Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for August 01, 2021

Peanutbutter shares concerns regarding the hiatus

“Would not give the malcontents another cause to hate us.

He’s selling books and has a hit. All love the Maid from Mars

Promo tour a success. The two of them are stars.”

Tracy knows that something’s wrong. Inclined to ask more questions

Gather facts. Determine truth. Evidence trumps suggestions.

Visit posh office of Alldid. Tracy needs more facts

Appointment with Archival. Now is the time to act.

Elsewhere, Vera’s hard at work. He sketches, draws, and inks

Mysta drained by ring attack. She sleeps for forty winks.

In Dreamtime she is safe from harm. At home. On stage. On set.

Moon Maid’s blood remains at work. She’s not done changing yet.

Good morning™, all!

It looks like this is a rare Sunday inked by Shelley, rather than Joe.

So, the unnamed assistant actually was rather shocked by the voice message, supposedly from Vera, telling her to put the strip into reruns. Since she knows where they were going, a visit by Tracy to Brock Archival’s place is the logical next step.

Mysta is apparently still resting up, while a guard stands over her. Now that we see the official colour of the guards’ uniforms and hats, the hats actually do look like the typical white of the French Foreign Legion kepi, but with some gold trim.

Tracy has a solid lead!

Sorry to break the news to everyone but this story which “coulda been a contender” is sadly heading towards “Choo Choo Charlie” territory!

Is this the first time we’re seeing a weapon used in the kidnapping? Makes sense and I applaud team Tracy for introducing it.

Mysta and Vera embracing — a hint of what’s to come?

The one ring has a red glow. It means stay away from it, Mysta

That last frame: Arm in arm, I smell a rom-com coming up!

I really like the strip artwork ! Even the J. Straightest Trustworthy picture behind Dick Tracy looks more “normal” ! ( A preview of things to come after Tracy rescues Vera and Mysta from Archival, perhaps ? )

And I like how Vera’s office assistant, Ms. Decarlo, looks more like a real human being, as opposed to her 1st. appearance in the story…

And unless Mysta can recoup her powers, zaps the guard, takes his gun, and Vera knows how to shoot… Things look grim…

But, Archival might get “rattled” by a visit from Dick Tracy and hopefully Tracy will notice Archival’s ring…

Does anyone else follow this strip and make comments on a smartphone like I do? Is this why I can’t just tap a link to go to it, and why I can’t see any images that people post here?

Oh no. The kidnapper has helpers! This is more and more tragic.

Regarding Julian Keen, Jr., in the “Roll of Honor,” he just had a lock and dam named after him in his honour six weeks ago:

https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/keen-naming-621/

Apparently, people can be even more dangerous than wildlife sometimes.

The footwork is bearing fruit. What happens when the artists take us back to Honeymoon tomorrow, though?

And Archive’s staff makes this even more improbable. They hired on as gardeners, or butlers, or security, or maids to do honest work. (Unless he just fired all the old staff and called Crooks R Us.) How much is he paying them (or how stupid are they – which would make them much less effective) that no one thinks, “Hey I’m not getting paid enough to risk 20-40 years in prison for kidnapping!”

Ms DeCarlo in some way pointing to Dan DeCarlo – or his wife Josie (inspiration for the Josie comic book)?

ignorance is bliss at times.

Finally, Tracy has a clue.

Nice recap today…especially for those who may have forgotten what the story was about since it has been a while since we’ve checked in on Vera and Mysta. Nice symbolic panels explaining their predicament as Tracy and Ms DeCarlo continue their interview..

Tracy has hat-hair.

If, after so many years of working with Aldid, his assistant doesn’t smell a rat when he suddenly puts the strip on hiatus and disappears for 2 weeks after going to meet someone, and her boss suddenly calls her and says hey guess what, I’ve eloped and we’re going on our honeymoon, then she needs to be fired.

1-JUAN DECARLO: DAMN! Another JST wannabe interrupting my day. I’ll just humor him… Very realistic, Mr. Trustworthy.

DT: Huh? I’m Dick Tracy and I’m looking for Vera.

2-JUAN: Well, here’s where he would be if he was here. As you can see – he’s not. DT: Maybe he’s in the toilet.

3-JUAN: Nope. We have a single unisex toilet and he wasn’t in there when I dropped one just before you came in.

DT: UNISEX! THIS COUNTRY IS GOING TO HELL! BOYS AND GIRLS IN THE SAME BATHROOM! I need a Calmgar (patent pending).

4-JUAN: Vera did tell me that he and Horny were going to Stan Lee’s house on the day he disappeared…

5-…and that he expected to return later that day but he never did. That seems unusual now that I think about it.

DT: Really? Hmmm. No. There’s probably a reasonable explanation. Oh wait. I remember now. Vera and Horny ran off and got married on their way back from Stan Lee’s house. No worries. See ya around, Juan.

JUAN: That would be a big relief if I had been worried about it. I wasn’t…

Nice shading, but in the next-to-last panel, Vera looks more like Archie Andrews…

Thank you for that update, Miss Chimera!

Did Vera design his logo? It’s not good to look at. :)

Archival will be next on the visitor’s list. However he is long gone. I wonder what his staff will tell Tracy.

His guards look like they are sharp shooters. Probably wear armor proof vests as well.

Has anyone seen Joe Stanton and Mike Curtis lately ? Maybe this storyline is an attempt to get help !!!

she’s an Anne Hathaway look-alike

Looks good here if not better.

https://tribunecontentagency.com/premium-content/comics/dick-tracy/

RIP Officer Julian Keen, Jr. You gave your all. May God Comfort Your Family.

the thug with the gun is a paper tiger. “I’m only valuable to you alive. so go for it.” I have that advantage of having been a PI at one point not a weasely cartoonist

Breakpoint!

Ms. DeCarlo has given Tracy a guidance to the estate/museum/prison of Brock Archival!

Now the question becomes, can Tracy get there fast enough, and effectively enough (with warrant and backup officers at the ready) to intercept Archival’s flight with his Collecteds to a much harder-to-trace remote island in the tropics?

It is also of interest to note how much more readily Ms. DeCarlo opens up with info to Chief of Detectives Tracy than she did with (basically) mere curious citizen Homer Barley. There is enough circumstantial evidence amassing (especially if Mysta’s Journal is corroborative) to justify a legal entry into the gated Archival estate. Now, truly, the game’s afoot!

Was that client Archival? If so, he sure created a big arrow pointing right at him. Funny how they always make that one big mistake…

They’re not embracing.She’s asleep a good distance from hat drawing board

Peanutbutter should start a comic strip that satirizes Vera Alldid.Mr.Swellhead can dish it out,now let’s see if he can take it.