It was the best of storylines; it was the worst of storylines.
In the 1960s, the author of a 1930s science fiction detective comic strip got an idea that was “out of this world”: Let there be people on the moon! Let one of those people find her way to earth! Last of all, let her marry the detective’s (adopted) son!
Thus, turning an improbable creature into a family member.
Now, in the 21st century, we find that Mysta, formerly aka the “Moon Maid,” is not a neutral character. You love her or you hate her. That is evident from the posts on this blog – but I do feel as if Mysta “haters” are outnumbered by Mysta “lovers,” quite possibly by two to one.
Which is, I suppose, the dilemma for Mike and Joe: Bringing back the Moon Maid is sure to lose some readers even though it has already recruited others (myself, included). But to do ill to Mysta’s memory should be just as controversial, possibly losing readers, as well.
As someone who wants the real Moon Maid back, I take comfort that Mike and Joe began this by giving her a name – so far, they have been far more humane to Mysta than any previous writer, including Gould himself.
And now, the dilemma for Dick Tracy – and Mysta – fans: We know we’re dealing with at least one phony. Problem is, which one?
If this Mysta is a clone, that would count as a phony. And I think I’m not alone on this one. There are just too many pleas for Mysta to be real – or at least, as real as a comic strip character from the moon can be.
But we also know that, from the past, Zy Ghote was a phony, trying to pass off Mumbles as his own clone. Hence, the sudden relevance of the EJ’s storyline – a Mumbles that has since died of natural causes and the reappearance of his partner in crime.
Hence, my speculation that there is a death trap for Tracy in the pipeline.
(Yes, I am aware of other posts regarding problems with the Mumbles death storyline)
But then, we’ve been promised a four month storyline. That’s plenty of time for a Tracy death trap regardless of which one is the phony.
Who was it yesterday who said that, if this were a “true” cloning, the old Ghote wouldn’t have referred to it as “grunt work.”
Last, and certainly least: TraderJoe and others have mentioned that only six years have passed since Mysta’s murder. How do we know that?
If I had an ulterior motive, this is it: I want to see how JR and Sparkle deal with this.
If this Mysta is the real deal, then JR has two wives! He may have married Sparkle in good faith, but if Mysta is not dead…
Clone? No problem. Not the same person. But I believe the potential for heartbreak here even greater than if Mysta is real. A real Mysta would be messy, but more acceptable than a clone.
As for the bigamy angle, I think that is where the Montana Joe story is going – that is, Sparkle may be going away. We’ve already been told that Sparkle is having problems with the Moon Maid sightings.
The worst possible outcome, I think, would be to lead to yet another death scene, for Sparkle or Mysta, real or clone. Haven’t we all been through enough? Fictional characters, I know, I know.
Honeymoon was about 6 years old when Moon Maid died***************************I thought she was younger than that, maybe four at the most. I base that on the panel I remember showing her being held in someone’s arms as Moon Maid got into the car and was blown up. Not that an adult couldn’t hold a six year old, but it wouldn’t be typical for just standing at the door waving goodbye to someone simply making a quick run to the store.
I am still uncertain about the object in the lower right of panel 1. Some have said it is a doorknob but if so, it seems overly large compared to the door. It also does not seem to have the proper placement for a door knob. Does anyone have any other ideas?
We also see today, the silhouette of Dr. Sail’s secretary—an older woman with a bun on her head.
Accepting Mysta in the first place, let alone this second time around I think more than qualifies us as in that category. I have been familiar with the term for decades. But there is a bit of scientist in me, and I hope that something “plausible” is presented.
“Magically,” my math teacher used to say, “the answer appears,” is usually not a good answer. And if “magic” is all that is needed, just unleash Mysta on us, and let us “get over it.”
Re: If this Mysta is a clone, that would count as a phony
The ultimate clones already exist in this world: They’re called “identical twins,” people who shared the same zygote. You can’t get more “clone” than that! Yet, people who are identical twins with each other are not the same people.
Perhaps this is the line of reasoning that helped Dick Tracy uncover the Mumbles clone fraud. And I surmise that we will see it again once Tracy (Pop Pop or JR) runs into Mysta, in the flesh.
Perhaps what we’re all struggling with is something called “retroactive continuity,” a term coined to describe the problems that ongoing television shows deal with, especially long running shows, where characters previously written out of the script manage to make their ways back in – or current situations run afoul with something different actors and/or producers had done with the story in the past.
Kind of like comic strips.
Like Sam said at the end of the Jumbler, “That’s life in the funny papers!”
And speaking of the “time lag” in Dick Tracy, something similar is going on in 9 Chickweed Lane.
Some time back in March, Fluerrie asks her employee, Sven, out on a date. Night finally fell on the couple this last weekend, with this morning being the “morning after.”
Given that it has taken almost two months to tell the story of one night, I suppose that explains how only six years could have transpired in Tracy land over the last four decades.
Again, fedora’s off to Sam, “That’s life in the funny papers!”
Last, and certainly least: A lot has been made of “advanced Moon technology.”
But, one, when Mysta was first discovered, the Moon people weren’t as advanced as Diet Smith. After all, Diet had conquered space travel, the Moon people hadn’t.
Two, the current story line appears to have “banished” the Moon people, who no longer live on the Moon.
As someone else said, lots and lots of possibilities.
Searching for the right thing to say, and I think it is this:
Most of us want Mysta back. I want Mysta back.
But Mysta’s detractors have a valid point, too: Some of the storylines surrounding the Moon people were, well, “silly.”
So, in confusion (er – conclusion), I’m just hoping that the explanation for Mysta’s return isn’t too “silly.”
Any sillier than there having been people on the Moon. Or Mars.
Last, and certainly least: Assuming that six years from the bombing is correct, I think the aging issue is going to be the downfall of the old Ghote, who will be proven to be a fraud once again. The real challenge will be explaining how Mysta escaped the explosion and where she’s been all this time.
And now, the night worker day sleeper must go to bed!
sorry cheapskate, that sounded a lot more “bitchy” than i intended it to. its frustrating tho, when the same things get dragged up over and over again even tho theyve been talked about to DEATH before…. and i realise that you may not have been here when that topic was covered.. so i will delete the post i put up. my apologies
I seem to have raised Sullie’s ire (tsull2121)… Note that I said “good faith” – that includes all the legal machinations, declaration of death, and all that. I’m just saying that here is a line of fascinating possibilities given that “legally dead” may turn out to be something quite different than actually “dead”…
I like and always loved Dick Tracy as a detective comic. This weird science fiction stuff was always weird and not even good science fiction. If it just gets crazier I might just do without Tracy in my life and I’ll be sadder.
All of this discussion about clones is paralleling an anime airing right now in Japan.Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SThis is the second season of this spin-off series based on another anime. Accelerated cloning of a person with special powers who fights crime. Sound at all familiar?
Dr. Sail looks sinister to me. I don’t trust him or Zy Ghote. Retik I don’t know about yet. He doesn’t look evil but what’s up with the moon insignias?
would one of you kind professional Dick Tracyites take pity on this new fan and tell me who “Moon Maiden” is, and how she fits into the story. I’m completely in the dark about her. (but very intrigued!)
Like Sydney was saying today on another site, every new day of the strip raises more questions and mysteries. Today’s is, what is up with the moon symbols on Retik’s chest and shoulder? Does he work for someone else? Or what do those symbols mean? Anyone have any speculation on this?
Accelerated maturation – wasn’t that the theme in Star Trek, the Search for Spock? As long as the Spock clone was on the Genesis planet, he had accelerated growth; once removed from the Genesis planet, he returned to “normal” aging, conveniently landing at the precise age needed to continue the franchise…
Much as many of us want her, myself included, Moon Maid was a product of “silly science.” Bringing her back likely will require even more “silly science.”
But we want her. And, after all the miraculous “return from the grave” stories, from Dick Tracy to all other sci-fi franchises, maybe the best answer is this:
You make a point. Pining to see her family? Frustrated because she can’t zap more criminals? Upset because she can’t get her makeup right? More and more questions to ponder!
I haven’t seen the English dub of Inuyasha – The Final Chapter so I don’t know how good or bad it is. I watched them all as they were airing, in the original Japanese.
60sFan almost 11 years ago
Why is Mysta so sad? Looks like we will find out tomorrow.
Jerry1967 almost 11 years ago
I want someone to clue us in on those large secrets.
fhoffman01 almost 11 years ago
How is Mysta today? Missing! 8-)
dennis4476 Premium Member almost 11 years ago
I can’t wait for Moon Maid’s appearance! It’s going to be so moving when she is reunited with her daughter Honeymoon. I hope it will be a Sunday page.
Mongo almost 11 years ago
You do realize this is a clone of Mysta, right? This one will have no memory of a daughter.And it might get pretty ugly.
tsull2121 almost 11 years ago
WOW i made it into the top 6!!! wouldnt it be great if clonemysta was healing cause her dna got mixed with tracy’s and she had his nose!! :)
doc1947g almost 11 years ago
What happened to Vista Bill and Marg…
dvoyack almost 11 years ago
Stellaluna? Mamma mia!
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
6 AM Denver, and only eight posts? Where is everybody?
tsull2121 almost 11 years ago
hey cheapskate, its a rarity to get into the top ten these days… enjoy it while it lasts lol
David53 almost 11 years ago
She has some memories, she knows she is mysta and broke the tombstone. And she has to do crime fighting. very interesting.
tsull2121 almost 11 years ago
Stagger Lee said, 2 days ago
@tsull2121
If you use this < P > without the spaces, at the end of the last sentence, it will start a new paragraph.
stagger, thank you for the info! its appreciated
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
A Tale of Two Phonies
By Trace Dickens
It was the best of storylines; it was the worst of storylines.
In the 1960s, the author of a 1930s science fiction detective comic strip got an idea that was “out of this world”: Let there be people on the moon! Let one of those people find her way to earth! Last of all, let her marry the detective’s (adopted) son!
Thus, turning an improbable creature into a family member.
Now, in the 21st century, we find that Mysta, formerly aka the “Moon Maid,” is not a neutral character. You love her or you hate her. That is evident from the posts on this blog – but I do feel as if Mysta “haters” are outnumbered by Mysta “lovers,” quite possibly by two to one.
Which is, I suppose, the dilemma for Mike and Joe: Bringing back the Moon Maid is sure to lose some readers even though it has already recruited others (myself, included). But to do ill to Mysta’s memory should be just as controversial, possibly losing readers, as well.
As someone who wants the real Moon Maid back, I take comfort that Mike and Joe began this by giving her a name – so far, they have been far more humane to Mysta than any previous writer, including Gould himself.
And now, the dilemma for Dick Tracy – and Mysta – fans: We know we’re dealing with at least one phony. Problem is, which one?
If this Mysta is a clone, that would count as a phony. And I think I’m not alone on this one. There are just too many pleas for Mysta to be real – or at least, as real as a comic strip character from the moon can be.
But we also know that, from the past, Zy Ghote was a phony, trying to pass off Mumbles as his own clone. Hence, the sudden relevance of the EJ’s storyline – a Mumbles that has since died of natural causes and the reappearance of his partner in crime.
Hence, my speculation that there is a death trap for Tracy in the pipeline.
(Yes, I am aware of other posts regarding problems with the Mumbles death storyline)
But then, we’ve been promised a four month storyline. That’s plenty of time for a Tracy death trap regardless of which one is the phony.
Who was it yesterday who said that, if this were a “true” cloning, the old Ghote wouldn’t have referred to it as “grunt work.”
Last, and certainly least: TraderJoe and others have mentioned that only six years have passed since Mysta’s murder. How do we know that?
johnrussco almost 11 years ago
I’m wondering how JR and the Plenty family are gonna take this?
kantuck-nadie almost 11 years ago
I do hope however that the acceleration technology for clones doesn’t mean they also continue to age at the same rate.
The gentlemen of the strip certainly have put in quite a mystery to this. I’m looking forward to learning more.
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
John Russco:
If I had an ulterior motive, this is it: I want to see how JR and Sparkle deal with this.
If this Mysta is the real deal, then JR has two wives! He may have married Sparkle in good faith, but if Mysta is not dead…
Clone? No problem. Not the same person. But I believe the potential for heartbreak here even greater than if Mysta is real. A real Mysta would be messy, but more acceptable than a clone.
As for the bigamy angle, I think that is where the Montana Joe story is going – that is, Sparkle may be going away. We’ve already been told that Sparkle is having problems with the Moon Maid sightings.
The worst possible outcome, I think, would be to lead to yet another death scene, for Sparkle or Mysta, real or clone. Haven’t we all been through enough? Fictional characters, I know, I know.
Sweet Betty almost 11 years ago
Honeymoon was about 6 years old when Moon Maid died***************************I thought she was younger than that, maybe four at the most. I base that on the panel I remember showing her being held in someone’s arms as Moon Maid got into the car and was blown up. Not that an adult couldn’t hold a six year old, but it wouldn’t be typical for just standing at the door waving goodbye to someone simply making a quick run to the store.
Ray Toler almost 11 years ago
I am still uncertain about the object in the lower right of panel 1. Some have said it is a doorknob but if so, it seems overly large compared to the door. It also does not seem to have the proper placement for a door knob. Does anyone have any other ideas?
We also see today, the silhouette of Dr. Sail’s secretary—an older woman with a bun on her head.
Hmmm….I wonder what she knows?
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
Re: Suspension of disbelief
Accepting Mysta in the first place, let alone this second time around I think more than qualifies us as in that category. I have been familiar with the term for decades. But there is a bit of scientist in me, and I hope that something “plausible” is presented.
“Magically,” my math teacher used to say, “the answer appears,” is usually not a good answer. And if “magic” is all that is needed, just unleash Mysta on us, and let us “get over it.”
Re: If this Mysta is a clone, that would count as a phony
The ultimate clones already exist in this world: They’re called “identical twins,” people who shared the same zygote. You can’t get more “clone” than that! Yet, people who are identical twins with each other are not the same people.
Perhaps this is the line of reasoning that helped Dick Tracy uncover the Mumbles clone fraud. And I surmise that we will see it again once Tracy (Pop Pop or JR) runs into Mysta, in the flesh.
Perhaps what we’re all struggling with is something called “retroactive continuity,” a term coined to describe the problems that ongoing television shows deal with, especially long running shows, where characters previously written out of the script manage to make their ways back in – or current situations run afoul with something different actors and/or producers had done with the story in the past.
Kind of like comic strips.
Like Sam said at the end of the Jumbler, “That’s life in the funny papers!”
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
And speaking of the “time lag” in Dick Tracy, something similar is going on in 9 Chickweed Lane.
Some time back in March, Fluerrie asks her employee, Sven, out on a date. Night finally fell on the couple this last weekend, with this morning being the “morning after.”
Given that it has taken almost two months to tell the story of one night, I suppose that explains how only six years could have transpired in Tracy land over the last four decades.
Again, fedora’s off to Sam, “That’s life in the funny papers!”
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
Last, and certainly least: A lot has been made of “advanced Moon technology.”
But, one, when Mysta was first discovered, the Moon people weren’t as advanced as Diet Smith. After all, Diet had conquered space travel, the Moon people hadn’t.
Two, the current story line appears to have “banished” the Moon people, who no longer live on the Moon.
As someone else said, lots and lots of possibilities.
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
Searching for the right thing to say, and I think it is this:
Most of us want Mysta back. I want Mysta back.
But Mysta’s detractors have a valid point, too: Some of the storylines surrounding the Moon people were, well, “silly.”
So, in confusion (er – conclusion), I’m just hoping that the explanation for Mysta’s return isn’t too “silly.”
Any sillier than there having been people on the Moon. Or Mars.
Last, and certainly least: Assuming that six years from the bombing is correct, I think the aging issue is going to be the downfall of the old Ghote, who will be proven to be a fraud once again. The real challenge will be explaining how Mysta escaped the explosion and where she’s been all this time.
And now, the night worker day sleeper must go to bed!
tsull2121 almost 11 years ago
sorry cheapskate, that sounded a lot more “bitchy” than i intended it to. its frustrating tho, when the same things get dragged up over and over again even tho theyve been talked about to DEATH before…. and i realise that you may not have been here when that topic was covered.. so i will delete the post i put up. my apologies
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
I seem to have raised Sullie’s ire (tsull2121)… Note that I said “good faith” – that includes all the legal machinations, declaration of death, and all that. I’m just saying that here is a line of fascinating possibilities given that “legally dead” may turn out to be something quite different than actually “dead”…
Jelfring Premium Member almost 11 years ago
I like and always loved Dick Tracy as a detective comic. This weird science fiction stuff was always weird and not even good science fiction. If it just gets crazier I might just do without Tracy in my life and I’ll be sadder.
Tarry Plaguer almost 11 years ago
All of this discussion about clones is paralleling an anime airing right now in Japan.Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SThis is the second season of this spin-off series based on another anime. Accelerated cloning of a person with special powers who fights crime. Sound at all familiar?
DayDay2001 almost 11 years ago
Dr. Sail looks sinister to me. I don’t trust him or Zy Ghote. Retik I don’t know about yet. He doesn’t look evil but what’s up with the moon insignias?
Perashe almost 11 years ago
would one of you kind professional Dick Tracyites take pity on this new fan and tell me who “Moon Maiden” is, and how she fits into the story. I’m completely in the dark about her. (but very intrigued!)
willy007 almost 11 years ago
Like Sydney was saying today on another site, every new day of the strip raises more questions and mysteries. Today’s is, what is up with the moon symbols on Retik’s chest and shoulder? Does he work for someone else? Or what do those symbols mean? Anyone have any speculation on this?
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
Accelerated maturation – wasn’t that the theme in Star Trek, the Search for Spock? As long as the Spock clone was on the Genesis planet, he had accelerated growth; once removed from the Genesis planet, he returned to “normal” aging, conveniently landing at the precise age needed to continue the franchise…
Much as many of us want her, myself included, Moon Maid was a product of “silly science.” Bringing her back likely will require even more “silly science.”
But we want her. And, after all the miraculous “return from the grave” stories, from Dick Tracy to all other sci-fi franchises, maybe the best answer is this:
Less is more – just bring her back!
60sFan almost 11 years ago
You make a point. Pining to see her family? Frustrated because she can’t zap more criminals? Upset because she can’t get her makeup right? More and more questions to ponder!
Tarry Plaguer almost 11 years ago
I haven’t seen the English dub of Inuyasha – The Final Chapter so I don’t know how good or bad it is. I watched them all as they were airing, in the original Japanese.
comicd over 10 years ago
Is Sail spelled wrong?