They have that, “Who the xxxx are you?” look. Our boy Blackjack is WAY too clean for this crowd. What I’m guessing coming is, every gang needs a patsy or fall guy to take the rap. This nut will fit the bill perfectly. He seems to adore the bad guys, and I’m sure they will find some way to use him.
This group sure isn’t hard to find…….hmmmmm did we used to laugh at Goulds villians in the earlier days? I think not…..hope Abner is about ready to escape so Tracy actually has at least one worthy adversary to worry about
I just want to say that Blackjack is very similar to the Joker in his attitude towards Tracy. He doesn’t worship him as much as he feels that Tracy is the ultimate opponent. Of course winning is always nice, but don’t kill the other player, or you can’t play again.Of course, unlike the Joker, Blackjack values human lives, and doesn’t want any Innocent civilians getting hurt. In that regard he is a lot like Danny Ocean and pretty much follows the same three rules he does.1- Don’t hurt anybody.2- Don’t steal from anyone who doesn’t deserve it.3- Play the game like you have nothing to lose. It has also been mentioned that Blackjack is a sharp-shooter. He may also be a quick draw specialist. In short, if it is a fight to the death, don’t underestimate him.
They have become a rudderless group, no clear Leadership, Yet, they have a sense in common, to hang together. There have been questions, and it’s been B-B Eyes who seems to provide most of the answers.Leadership will emerge . . . is that center of gravity shifting to the Video Piracy, once near dead in a tire - man ?
Ah, meetings! Where minutes are kept and hours are lost! Wait a minute! Is anyone keeping minutes? Does anybody have an agenda for that matter?
Is it just me, or have their been humorous intermission stories running pretty much since Thanksgiving?
I’m an old Dick Tracy fan returning after decades. Truth be known, until the Milt Priggee cartoon, in which Dick Tracy satirizes Apple for its announcement of the iWatch (02 Aug 2012), I wasn’t aware that it was still in print. Coming back after decades means I have a lot of questions about what has gone in the meantime.
For now, I’ll focus on Blackjack. I think it was Avenger09 who criticized BJ, comparing him to the Jumbler, someone who thinks to outwit the police by sending them clues. Criticism of late is even worse, that BJ “worships” DT? If so, then BJ is in the wrong profession!
And another comment above, the three “rules”:
Don’t hurt anybodyDon’t steal from someone who doesn’t deserve itPlay the game like you have nothing to lose
Rule #2: Does that mean there are people who DESERVE to be robbed? Holy Robin Hood, Batman!
That wraps up this post. I’ll save my Moon Maid comments for a second post.
Good morning, VistaBill. It seems this meeting is a setup for a future story. Blackjack is amusing and a good contrast to the other characters. I think some of the lukewarm reaction to this meeting is because people are ready for Moon Maid’s story to begin.
you know, after thinking this over i’m beginning to think that “EJ’S” is just another name for “CHEERS” cause it seems that EVERYBODY knows eachother here. stieletta, to my knowledge, was never made “front page news” after kidnapping tracy so how would bb eyes know her, let alone BLACKJACK?!?!? I can see how blackjack would know the others, but mrs flattop was very much “under the radar” when she first appeared…. unless SHE recruited blackjack herself? remember, blackjack called or sent tracy a message saying that he broke out of jail by using a pez dispenser.. maybe they’ll use him to break kadaver out of the big house. still,. i dont think blackjack will fit in with these guys.. they ALL want to kill tracy, and blackjack won’t let that happen. do i perhaps see some sort of pardon or “time served” for blackjack in the future for saving tracy’s life somehow? perhaps a gunfight vs a knife throwing contest where stiletta has tracy “dead to rights” so to speak, and blackjack picks her off with a well placed bullet to save tracy’s life? we shall see
Another question before I plunge into my Moon Maid rant:
Also occurring during those lost years (when Dick Tracy wasn’t in my local newspaper): Just how did Mole go from a really bad guy to a really good guy?
The only clue I have is a clip from Wikipedia, I believe, in which Tracy is said to have “liked” the mole (like Blackjack seems to “like” Dick Tracy?) and brought him candy and cigarettes while he was in jail in a Christmas panel from the forties.
I rejoice to see a truly reformed criminal.
I just wasn’t around to see how Mole became reformed.
Coming back to Dick Tracy after all these years, as well as rummaging the Internet for old DT reprints, I think I have put my finger on Moon Maid’s popularity.
Already pointed out, Gould entered the realm of sci-fi when he introduced the two-way wrist radio. In the sixties, that morphed into the two-way wrist TV. Today, we have a “wrist wizard,” but I have no idea what the thing does – though Mike and Joe gave us a hint when he had Tracy and Honeymoon shut their WWs down to avoid being “tracked” (excursion to the moon around Christmas). (Is the WW a glorified cell phone?)
Now, let’s go back to the sixties.
John Kennedy had just been shot. Bobby Kennedy was shot. Martin Luther King had been shot. Slide slightly into the seventies, and John Lennon was shot. In the sixties again, many of our cities were on fire with riots, looting, and violence. In the meantime, a war was winding up that few understood and served to undermine our confidence in our government.
Except for the moon program. And, let’s face it, Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo were all about getting to the moon. First. Which we did.
I humbly submit that, when Gould introduced the Moon Maid, it was meant as a diversion from all that appeared to be decaying in our world. And why the diversion? While Tracy could stop criminals, he wasn’t stopping crime. And Tracy’s world had become as dark as our world. Or, was it that our world was becoming as dark as Tracy’s?
Sadly, the results of the Apollo missions pretty much eliminated the possibility of such a creature as Moon Maid, not to mention the civilization she came from. And it is worth noting that Mike and Joe are not allowing the possibility of returning to Moon Valley, even if they are teasing us with the (hopeful) return of the Moon Maid.
Now, back to today.
Last week, the Boston Marathon was bombed. At the beginning of the marathon, a moment of silence was offered for the Newtown victims. Last summer, the latest Batman movie was interrupted by another madman in Aurora (CO). In Denver, the first “legal” 420 celebration was broken up by gunmen still at large.
A few months ago, someone on these pages posted a Dick Locher cartoon from 2012, was it? – in which Dick Tracy, surrounded by rats, was digging through dirt for clues. And perhaps the most “popular” recent villain, Sweatbox, had stuffed something like fifty years of corpses into his family mausoleum.
Yes, gritty crime and detective work is the “bread and butter” of Dick Tracy.
But sometimes, when his world gets a little too dark, maybe when our world gets a little too dark, that’s when the Moon Maid fantasy is needed the most.
Last, and certainly least:
After all the teasing, if this current Moon Maid turns out to be any kind of a hoax, I, for one, would be seriously “bummed.”
Moreover, Honeymoon would be seriously “bummed,” too. Remember how she looked when they got to Moon Valley and there was no one there?
Given all the “bad guys” who have been “raised from the dead,” I think it would be a grave mistake not to raise Moon Maid from the dead.
I love the class reunion!Just hope Blackjack has his autograph book! (Do you think he’ll try to take a picture of him with his new, eh, “friends”?)Reminds me of the classic episode of Batman The Animated Series, “Almost Got ’Im,” in which the Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy and Killer Croc swap tales of how they almost got the Batman as they play poker in a dingy saloon.
I agree with Ray that stories with individual villains are preferable, but I do enjoy seeing these rogues having a quick beer as we wait for Moon Maid to appear.I also agree with cheapskate0 (by the way, great post) that it would be disappointing if Moon Maid turns out to be a fake. “Seriously bummed” is exactly how I’d feel. Actually, though, the mystery woman doesn’t need to be the original Mysta. A regenerated clone with Mysta’s memories would work just as well, as far as I’m concerned. The latter option might actually be preferable, causing less offense to the people who insist the original Moon Maid is dead, and reintroducing a trendy scifi angle to the story (cloning), which would fit nicely with the strip’s legacy. Either way, I’m very happy Curtis and Staton have reintroduced Moon Maid to a new generation of fans, and I hope she’s back to stay.
I still wonder how BB Eyes is out and about. After all he killed a COP and even a wrote a sarcastic note "Send tires anytime you can spare a man (referring to him having a hand in killing Officer O’Malley)
Like many others, I’m happy about Moon Maid’s comeback. Whatever others here may think of it, I believe we can all agree on one thing. Moon Maid has drawing power. She has the ability to create excitement. Two years ago this strip was nearly kaput. Now people can’t stop talking about a character who has allegedly been dead 30+ years. That tells us something! I hope those who aren’t thrilled with Moon Maid’s return can appreciate how she’s helping to revive this beloved detective strip.
I’m really happy Mike is recognizing the entire history of Dick Tracy as having existed and not excluding any one portion (as has been done with the Space Period and Collins era for a long time). I don’t like the insistence that Moon Maid must be real to keep the new fans. Keep writing good stories, keep us interested/surprised, and most of us will keep reading.
Yeah, sure don’t want to antagonize those wonderful politicians, Timmy…..I mean, gimme a break. And perhaps you’re too young to appreciate the Beatles, I could understand that, as I think they really stood out most to people growing up comparing them to other bands of that era, rather than to everything else since as well. I mean, a simple laptop would sure have stood out more 20 years ago too, right?
Ok, as to this Moon Maid thingie, yeah, it would be great if it was still her…….and at least she has a unique perspective you could justify bringing her back by without destroying some of the seriousness of the strip. That is, if she was human, and was able to “recover” from being blown to bits….how could you ever take death seriously again in the strip? I mean, Tracy actualy gets killed….just “bring him back, like her”, etc. But moon beings could have some unique quality, DNA or whatever, that allows it. And perhaps she just HAS been brought back……explaining why she didn’t surface earlier. Have a nice night, all!
DaJellyBelly about 11 years ago
There is not a smile in that bunch. So Blackjack, you better beware!
Mikeyj about 11 years ago
Looks as if they DO mind
margueritem about 11 years ago
I don’t see any welcoming faces….
60sFan about 11 years ago
“Folks?” Blackjack is a different sort for sure.
coldsooner about 11 years ago
They have that, “Who the xxxx are you?” look. Our boy Blackjack is WAY too clean for this crowd. What I’m guessing coming is, every gang needs a patsy or fall guy to take the rap. This nut will fit the bill perfectly. He seems to adore the bad guys, and I’m sure they will find some way to use him.
fredville about 11 years ago
This group sure isn’t hard to find…….hmmmmm did we used to laugh at Goulds villians in the earlier days? I think not…..hope Abner is about ready to escape so Tracy actually has at least one worthy adversary to worry about
blunebottle about 11 years ago
His ping-pong ball eyes are a good contrast to BB’s
Chris Colvard about 11 years ago
Tubthumping? Club Soda? Zowie!? I LOVE Blackjack!
Tarry Plaguer about 11 years ago
I just want to say that Blackjack is very similar to the Joker in his attitude towards Tracy. He doesn’t worship him as much as he feels that Tracy is the ultimate opponent. Of course winning is always nice, but don’t kill the other player, or you can’t play again.Of course, unlike the Joker, Blackjack values human lives, and doesn’t want any Innocent civilians getting hurt. In that regard he is a lot like Danny Ocean and pretty much follows the same three rules he does.1- Don’t hurt anybody.2- Don’t steal from anyone who doesn’t deserve it.3- Play the game like you have nothing to lose. It has also been mentioned that Blackjack is a sharp-shooter. He may also be a quick draw specialist. In short, if it is a fight to the death, don’t underestimate him.
SYDNEY PHILLIPS about 11 years ago
They have become a rudderless group, no clear Leadership, Yet, they have a sense in common, to hang together. There have been questions, and it’s been B-B Eyes who seems to provide most of the answers.Leadership will emerge . . . is that center of gravity shifting to the Video Piracy, once near dead in a tire - man ?
tsull2121 about 11 years ago
blackjack is gonna be their downfall… his idol worship of tracy wont let him allow tracy to get hurt.
Vista Bill Raley and Comet™ about 11 years ago
Good morning all…
APersonOfInterest about 11 years ago
Good morning VB!!!-Is DDT (Detective Dick Tracy) about to face ALL his foes?
Cheapskate0 about 11 years ago
Ah, meetings! Where minutes are kept and hours are lost! Wait a minute! Is anyone keeping minutes? Does anybody have an agenda for that matter?
Is it just me, or have their been humorous intermission stories running pretty much since Thanksgiving?
I’m an old Dick Tracy fan returning after decades. Truth be known, until the Milt Priggee cartoon, in which Dick Tracy satirizes Apple for its announcement of the iWatch (02 Aug 2012), I wasn’t aware that it was still in print. Coming back after decades means I have a lot of questions about what has gone in the meantime.
For now, I’ll focus on Blackjack. I think it was Avenger09 who criticized BJ, comparing him to the Jumbler, someone who thinks to outwit the police by sending them clues. Criticism of late is even worse, that BJ “worships” DT? If so, then BJ is in the wrong profession!
And another comment above, the three “rules”:
Don’t hurt anybodyDon’t steal from someone who doesn’t deserve itPlay the game like you have nothing to lose
Rule #2: Does that mean there are people who DESERVE to be robbed? Holy Robin Hood, Batman!
That wraps up this post. I’ll save my Moon Maid comments for a second post.
Jerry1967 about 11 years ago
Good morning, VistaBill. It seems this meeting is a setup for a future story. Blackjack is amusing and a good contrast to the other characters. I think some of the lukewarm reaction to this meeting is because people are ready for Moon Maid’s story to begin.
tsull2121 about 11 years ago
you know, after thinking this over i’m beginning to think that “EJ’S” is just another name for “CHEERS” cause it seems that EVERYBODY knows eachother here. stieletta, to my knowledge, was never made “front page news” after kidnapping tracy so how would bb eyes know her, let alone BLACKJACK?!?!? I can see how blackjack would know the others, but mrs flattop was very much “under the radar” when she first appeared…. unless SHE recruited blackjack herself? remember, blackjack called or sent tracy a message saying that he broke out of jail by using a pez dispenser.. maybe they’ll use him to break kadaver out of the big house. still,. i dont think blackjack will fit in with these guys.. they ALL want to kill tracy, and blackjack won’t let that happen. do i perhaps see some sort of pardon or “time served” for blackjack in the future for saving tracy’s life somehow? perhaps a gunfight vs a knife throwing contest where stiletta has tracy “dead to rights” so to speak, and blackjack picks her off with a well placed bullet to save tracy’s life? we shall see
Cheapskate0 about 11 years ago
Another question before I plunge into my Moon Maid rant:
Also occurring during those lost years (when Dick Tracy wasn’t in my local newspaper): Just how did Mole go from a really bad guy to a really good guy?
The only clue I have is a clip from Wikipedia, I believe, in which Tracy is said to have “liked” the mole (like Blackjack seems to “like” Dick Tracy?) and brought him candy and cigarettes while he was in jail in a Christmas panel from the forties.
I rejoice to see a truly reformed criminal.
I just wasn’t around to see how Mole became reformed.
Cheapskate0 about 11 years ago
And now, my Moon Maid comments:
Coming back to Dick Tracy after all these years, as well as rummaging the Internet for old DT reprints, I think I have put my finger on Moon Maid’s popularity.
Already pointed out, Gould entered the realm of sci-fi when he introduced the two-way wrist radio. In the sixties, that morphed into the two-way wrist TV. Today, we have a “wrist wizard,” but I have no idea what the thing does – though Mike and Joe gave us a hint when he had Tracy and Honeymoon shut their WWs down to avoid being “tracked” (excursion to the moon around Christmas). (Is the WW a glorified cell phone?)
Now, let’s go back to the sixties.
John Kennedy had just been shot. Bobby Kennedy was shot. Martin Luther King had been shot. Slide slightly into the seventies, and John Lennon was shot. In the sixties again, many of our cities were on fire with riots, looting, and violence. In the meantime, a war was winding up that few understood and served to undermine our confidence in our government.
Except for the moon program. And, let’s face it, Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo were all about getting to the moon. First. Which we did.
I humbly submit that, when Gould introduced the Moon Maid, it was meant as a diversion from all that appeared to be decaying in our world. And why the diversion? While Tracy could stop criminals, he wasn’t stopping crime. And Tracy’s world had become as dark as our world. Or, was it that our world was becoming as dark as Tracy’s?
Sadly, the results of the Apollo missions pretty much eliminated the possibility of such a creature as Moon Maid, not to mention the civilization she came from. And it is worth noting that Mike and Joe are not allowing the possibility of returning to Moon Valley, even if they are teasing us with the (hopeful) return of the Moon Maid.
Now, back to today.
Last week, the Boston Marathon was bombed. At the beginning of the marathon, a moment of silence was offered for the Newtown victims. Last summer, the latest Batman movie was interrupted by another madman in Aurora (CO). In Denver, the first “legal” 420 celebration was broken up by gunmen still at large.
A few months ago, someone on these pages posted a Dick Locher cartoon from 2012, was it? – in which Dick Tracy, surrounded by rats, was digging through dirt for clues. And perhaps the most “popular” recent villain, Sweatbox, had stuffed something like fifty years of corpses into his family mausoleum.
Yes, gritty crime and detective work is the “bread and butter” of Dick Tracy.
But sometimes, when his world gets a little too dark, maybe when our world gets a little too dark, that’s when the Moon Maid fantasy is needed the most.
Last, and certainly least:
After all the teasing, if this current Moon Maid turns out to be any kind of a hoax, I, for one, would be seriously “bummed.”
Moreover, Honeymoon would be seriously “bummed,” too. Remember how she looked when they got to Moon Valley and there was no one there?
Given all the “bad guys” who have been “raised from the dead,” I think it would be a grave mistake not to raise Moon Maid from the dead.
Right now, the world is a bit too dark.
It’s time to bring back the Moon Maid.
avenger09 about 11 years ago
Ye Gads, who dropped the ball and forgot to order the Pu Pu Platter? How the heck can we have a meeting without any finger food? Sheesh!!!
I Go Pogo about 11 years ago
Good morning VB and all – and welcome to the boards cheapskate and thank you for a very well written opinion.
Cheapskate0 about 11 years ago
John Lennon – shot 1980 – good catch! Sorry for the error.
John Lennon shot 1980 – now THAT makes me feel OLD!
steveyorkdesigns about 11 years ago
The colorist almost completely missed his tie in the first panel.
tarabuff about 11 years ago
I love the look on everyone’s face. It looks to me,Blackjack is too big for their little group.
tarabuff about 11 years ago
@Ray Toler I agree with you there.
Can't Sleep about 11 years ago
I love the class reunion!Just hope Blackjack has his autograph book! (Do you think he’ll try to take a picture of him with his new, eh, “friends”?)Reminds me of the classic episode of Batman The Animated Series, “Almost Got ’Im,” in which the Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy and Killer Croc swap tales of how they almost got the Batman as they play poker in a dingy saloon.
willy007 about 11 years ago
I agree with Ray that stories with individual villains are preferable, but I do enjoy seeing these rogues having a quick beer as we wait for Moon Maid to appear.I also agree with cheapskate0 (by the way, great post) that it would be disappointing if Moon Maid turns out to be a fake. “Seriously bummed” is exactly how I’d feel. Actually, though, the mystery woman doesn’t need to be the original Mysta. A regenerated clone with Mysta’s memories would work just as well, as far as I’m concerned. The latter option might actually be preferable, causing less offense to the people who insist the original Moon Maid is dead, and reintroducing a trendy scifi angle to the story (cloning), which would fit nicely with the strip’s legacy. Either way, I’m very happy Curtis and Staton have reintroduced Moon Maid to a new generation of fans, and I hope she’s back to stay.
Maximara about 11 years ago
I still wonder how BB Eyes is out and about. After all he killed a COP and even a wrote a sarcastic note "Send tires anytime you can spare a man (referring to him having a hand in killing Officer O’Malley)
fhoffman01 about 11 years ago
Like many others, I’m happy about Moon Maid’s comeback. Whatever others here may think of it, I believe we can all agree on one thing. Moon Maid has drawing power. She has the ability to create excitement. Two years ago this strip was nearly kaput. Now people can’t stop talking about a character who has allegedly been dead 30+ years. That tells us something! I hope those who aren’t thrilled with Moon Maid’s return can appreciate how she’s helping to revive this beloved detective strip.
holiday76 about 11 years ago
I’m really happy Mike is recognizing the entire history of Dick Tracy as having existed and not excluding any one portion (as has been done with the Space Period and Collins era for a long time). I don’t like the insistence that Moon Maid must be real to keep the new fans. Keep writing good stories, keep us interested/surprised, and most of us will keep reading.
mrichman about 11 years ago
Blackjack looks daffy with those bug eyes.
fredville about 11 years ago
Yeah, sure don’t want to antagonize those wonderful politicians, Timmy…..I mean, gimme a break. And perhaps you’re too young to appreciate the Beatles, I could understand that, as I think they really stood out most to people growing up comparing them to other bands of that era, rather than to everything else since as well. I mean, a simple laptop would sure have stood out more 20 years ago too, right?
Ok, as to this Moon Maid thingie, yeah, it would be great if it was still her…….and at least she has a unique perspective you could justify bringing her back by without destroying some of the seriousness of the strip. That is, if she was human, and was able to “recover” from being blown to bits….how could you ever take death seriously again in the strip? I mean, Tracy actualy gets killed….just “bring him back, like her”, etc. But moon beings could have some unique quality, DNA or whatever, that allows it. And perhaps she just HAS been brought back……explaining why she didn’t surface earlier. Have a nice night, all!
boboscar 2 months ago
And the musical notes let us know that Tubthumping is still playing:
https://www.youtube.Com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc