 batch of gold certificates, or high-denomination bills). The lack of notoriety and knowledge regarding his bank robbing might indicate, of course, that the take was smaller.

…..Scarsie decided to play it safer by ratcheting down to gas stations……..probably figured the personnel in said businesses were, well, a ’lil less math-strong then bank tellers……..probably even says “Stick ’em up!!”…just like in the movies!!………..

Nearly got away with it when one teller saw him above the handkerchief and mistakenly identified the thief as Lightbulb Head, a small-time jaywalker who consequently did ten years for a crime he never committed.

I get the the scheme.

1) Steal all the cash in the city, bankrupting the banks in the process.

2) Open a bank with the stolen loot.

3) Deny loans for all law enforcement people.

Of course there is. And now still another flashback begins. when did he rob the 4 banks? How much did he get? Lone thief couldn’t be much.

There’s ALWAYS a story.

In everyone’s life there is a story…..but in his case it must be a doozy!

“But there’s a story…”

[tired sigh] There always is.

That paper money is only going to lose value. A smart crook would have laundered and invested it.

HEY! THERE WAS “A STORY” YESTERDAY TOO!!! (I wonder it it’s the same one!)

1-CLEANCUT: I’m exercising my bicep by doing curls with one of my stacks. It will help me carry out more dough during our next heist…

2-CRAPPIETOP: I like your dedication to the craft. I’ve heard that infamous villain, Double Ugly, used to go practice sprints from the bank’s steps to his car with a heavy 45 and a bag full of wet newspapers. UNFORTUNATELY…

3-…when he finally DID rob a bank, he threw the loot on a table that was full of his “practice” bags and then couldn’t figure out which one had the dough! He eventually gave up and THE STORY is that the dough is still out there somewhere for the taking! Oh. And that it’s guarded by his ghost. Almost forgot that part. OOOOooHHHH!

well, of course there is…

There is always “a story”

I hope this one doesn’t fizzle out like the hunt for Stooge Viller’s lost fortune a few years ago