Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for February 19, 2021

Good morning™, commune watchers!

It’s a good thing he brought his lunch with him. If he’s waiting for everyone to leave, it’s going to take some time. I guess he’s looking to spot Aquarius going out. Meanwhile, I think Aquarius was planning to go find Pouch in the park, but he won’t be in the park today.

Hope that’s lettuce.

Good morning™, undercover infiltrators !

Because it’s winter Pouch looks “normal” with a scarf on. Tom Baker wants it back !

This rousting he speaks of has me wondering if he is going to gas the place in order to get everyone outside with Tiger Lilly being among that number. As far as we know only a select few even know Tiger is on the premises let alone that he is ‘conveniently’ stashed in a secret location.

A very weird sandwich to say the least!

Panel 3 is a continuation of panel 2, so how did Pouch make that piece of paper magically appear in his hand? Not humanly possible in the split second between panels.

It’s all in the details folks!

PS, can we please stop seeing snow flakes every day???

Next panel: “One good toot into the HVAC system after that boiled egg and broccoli sandwich should do it.”

Auntie Bellum won’t be able to leave. I hope what he’s planning is not lethal.

“Got a report of gas leak here. You need to leave until I can verify that – and get it located and fixed if there is one.”

While the Citywide Utilities jacket foreshadowed this, it is good to see Pouch take matters into his own hands. This bold move suggests that Pouch has more to fear from the purchaser of the blue balloon than from Aquarius & Co. Look to see Pouch unencumbered by his helium tank. Might those have been gas pellets we saw in that bag on the 11th?

Love those fat, Gouldian snowflakes. Classic.

Bet he’s gong to use plumbers’ smoke bombs. They should rigger the detectors, and…

Great images as usual , but what is that in frame one that he is ? Eating ? Or did I miss something ?

I wonder if he’ll find the “blue” balloon?

I wonder how many times Pouch’s nice vehicle gets broken into every night parked at the Fleabag Motel like it is.

The Fleabag. Your home away from home where we say – Come for the shower, leave because of the fleas

1-MEL: The coast is clear. Two if by sea. Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes. I regret that I have but one life… Ok. I’m psyched. I’m going in. _Dang it! Mick Ronalds didn’t put meat on my burger again…

2-…I’m going to move to a neighborhood where a real burger chain isn’t afraid to do business!

3-FOCUS! Am I wearing my Citywide Utilities outfit or my Official TT Inspector shirt??? ARRRGGHHH! I can’t remember! What’s my play? I KNOW! I’ll play both angles! I’ll say I’m here to check for leaks and depending on their response it will either be for a gas leak or a silicone leak! I’m sure my quick mind will come up with a reason the house needs to be cleared for a silicone leak if need be…probably…I hope…

Pouch is kind of like me. He looks better when his face is covered. At least he’s dressed for the Pandemic.

Yeah, if he passes gas in there, that’ll clear everyone out….sorry folks…had to say it!!

Auntie Bellum….your “Romeo” is approaching.

Citywide Utilities…do they know Pouch is on their payroll? Oh yeah, he must be one of those “independent contractors”.

Green Eggs and Mystery Sandwiches:

For all the complaints about Pouch’s green sandwich, we should remember that the comic was distributed to Go Comics in BLACK AND WHITE. It’s the Go Comics colorist who made it Green!

Is his name “Sam I am”?

Is that Pouch’s car? Nice whip for a guy who sells balloons for 15 cents a pop! Get it? Balloons…Pop? Yuck yuck? I’ll just let myself out.

Good Lord what is that man eating? Stop right there, I don’t think I want to know.

Snowflakes! Snowflakes! I have forgotten which groundhog has predicted an early Spring. Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, PA General Beauregard Lee in Georgia, Woodstock Willie in Illinois, Grover the Groundhog in Pine Grove, PA, Octorara Orphie in Lancaster, PA, Pierre C. Shadeaux in New Iberia, LA, Chuckles IX in Connecticut, Sir Walter Wally in Raleigh, NC, Dunkirk Dave in Dunkirk, NY, Staten Island Chuck in Staten Island, NY, Unadilla Bill in Unadilla, NE, Jimmy the Groundhog in Sun Prairie, WI, Chattanooga Chuck in TN, Buckeye Chuck in OH, Thistle the Whistlepig in Northeast OH, Milltown Mel in NJ plus the woodchucks on Long Island, NY. Malverne Mel, Holtsville Hal, Great Neck Greta and Quogue Quigley. I must not leave out their Canadian comrades. Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia, Wiarton Willie in Wiarton, Ontario and Fred La Marmotte in Val d’ Espoir, Quebec’s Gaspe peninsula. Chances are these critters don’t communicate with each other. Besides the distance thingy, their handlers wouldn’t allow it. Can’t have creatures of nature collaborating with each other.

Pouch turns out to be far more an active operative than I had ever imagined, fully equipped (binoculars and who knows what else in his courier bag—probably whatever he plans to use to evacuate The 1312), provisioned even if with a cheap fast-food burger, and disguised (“Citywide Utilities” winter garb) for his infiltration into and emptying of The 1312. I am duly impressed. And yet I am in no way convinced a priori he will succeed.

Meanwhile, on the snowflake front, many of you are aware that Ray Toler, Pequod, I think some other more casual commenters, and I all live in Chicagoland. But, without any gloating, my Near West-by-Northwest Suburb has been very efficient in clearing the streets of snow, in contrast to The City-proper. Still it is true that I have never (not excepting 1967!) seen such mountains of snow piled up in my neighborhood shopping mall: I took advantage of a relative break in the weather yesterday afternoon to post some mail and do grocery shopping there: huge mountains of snow completely block some parking aisles, so that one had to drive a zigzag route just to get in and out of parking (that is the one good Winter Weather thing, I guess, about my little but highly maneuverable car)….