Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 08, 2020

Good morning™, people of the park!

Apparently, “Cheeesecake” (with a triple E) is a bigtime druggie! Pequod got it right yesterday when he bet that Dollar Bill was meeting Aquarius, who turns out to be his boss.

Good morning™, park rats !

A meeting of the sleeeze brigade, while Pouch looks askance.

Neil Wick: A week or so ago, I think you mentioned a way to capture screen images of comic strips. Wondering if you could post a link to that information. (Please?)

Interesting that $1 Bill is wearing open sandals in the snow. I guess he’s not that high end of a supplier if he can’t even afford shoes.

Nice strip, today.

Presumably this is actual candy of some sort, rather than drugs…or Aquarius isn’t paying, so Dollar Bill doesn’t consider it a drug “deal” and thus his words to Pouch were technically true.

Super great images again today , thanks . And what is with Dollar Bill in flip-flops ?

I’m not sure of the interpersonal dynamics here. Aquarius needs something from Bill, and is very demanding. Is he so desperate he’s being rude to the supplier he needs? (Not a good idea, but desperate people do stupid things.) Is he really Bill’s boss, or is Bill just saying the customer is always right? (I.e., “You’re paying for it, so you’re the boss.”) If Aquarius is Bill’s boss, why would he need to go to Bill for something which, presumably, he supplied Bill with in the first place? I don’t think this strip defines the relationship between the two, but sure that will be forthcoming.

I’ve the feeling Pouch is going to share this knowledge with the cops.

More superb art today! Joe is always good, but he’s really stepped up his game lately.

I take offense to the representation of former peace loving hippies as having aged out to nothing but slovenly, capitalistic drug pushers and users! I’ll have you know that some matured into conservatively dressed, capitalistic Wall Street drug users!

If Pouch is involved, this may get interesting. He’s been known in the past to play both sides of the game.

1- SUMMER O. LOVE: Your duck looks cold. MEL T. FACE: That’s a helium tank, moron.

2- NARKY MARK: You got the “stuff”? SUMMER: Maybe. But you gotta tell me if you’re a cop. I’ve seen that on TV 1,000 times. They always ask that. SO…?

3- NARKY MARK: That’s only if you’re a hooker, idiot! Are you a hooker? SUMMER: Maybe. SO…?

Humpt!

Remembering first that the colors during the week mean little to nothing, because they are not done (or specified) by the creative team:

Tracy once discovered an underground jewelry ring’s lair (including the pre-reformed Mole) because there was a green bush in the park in the middle of winter! Pouch was part of that ring, carrying stolen gems in his balloons.

Think Aquarius is related to Scorpio?

As this story line develops, will Pouch become a Criminal Informant because Dollar Bill is conducting “business” on his “territory”? Probably cutting into his balloon business with all these unsavory characters appearing. They’re scaring his customers away.

It’ll be something if this drug pusher’s main product is opioids.

Like others before me, I am surprised that Cheesecake is the apparent user, rather than Auntie Bellum. But even if that was just a scribal error and Auntie really was intended, still in any case the aged hippie Aquarius (ponytail long hair; old army jacket with “Peace” shoulder patch) is meeting his regular dealer, Dollar Bill, for more “candy” ( crack or powder coke?). And Bill’s reluctance, or even just hesitance, stokes Aquarius (which I think may be taken as a sign of desperation). But, then, popular lore has it that drug deals are rarely if ever totally friendly.

And Pouch hears all, remembers all, and, if and when it seems to be to his benefit, spills all….

Can it be that Bill really has a conscience after all and is worried about Cheeesecake overdosing on his “candy”?

A friend of mine use to wear shorts in the middle of winter with 20-30 degree weather and snow too.