Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for March 22, 2014

Honeymoon comes calling, feeling deep affinityFor her friend, Aunt Mysta, a true delight to see.Settled in to her new home, light years from the ApolloPositive and gracious, with generous heart she’ll followA path into the unexplored terrain of the ChimeraOngoing change marks her as strange; life in a new era.Rapport quickly develops, Sparkle a chaperoneHoneymoon’s wishes manifest, seeds of friendship sewn.Calm fellowship brings smiles, fading memories of flightFrom the duplicitous doctors to Wheaton’s farm that night.A miniature Space Coupe on the shelf, attracting visitors’ gazeSans gloves and their devices, bare hand does Mysta raise.Look to see electricity emanating from Mysta’s fingersZaps like a Lunarian, causing astonishment that lingers.Ghote and Sail did not prevail nor know what they had wrought Experiments with DNA, the consequences fraughtWith repercussions none could guess, memories infusedInto the mind of Mysta, sedated and abused.Lunar DNA shall have its way, yet who could have foretoldTransformations to inspire awe: Mysta powerful and bold.

I repeat: “Oh, oh!”

Good morning everyone

Sparkle isn’t enjoying Mysta’s show!

Mysta has her own powers now! A wonderful and hopeful development! And another home run by Joe Staton! Love the poem, too, Pequod77!

Sparkle looks zoned out. Maybe the light show fazed her?

Sydney Phillips made the comment, yesterday (among other things): “And further, it does occur to me, that Posie Ermine (1968) the Father of that host body is still alive, last heard of – still in jail. Now Mike might have a future line (planned), one saying – he died in jail (?) – but as we recall their earlier ‘close relationship’, Posie might just be coming back for his ‘flesh and blood’ child ?”I’d be interested in Posie’s return too. I think that would make for a fascinating story.

“But Honeymoon, I’m not wearing my gloves!”With that statement, Mike Curtis just confirmed what was hinted at yesterday — that there is no apparent stopping point in the transformation of the person who used to be Mindy Ermine. It seems she is on her way to becoming a virtual double of the original Moon Maid. And I couldn’t be happier!

P.S. Fantastic work today, Pequod77! You obviously share the joy many of us have for this delightful character. Thank you! Great work once again by Staton, too. He has really perfected Mysta’s look. Happy days truly are here again for fans of the Space Era!

I know you all don’t like my crossover ideas but hear me out… what if they made a Frozen/Dick Tracy crossover?

Well, I was wrong about the plate levitating, but my hunch she could do it without any artificial help was close. And I’m still convinced that Honeymoon is going to start getting her horns and powers pretty soon!

Absolutely loving these strips with Mysta! Just so glad to learn that Team Tracy obviously has a lot more in store for her. And she has her own powers now. Awesome! Couldn’t be happier with these developments.

Pequod, thank you! If there was an award for neat poetry, you’d own it! You made my week!

Sparkle looks a bit horrified by this new revelation. Honeymoon just looks shocked and amazed.

I find the whole Mysta-Mindy thing a bit creepy. Imagine having an “aunt” that’s the superimposition of your mother DNA and personalty on a totally unrelated person having been brainwashed and surgically modified. Creepy? What do you think?

Looking at Sparkle in panel three, I can hear Willie Nelson singing “On The Road Again”……

Commentators here had noted Mysta-sans-gloves already by yesterday: more alert than Sparkle or Honeymoon. Sparkle is clearly concerned about the changes apparently taking place in Mysta (hence her worried look).……………………………………………….I think I’ve mentioned this in the past, but now I can provide a sample of the original Mysta of the Moon, the white-haired Moon Goddess-heroine from Planet Comics, back in the days of my youth (this sample is from 1948). Those interested can explore further on their own at this excellent resource, digitalcomicmuseum.com….

I see a bad moon rising

I’m just now reading yesterday’s stip as well. WOW!! Not only am I in awe of Joe Staton, but this is also a great development in the story. I agree with the others, it seems that Mysta’s on the fast track to becoming 100% lunarian. Yahoo! I have to say I’m pretty much in awe of Pequod77, too. Great work today! Enjoyed these lines especially:Ghote and Sail did not prevail nor know what they had wrought Experiments with DNA, the consequences fraughtWith repercussions none could guess, memories infusedInto the mind of Mysta, sedated and abused.Lunar DNA shall have its way, yet who could have foretoldTransformations to inspire awe: Mysta powerful and bold.

So Moon Maid’s DNA is actually rewriting over Mindy’s. Excellent.

This is fantastic… with all the cliff-hangers behind us we move on to Mysta and her new Powers…Little Flower show Your Power..

Rene Tray: Yes, you don’t say much, but today, you said a lot! The power of the spider!.Sparkle: Dietrich has been known to lie when it suits his needs; the pair of docs have never been known not to lie..Therefore, how do we know we are not looking at the real Mysta the Moon Maid?.The biggest disappointment of last year’s “effective non-ending” (Maximara) of this arc was “dodging” the issue of Junior having two wives!

Look at the expression on Sparkle’s face in Panel Three. It’s like “uh, oh… what are we in for now?”Another thing… it seems when Mysta appears in a strip the number of comments here increases.

I’m so glad gocomics has improved the coloring in the weekday strips. It’s so much better now than it was 7-8 months ago. Below is an example of the new colorist’s skill and attention to detail. Yesterday Mysta’s horns were flesh colored, as they’re supposed to be. Today, she has just zapped the plate, and the tops of her horns have taken on the blue glow that Team Tracy added to the Sunday strips last year whenever Mysta used her powers. However, you can see on the lower part of her horns that they’re still flesh colored. So glad to have a colorist who not only pays attention, but wants to get it right! No more sloppily done/hastily completed panels, either. Nice to finally have someone who enhances rather than mars Joe Staton’s Harvey Award-winning art.

Yea! They can save on their electric bill….all this girl talk is nice, but it’s time for an ominous development, I’d say….bet tomorrow’s Sunday strip delivers it!

Please, GoComics! Her horns are pink! All the time!(I’m sure the color problem is because of complaints by some people who think those ‘pink things’ look too phallic.)

Wonder if the last panel of the shadowy Lunarians at the end of the first MM saga will take some notice to this?

Oooh, the thlot pickens.

But what happened to our dynamic duo in the frozen lake?

“Man, am I glad I was not the previous colorist. Your words would burn like a potent acid and have me in a possibly irreversible state of deep shame requiring many years of therapy.”Ha! But I don’t feel too bad. Given how long we had to suffer with botched and poorly-rendered coloring for this fine strip, and this despite the many complaints that were posted over many months about the problem, I doubt the previous colorist gave a rip. Maybe he/she was just seriously overworked, I don’t know. All I know is that there was precious little attention to detail evident in that person’s work, and the new person is doing a much better job.

I really like the way Mike and Joe are reaching into the strip’s long history for storylines. This strip has really developed a huge cast over its 82 years.

BTW, I forgot to mention that I love what Joe has done with Mysta’s appearance. Mysta’s eyes, in particular, are a welcome change from how they looked when Gould was doing the strip.

The plate got off easy. Hy Pressure wasn’t so lucky, as Mysta turned it up a couple of notches when lives were at risk:

This is the very best kind of development. I was cautiously optimistic about Team Tracy’s future plans for Mysta when her family appeared at Wildwood Cemetery (10/19/13). Now we see fascinating changes that reveal Mysta as undergoing further transformations that bode well for future storylines. The “dead means dead” folk get their way, while those who loved the Moon Era get a portion of the audacity we seek. As Team Tracy continues to dip into all of the eras of Gould’s career, they bring their own fresh creations to a strip that is compelling and fun. The camel has passed through the eye of the needle. The return of Mysta is achieved with story and art that cheer (most) old and new fans alike. And if the 1960s isn’t your favorite era, fear not, as Team Tracy is bound to dip into a different pool soon enough.Thanks so much VistaBill, cpalmeresq, 60sFan, Gweedo, Willy007, Morrow, coldsooner, Day-Day2001, JPuzzleWhiz, Chris Sherlock and Jonathan K. for the kind words. Very much appreciated! Team Tracy = Inspiration

Yay! Mysta has powers!

Well, my prediction from months ago that the Mysta DNA would overcome the Mindy DNA seems to be coming true. I am intrigued by other poster’s theories that perhaps this is a revival of the original Mysta and that Ghote lied about the chimera angle. That may be a possibility but, to me, seems too easy an answer for Mike’s clever writing style which will probably provide a more unexpected development.

As cells die and are replaced by new cells, perhaps we will find that the DNA in Lunarians is more aggressive than human DNA and is ultimately taking over the entire organism. Perhaps Mysta will eventually contain only Lunarian DNA. The Moon people at the gravesite, far more scientifically advanced than Earthlings, probably suspected that possibility (probability?), which is why they suddenly appeared when they did. This tale has not yet been fully told.

As cells die and are replaced by new cells, perhaps we will find that the DNA in Lunarians is more aggressive than human DNA and is ultimately taking over the entire organism. Perhaps Mysta will eventually contain only Lunarian DNA. The Moon people at the gravesite, far more scientifically advanced than Earthlings, probably suspected that possibility (probability?), which is why they suddenly appeared when they did. This tale has not yet been fully told.

I forgot to mention: Another fantastic poem today, Pequod.

I very seldom comment, but I can’t help stating my appreciation for Pequod’s poems. They are very concise and sum up the story quickly. As far as the colorist, I surmised right after the change was evident that it looked like the colorists for the two comic sites had been switched. The Comics Kingdom site was better, in my thinking, than gocomics several months ago. Now, Comics Kingdom is pitiful. Concerning the strip, Joe’s art is tops!!! It has even evolved for the better as the weeks have accumulated. Mike’s stories have been intriguing, surprising, and generally well done. The only objection I have had the entire journey has been most of the endings. For those who defend the “sweatbox endings” as the amount of time allotted to him at first, I do not buy that. If he knows how many weeks he has to do a story, he should adjust its telling to end with a reasonable conclusion. There are too many loose ends in most of the stories. Having said that, I find Team Tracy as having saved the greatest detective strip of all time. Even with those few criticisms I have, this is the best that it has been in years. And I also appreciate Locher for the many years he contributed to keeping DT alive. Most of those years were well done. Now, I have had my say and I will return to my cave and enjoy the strip until next time I feel compelled to speak out.

So many great comments today. Mysta not only stirs up discussion, she stirs up passion and thoughtfulness. I like it!Some random thoughts/replies/additional comments:Yes, good point about the colorist, Ken in Ohio and JPuzzleWhiz. I had thought the same thing — how do we know that we DO have a new colorist? And of course we don’t, or at least not for sure. All I do know — and the proof’s in the pudding here — is that whereas before the coloring jobs on this strip were often haphazard, sloppy, and poorly conceived, they are now well done, every day. And I’m sure we’re all very happy about that development.And to Sydney and Neil Wick’s point, I absolutely agree that Mike and Joe deserve another Harvey Award. I’m biased, of course, but my bias is based in reality. Because when I stop and think about the heights to where they’ve taken this strip in just a few short years — especially compared to where it was at before — they have done absolutely stellar work. Sure, there are things here and there that I would have done differently, and okay, the endings aren’t always as tight as some would prefer. But in the big picture, these are minor quibbles. Except for the haters who can’t be convinced of anything, I think all reasonable people are agreed that Dick Tracy has gone from the brink of extinction to the top of the heap because of Mike and Joe’s superior work. Before our eyes, this strip has been transformed from a drab and repetitive dinosaur into one of the most exciting, well-executed, and thought-provoking dailies in the world. Mike and Joe deserve all the kudos and awards they can get.

From the first exciting scenes of Mysta zapping bad guys and putting the hammer to a tombstone, you could sense that Mike and Joe had tapped into something special. Call it Moon Fever or Mysta Magic or whatever you want, the excitement on this board was palpable. Space Era fans cheered her appearance, but others wondered how it was possible for the original Moon Maid to be back from the dead. Thus began the Mike Curtis Mysta-ry, which combined with Joe Staton’s amazing art stirred up the most excitement over Dick Tracy in a generation, which ultimately led to Mike and Joe’s first Harvey Award.As we’ve seen the last three days, the excitement continues.What makes Mysta so compelling? So many things! She’s powerful. She’s sexy. She’s sympathetic. She’s exotic. She’s redemptive. She’s fun. She’s mysterious. She’s nostalgic. She’s the personification of an era that millions of fans loved.Last but not least, she’s just beautifully drawn:

Honeymoon comes calling, feeling deep affinity

For her friend, Aunt Mysta, a true delight to see.

Settled in to her new home, light years from the Apollo

Positive and gracious, with generous heart she’ll follow

A path into the unexplored terrain of the Chimera

Ongoing change marks her as strange; life in a new era.

Rapport quickly develops, Sparkle a chaperone

Honeymoon’s wishes manifest, seeds of friendship sewn.

Calm fellowship brings smiles, fading memories of flight

From the duplicitous doctors to Wheaton’s farm that night.

A miniature Space Coupe on the shelf, attracting visitors’ gaze

Sans gloves and their devices, bare hand does Mysta raise.

Look to see electricity emanating from Mysta’s fingers

Zaps like a Lunarian, causing astonishment that lingers.

Ghote and Sail did not prevail nor know what they had wrought

Experiments with DNA, the consequences fraught

With repercussions none could guess, memories infused

Into the mind of Mysta, sedated and abused.

Lunar DNA shall have its way, yet who could have foretold

Transformations to inspire awe: Mysta powerful and bold.