YES YES YES YES YES!!! HOORAY for Mike and Joe!!!!! And Charlie, for one, use a tripod and two, good thing you went camera LEFT. It was the “reporter’s” right. And what’s that crook doing, leaving the money and taking her ATM card?
Too adult for Honeymoon, And Moonmaid’s dead ! ;-)
Who knows ? Perhaps Gravel Gertie to the recsue here, no rifle this time but cattle prod, ’ electric ’ switch on. ???-OR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iiXUeil5fQ&feature=related
The **"**reactions**"** today and TOMORROW may well determine a lot, on EXACTLY what happens in the future.-I’ll be keeping a close eye, and I’m sure the Authors have a keen eye opened too !(?)
1) This is Moon Maid, who WASN’T killed by that car bomb. She has . . . regenerated, or something. You know, like Spock?
2) This is Honeymoon, who’s been in an adolescent “larval” stage all these years, and has now acheived full adulthood, with all her Lunar powers.
3) This is another Lunar person, who has somehow made it to Earth. Maybe one of Moon Maid’s relatives?
Of these three possible scenarios, the one that intrigues me the most is the first. Imagine poor Junior having to explain to Moon Maid that he’s now married to Sparkle!
Whatever it is, I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Looks like I’m in the minority here. I thought Max Allen Collins and Rick Fletcher did the right thing for the strip when they ended the “moon era” with a bang. I don’t want to see the return of the moon people and especially not the anti-grav garbage cans. Oh well. If the writing remains as good as it has been, maybe I can set my prejudice aside. Maybe.
For the love of all that is holy— no Moon Maid PLEASE! If you wanted to bring her back then Day #1, this strip should have been retconned (ala DC this past year). My biggest concern w/ the strip has been this overwhelming, unwieldy approach to nostalgia & 80+ years of continuity which yes…the Tracy scholars/fanboys/long-time readers will dig. But new readers which I’m assuming this strip needs to survive? Is bringing back MM from a very niche period of the strip’s run going to accomplish that?
& if it her…you have her running in the same loop— “vigilante” crime fighter just like the start of the ’64 Matty Square story. What are you bringing to the table w/ this guys?
It can’t be Moon Maid! She’s dead; been dead for many years; should stay dead! So, Honeymoon with a new, grown-up hairdo and powers? It can’t be Moon Maid!
Hey, this is awesome! Who knows maybe its a clone of Moon Maid! OR a relative! To Joe and Mike,keep this up! I love this idea of bringing back past allies and enemies. Ever since Joe and Mike took over, I started reading Dick Tracy again. Keep up the awesome work!
Oh yeah, this is all good. Whoever this female is, it’s great to see Moon Maid again. What a cutie! And she seems to be wearing her original red hot outfit, which makes it even more fun. I cannot wait to see tomorrow’s strip!!
While I feel the Moon Maid continuity should be kept, I welcome the return of a new Moon Person to the strip after what, 43 years? Will we have an air car chase?
My humble opinion on all this: the “Moon Period” was the one big mistake that Chester Gould made in his career. It changed the flavor of the strip from “Big City Detective Drama” to “Science Fiction”. All of Chet’s other “wild” ideas – heart transplants, mobile communications, closed circuit t.v., CSI type lab work at the police dept. – all proved out to be possible and true in real life. But the Moon stuff was just completely fiction, and it made no sense for a big city cop to be going on international space missions, anyway. Suddenly, Dick Tracy was trying to be James Bond, or something. (Even Bond never went to the moon, as far as I know.) It was kind of entertaining, but it just wasn’t Dick Tracy. Even the “flying garbage cans” could have been reasonable, if they had been introduced by Diet Smith as another invention, but I think they were a gift from the Moon People. It was all of this that made me lose interest in the strip back in the mid sixties, although I revisited it in the early seventies, just in time for the “Pouch and Chameleon and Johnny Scorn and Molene” continuity, and that was a pretty good run of story telling.
To me, Dick Tracy should be the cop in the trenchcoat and snap brim fedora who flashes his badge, pinned on the inside of his coat, examines the crime scene, folloes the clues, and chases the weird villians, while, ’Meanwhile, on the other side of town"… something else is happening that will intertwine with the current story. Mike and Joe have a good start on all of this, and, IMHO Moon stories would ruin it.
That being said, someone this morning already speculated that this might be a civilian, with some kind of invention, who is imitating Moon Maid on a quest to be a vigilante against street crime. I thought of that too. That may well be the answe.
Mike has been here already this morning. He said he would be very interested in reaction. Thank you, Mike for taking the time to read my post, and everybody else’s.
And, Joe, you certainly nailed the art – that hair style and body posture is just exactly like the original. We all knew the instant we saw her!
Holy Guacamole! My poor brain just did a melt-down. I, for one, was just starting to read the Sunday Tracy strips during the Moon era and as a kid I took it hook line and sinker! I don’t think any portion of DT history is to be swept under the rug…even the grainery.
Speculation abounds – my two cents…the street vendor seems to be featuring an eclectic mix that may include sci-fi/comic icons and the blonde stepping into frame may be involved in cosplay.
And what about the robber leaving the cash? He certainly seems more interested in the object (paper perhaps?) the victim was holding.
Oh man oh man oh man…Mike and Joe you just keep it going!
Don’t, of course, know what’s happening yet, but if the moon people are being brought back then I must agree with Ohio Ken and others —It just ruins an otherwise great comic strip.
LOVE IT!Of course, it isn’t Moon Maid – but think how this is going to affect Junior, and poor Honeymoon!For the crook prefering the credit card – crooks aren’t usually too smart – or they’d have chosen another line of work!Can’t wait to see where this storyline goes!Great stuff! Woo Hoo!
Moon Maid or an impersonator? If Moon Maid—how? One way or another, today’s strip has everyone talking about Dick Tracy.
Like the Moon era or not, This is a brilliant development to bring more interest to the strip. Look how everyone’s talking today. 9 am Central and already 33 comments.
However this continues to develop, I completely trust and admire Mike as a storyteller. He hasn’t disappointed me yet.
My curiosity about where this is going certainly overcomes any love or prejudice I might have about the moon era characters.
I would urge everyone not to jump to conclusions based upon their like or dislike for this period based upon one panel. This story has a lot more to tell. I doubt that a true detective like Tracy would jump to conclusions without knowledge of all of the facts.
I was not a great fan of the Moon era but did not hate it either. Now, I just want to see what happens.
I don’t think it’s Honeymoon, but rather, an imposter of some sort who will be central to the next story (for long-time Tracy follwers, remember, MM received extensive “press” coverage in Tracy’s city, and beyond).
What better way to make a strike at a Tracy family member than through a dead relative (I firmly believe that MM did indeed die in that Collins/Fletcher story).
When I was a kid, I always loved Moon Maid. As for bringing her back, why not? This is a fictional strip and does not have to adhere to the laws of the natural world. Otherwise, Dick Tracy would now be at least 110 years old! This isn’t Gasoline Alley, ya know.
I would like to thank the Tracy team for bringing the ‘agony’ back to Dick Tracy. By agony I mean the agony of having to wait until the next day to see one more brief glimpse of the story. I started reading Tracy after the ‘moon period’. I have no problem with bringing back a moon character or two. From the previous stories i am certain this new team won’t let it go too far.
I think that we have another Selenite coming to Earth for some reason; we don’t have enough information available yet to determine whether she is good or evil. The impostor theory is a good one, but suffers from the lack of a motive. Yes, someone could be trying to strike at Tracy and company by impersonating a dead loved one, but all the police would have to do to prove that it is not Moon Maid is to exhume her body. Of course, it’s still very early days with this story line, and Mike and Joe have yet to disappoint us, so I intend to wait and see how this turns out. On a final note, if this does turn out to be an impostor, she better pray that Tracy gets her before Junior and Honeymoon do.
Always loved the moon era, so that wonderful third panel put me in orbit! Go Moon Maid, or her look-alike.Is there crime in space? (Hint: corpus delecti, corpus delecti).
Yes, the Loop is downtown Chicago. It is literally the area looped by the elevated tracks upon which runs the green, orange, brown, purple and pink lines.
I always thought if Moon Maid would be brought back… "Her father The Governor was watching on “Lunar TV” and zapped her out of the car right before the bomb went off! He kept her from any Earth Contact to keep her safe, and she reluctantly agreed. That is one scenario … ALL I know is that this is like a dream come true for me. I have ALWAYS been a MOON MAID / Moon era fan!
Also, for those who may not be 100% “on board” with MM – we have to remember back in the day, she was heavily-marketed appearing on DT lunchboxes, and the like (and she was even featured in DT episodes on “Archies TV Funnies” in the early 70’s).
I am with you “No Habla” Moon Maid Forever! Can’t it be tomorrow already? The suspense is KILLING ME! Loved the Moon era! As someone posted earlier, it is a fictional strip after all.
Hokey smokes – for the first time ever I think I picked up on an artisitic continuity error in today’s strip before anyone else commented on it…but in a nut shell – who the heck cares?
Tsull usually tries for the top ten each day…well I’m proud to be number 72!
For those who missed the moon era, or want to revisit it, you can see most of it here:I Love Comix Archive – Dick Tracy 1963It will ask you to register, but it is free, and there is no confirmation, so just fill in your name, email, and how you found out about it, and your in!It is one of my favorite resources, next to finding the published books, since I haven’t seen much of the 60’s in print.There is also many more years of Tracy as well as many of your other favorite strips, like Terry and the Pirates.
Looks like I’m comment #78, meaning the current strip is generating a lot of interest. I’m not much of a fan of the Moon Maid era, but I’m willing to cut Mike and Joe a lot of slack to see how they handle it. Tread lightly, please, Team Tracy.
Mike, Joe & crew, I trust you to make this AWESOME! No matter how much of the “Moon” period is brought back (either just talked about in flash-back/retrospective, or actually reintroducing Moon culture fully). I don’t think any of you have anything to worry about how that period fits in to continuity or the Now of this strip.
I for one am jumping on this roller coster while there is still a seat. I’m putting on the seat belt and other safety things, but I’m riding with my arms in the air and a “WHOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” in my lungs!!!!!!!
I would have told the photog to “pan left” in this instance. But he would have known what to do, seeing the reporter turn and hearing the noise to his left.
Five years later, this day’s strip is worth commemorating.
With this strip, Mike Curtis and Joe Staton really came into their own. While their work of the past year and a half had been good and even great, they had the benefit of being an easy act to follow.
For nearly 35 years there’d been an “official” history of the Dick Tracy strip that went something like this, “But then things went back when Gould put all this sci-fi Moon Era nonsense into the strip and created that awful character Moon Maid whom everybody hated. But then Max Allan Collins took over the strip and saved the day by killing off that stupid Moon Maid!” It was a history that was repeated constantly, made believable to “newbs” like myself born after 1969, since we all know there’s no life on the Moon, so of course Moon Maid and the Moon Era were stupid and shameful and best left forgotten.
Even in Mike & Joe’s first year, this “history” was still manifest, with the then current epilogue, “Mike’s clearly following the example of Gould and Collins”. Which would be saying he’s following only Collins and the parts of Gould that Collins deemed worthwhile.
But even in that first year there were hints that this wasn’t the case. Mike returned Honeymoon to prominence, provided an in-story explanation for why Diet Smith stopped using the Space Coupe (which is more than Collins ever did), and brought back Vera Alldid, a character Collins had never shown once in his tenure.
But with this strip, with the “return” of Moon Maid, Mike made everybody stand up and take notice. It brought back Moon Era fans who’d been alienated by Collins killing her off, showed people like me that the Moon Era did have it’s fans, that this was as much a proud part of Tracy’s history as anything else Gould had done. And it showed Mike was honoring all of Gould’s time with the strip, including the parts Collins had tried to suppress. For this reason, I feel Mike is the strip’s best post-Gould writer.
margueritem over 11 years ago
Is that Honeymoon? Or Moon Maid?
60sFan over 11 years ago
Whaaaat—is that who I think it is?!!? MOON MAID?!? Can’t be, but who?
Buzza Wuzza over 11 years ago
Yow! Moon chicks! What trouble they always made back in the old days! Cute though.
bfwndtd over 11 years ago
Wasn’t Moon Maid killed in a car bomb?
Vista Bill Raley and Comet™ over 11 years ago
Good morning all…
Another surprise!
doctor075 over 11 years ago
Holy Doppelganger Batman!
FLIGHT SUIT over 11 years ago
But is she responding to this crime…
OR PARTICIPATING IN IT!?!?!?
coldsooner over 11 years ago
YES YES YES YES YES!!! HOORAY for Mike and Joe!!!!! And Charlie, for one, use a tripod and two, good thing you went camera LEFT. It was the “reporter’s” right. And what’s that crook doing, leaving the money and taking her ATM card?
sydney over 11 years ago
Too adult for Honeymoon, And Moonmaid’s dead ! ;-)
Who knows ? Perhaps Gravel Gertie to the recsue here, no rifle this time but cattle prod, ’ electric ’ switch on. ???-OR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iiXUeil5fQ&feature=related
johnrussco over 11 years ago
this is soooo cool
sydney over 11 years ago
The **"**reactions**"** today and TOMORROW may well determine a lot, on EXACTLY what happens in the future.-I’ll be keeping a close eye, and I’m sure the Authors have a keen eye opened too ! (?)
BellsAndMotley over 11 years ago
My theories:
1) This is Moon Maid, who WASN’T killed by that car bomb. She has . . . regenerated, or something. You know, like Spock?
2) This is Honeymoon, who’s been in an adolescent “larval” stage all these years, and has now acheived full adulthood, with all her Lunar powers.
3) This is another Lunar person, who has somehow made it to Earth. Maybe one of Moon Maid’s relatives?
Of these three possible scenarios, the one that intrigues me the most is the first. Imagine poor Junior having to explain to Moon Maid that he’s now married to Sparkle!
Whatever it is, I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Major Matt Mason Premium Member over 11 years ago
Hee! Hoo,boy… :D
daedalusomega over 11 years ago
I most definitely want Moon Maid back! Mike and Joe, this is awesome!
CaptainKiddeo over 11 years ago
Looks like I’m in the minority here. I thought Max Allen Collins and Rick Fletcher did the right thing for the strip when they ended the “moon era” with a bang. I don’t want to see the return of the moon people and especially not the anti-grav garbage cans. Oh well. If the writing remains as good as it has been, maybe I can set my prejudice aside. Maybe.
tconstantine900 over 11 years ago
For the love of all that is holy— no Moon Maid PLEASE! If you wanted to bring her back then Day #1, this strip should have been retconned (ala DC this past year). My biggest concern w/ the strip has been this overwhelming, unwieldy approach to nostalgia & 80+ years of continuity which yes…the Tracy scholars/fanboys/long-time readers will dig. But new readers which I’m assuming this strip needs to survive? Is bringing back MM from a very niche period of the strip’s run going to accomplish that?
& if it her…you have her running in the same loop— “vigilante” crime fighter just like the start of the ’64 Matty Square story. What are you bringing to the table w/ this guys?
tconstantine900 over 11 years ago
At least it wasn’t Flattop. Or Tracerzee (sp?) robot.
Sisyphos over 11 years ago
It can’t be Moon Maid! She’s dead; been dead for many years; should stay dead! So, Honeymoon with a new, grown-up hairdo and powers? It can’t be Moon Maid!
Mdstudio over 11 years ago
Not sure who it is but what a great teaser!
tarabuff over 11 years ago
Hey, this is awesome! Who knows maybe its a clone of Moon Maid! OR a relative! To Joe and Mike,keep this up! I love this idea of bringing back past allies and enemies. Ever since Joe and Mike took over, I started reading Dick Tracy again. Keep up the awesome work!
Jelfring Premium Member over 11 years ago
What is the weird image to the right of the ATM in the first panel?
brine Premium Member over 11 years ago
Those horns look familiar!!!
Chief Patton over 11 years ago
Oh yeah, this is all good. Whoever this female is, it’s great to see Moon Maid again. What a cutie! And she seems to be wearing her original red hot outfit, which makes it even more fun. I cannot wait to see tomorrow’s strip!!
puckerpuss over 11 years ago
While I feel the Moon Maid continuity should be kept, I welcome the return of a new Moon Person to the strip after what, 43 years? Will we have an air car chase?
Ken in Ohio over 11 years ago
My humble opinion on all this: the “Moon Period” was the one big mistake that Chester Gould made in his career. It changed the flavor of the strip from “Big City Detective Drama” to “Science Fiction”. All of Chet’s other “wild” ideas – heart transplants, mobile communications, closed circuit t.v., CSI type lab work at the police dept. – all proved out to be possible and true in real life. But the Moon stuff was just completely fiction, and it made no sense for a big city cop to be going on international space missions, anyway. Suddenly, Dick Tracy was trying to be James Bond, or something. (Even Bond never went to the moon, as far as I know.) It was kind of entertaining, but it just wasn’t Dick Tracy. Even the “flying garbage cans” could have been reasonable, if they had been introduced by Diet Smith as another invention, but I think they were a gift from the Moon People. It was all of this that made me lose interest in the strip back in the mid sixties, although I revisited it in the early seventies, just in time for the “Pouch and Chameleon and Johnny Scorn and Molene” continuity, and that was a pretty good run of story telling.
To me, Dick Tracy should be the cop in the trenchcoat and snap brim fedora who flashes his badge, pinned on the inside of his coat, examines the crime scene, folloes the clues, and chases the weird villians, while, ’Meanwhile, on the other side of town"… something else is happening that will intertwine with the current story. Mike and Joe have a good start on all of this, and, IMHO Moon stories would ruin it.
That being said, someone this morning already speculated that this might be a civilian, with some kind of invention, who is imitating Moon Maid on a quest to be a vigilante against street crime. I thought of that too. That may well be the answe.
Mike has been here already this morning. He said he would be very interested in reaction. Thank you, Mike for taking the time to read my post, and everybody else’s.
And, Joe, you certainly nailed the art – that hair style and body posture is just exactly like the original. We all knew the instant we saw her!
I Go Pogo over 11 years ago
Holy Guacamole! My poor brain just did a melt-down. I, for one, was just starting to read the Sunday Tracy strips during the Moon era and as a kid I took it hook line and sinker! I don’t think any portion of DT history is to be swept under the rug…even the grainery.
Speculation abounds – my two cents…the street vendor seems to be featuring an eclectic mix that may include sci-fi/comic icons and the blonde stepping into frame may be involved in cosplay.
And what about the robber leaving the cash? He certainly seems more interested in the object (paper perhaps?) the victim was holding.
Oh man oh man oh man…Mike and Joe you just keep it going!
And good morning VB!
hunt over 11 years ago
Don’t, of course, know what’s happening yet, but if the moon people are being brought back then I must agree with Ohio Ken and others —It just ruins an otherwise great comic strip.
Can't Sleep over 11 years ago
LOVE IT!Of course, it isn’t Moon Maid – but think how this is going to affect Junior, and poor Honeymoon!For the crook prefering the credit card – crooks aren’t usually too smart – or they’d have chosen another line of work!Can’t wait to see where this storyline goes!Great stuff! Woo Hoo!
Ray Toler over 11 years ago
Moon Maid or an impersonator? If Moon Maid—how? One way or another, today’s strip has everyone talking about Dick Tracy.
Like the Moon era or not, This is a brilliant development to bring more interest to the strip. Look how everyone’s talking today. 9 am Central and already 33 comments.
However this continues to develop, I completely trust and admire Mike as a storyteller. He hasn’t disappointed me yet.
My curiosity about where this is going certainly overcomes any love or prejudice I might have about the moon era characters.
I would urge everyone not to jump to conclusions based upon their like or dislike for this period based upon one panel. This story has a lot more to tell. I doubt that a true detective like Tracy would jump to conclusions without knowledge of all of the facts.
I was not a great fan of the Moon era but did not hate it either. Now, I just want to see what happens.
petersandy over 11 years ago
No no no it’s not Moon Maid—my bet is it’s the new villain mentioned a few days ago, Phishhead
dag8686 Premium Member over 11 years ago
I think it is Honeymoon…
JB2K over 11 years ago
I don’t think it’s Honeymoon, but rather, an imposter of some sort who will be central to the next story (for long-time Tracy follwers, remember, MM received extensive “press” coverage in Tracy’s city, and beyond).
What better way to make a strike at a Tracy family member than through a dead relative (I firmly believe that MM did indeed die in that Collins/Fletcher story).
atomicdog over 11 years ago
I loved the Moon Era…here’s hoping that Joe and Mike will do it justice!
MikeCurtis Premium Member over 11 years ago
Lots of interest—but I’m not confirming or denying anything. There’s still tomorrow, then back to Mrs Flattop.
dramac333 over 11 years ago
When I was a kid, I always loved Moon Maid. As for bringing her back, why not? This is a fictional strip and does not have to adhere to the laws of the natural world. Otherwise, Dick Tracy would now be at least 110 years old! This isn’t Gasoline Alley, ya know.
3pibgorn9 over 11 years ago
Maybe it’s the woman who took out the money and, with a gun to her head, dropped it and he plucked her card as it exited.
sjsczurek over 11 years ago
Maybe Honey/Honeymoon is all grown up now? Rather like Wingy Plenty?
Morrow Cummings over 11 years ago
TAZE HIM!
knto999 over 11 years ago
I would like to thank the Tracy team for bringing the ‘agony’ back to Dick Tracy. By agony I mean the agony of having to wait until the next day to see one more brief glimpse of the story. I started reading Tracy after the ‘moon period’. I have no problem with bringing back a moon character or two. From the previous stories i am certain this new team won’t let it go too far.
knto999 over 11 years ago
Also, I have heard nothing good about the moon period (having never read much of it). Seems these comments are pretty positive on it…
corpcasselbury over 11 years ago
I think that we have another Selenite coming to Earth for some reason; we don’t have enough information available yet to determine whether she is good or evil. The impostor theory is a good one, but suffers from the lack of a motive. Yes, someone could be trying to strike at Tracy and company by impersonating a dead loved one, but all the police would have to do to prove that it is not Moon Maid is to exhume her body. Of course, it’s still very early days with this story line, and Mike and Joe have yet to disappoint us, so I intend to wait and see how this turns out. On a final note, if this does turn out to be an impostor, she better pray that Tracy gets her before Junior and Honeymoon do.
Pequod over 11 years ago
Always loved the moon era, so that wonderful third panel put me in orbit! Go Moon Maid, or her look-alike.Is there crime in space? (Hint: corpus delecti, corpus delecti).
Pequod over 11 years ago
Yes, the Loop is downtown Chicago. It is literally the area looped by the elevated tracks upon which runs the green, orange, brown, purple and pink lines.
dennis4476 Premium Member over 11 years ago
I always thought if Moon Maid would be brought back… "Her father The Governor was watching on “Lunar TV” and zapped her out of the car right before the bomb went off! He kept her from any Earth Contact to keep her safe, and she reluctantly agreed. That is one scenario … ALL I know is that this is like a dream come true for me. I have ALWAYS been a MOON MAID / Moon era fan!
JB2K over 11 years ago
Also, for those who may not be 100% “on board” with MM – we have to remember back in the day, she was heavily-marketed appearing on DT lunchboxes, and the like (and she was even featured in DT episodes on “Archies TV Funnies” in the early 70’s).
FWIW, she’s definitely a part of Tracy history…
dennis4476 Premium Member over 11 years ago
Remember there was a period when EVERY woman was wearing the Moon Maid outfit. (EVEN Gravel Gertie) lol! So it could be Mrs. Chin Chillar.
Chris Colvard over 11 years ago
Okay, first the clever way of working the Flattop name into the strip (loving it, by the way), and now this!? My brain… it go poof.
hablano over 11 years ago
Moon Maid Forever!
dennis4476 Premium Member over 11 years ago
I am with you “No Habla” Moon Maid Forever! Can’t it be tomorrow already? The suspense is KILLING ME! Loved the Moon era! As someone posted earlier, it is a fictional strip after all.
I Go Pogo over 11 years ago
Hokey smokes – for the first time ever I think I picked up on an artisitic continuity error in today’s strip before anyone else commented on it…but in a nut shell – who the heck cares?
Tsull usually tries for the top ten each day…well I’m proud to be number 72!
atomicdog over 11 years ago
Mrs. Chin Chillar…Yeah, I’d love to see Notta Fallar again.
Tarry Plaguer over 11 years ago
For those who missed the moon era, or want to revisit it, you can see most of it here:I Love Comix Archive – Dick Tracy 1963It will ask you to register, but it is free, and there is no confirmation, so just fill in your name, email, and how you found out about it, and your in!It is one of my favorite resources, next to finding the published books, since I haven’t seen much of the 60’s in print.There is also many more years of Tracy as well as many of your other favorite strips, like Terry and the Pirates.
ChucklinChuck over 11 years ago
Looks like I’m comment #78, meaning the current strip is generating a lot of interest. I’m not much of a fan of the Moon Maid era, but I’m willing to cut Mike and Joe a lot of slack to see how they handle it. Tread lightly, please, Team Tracy.
charlie over 11 years ago
And Lisa McGuire has, shall we say, no figure problems.
norman931 over 11 years ago
More moon people! and Peanutbutter too!
coratelli over 11 years ago
Moon Maid???
GESWho over 11 years ago
Mike, Joe & crew, I trust you to make this AWESOME! No matter how much of the “Moon” period is brought back (either just talked about in flash-back/retrospective, or actually reintroducing Moon culture fully). I don’t think any of you have anything to worry about how that period fits in to continuity or the Now of this strip.
I for one am jumping on this roller coster while there is still a seat. I’m putting on the seat belt and other safety things, but I’m riding with my arms in the air and a “WHOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” in my lungs!!!!!!!
countoftowergrove over 11 years ago
I want some giant escargot!
cpalmeresq over 11 years ago
85 comments, so far (with mine making it 86)! Is that a record? If so, I can certainly see why. Way to go, Mike & Joe!
K M over 11 years ago
“Camera right!” But he swings left. And it would appear left to the viewer.
Stagger Lee over 11 years ago
Moon Maid’s back?
FENRISULFR over 11 years ago
Moon Maid was one of my favorite characters in the old strip. Ah, hell, she was my favorite character in the old strip.
Blindfolded Wildcat over 11 years ago
I would have told the photog to “pan left” in this instance. But he would have known what to do, seeing the reporter turn and hearing the noise to his left.
boboscar over 6 years ago
Five years later, this day’s strip is worth commemorating.
With this strip, Mike Curtis and Joe Staton really came into their own. While their work of the past year and a half had been good and even great, they had the benefit of being an easy act to follow.
For nearly 35 years there’d been an “official” history of the Dick Tracy strip that went something like this, “But then things went back when Gould put all this sci-fi Moon Era nonsense into the strip and created that awful character Moon Maid whom everybody hated. But then Max Allan Collins took over the strip and saved the day by killing off that stupid Moon Maid!” It was a history that was repeated constantly, made believable to “newbs” like myself born after 1969, since we all know there’s no life on the Moon, so of course Moon Maid and the Moon Era were stupid and shameful and best left forgotten.
Even in Mike & Joe’s first year, this “history” was still manifest, with the then current epilogue, “Mike’s clearly following the example of Gould and Collins”. Which would be saying he’s following only Collins and the parts of Gould that Collins deemed worthwhile.
But even in that first year there were hints that this wasn’t the case. Mike returned Honeymoon to prominence, provided an in-story explanation for why Diet Smith stopped using the Space Coupe (which is more than Collins ever did), and brought back Vera Alldid, a character Collins had never shown once in his tenure.
But with this strip, with the “return” of Moon Maid, Mike made everybody stand up and take notice. It brought back Moon Era fans who’d been alienated by Collins killing her off, showed people like me that the Moon Era did have it’s fans, that this was as much a proud part of Tracy’s history as anything else Gould had done. And it showed Mike was honoring all of Gould’s time with the strip, including the parts Collins had tried to suppress. For this reason, I feel Mike is the strip’s best post-Gould writer.