Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 16, 2021

Good morning™, exhibit viewers!

The Chief apparently wasn’t involved in loaning the hats to the exhibit, either, as some people here had thought. Kind of wierd. Anyway, Tracy has another hearing he has to be at and I think that’s why the author decided to surprise him with the announcement of the exhibit. If he had known about it, he would have resceduled the hearing for another time.

The Chief claims to have “eyes on the library,” but will they be able to see through Blackjack’s flimsy disguise? They probably should if they are on the lookout for him, but they are probably looking for his usual clothing and hat.

“Disguise? No prize!”

There’s the complication that Bones mentioned yesterday

I believe that’s where Blackjack’s collection went

Is Pat trying to say, “Live long and prosper!” to Tracy?

Blackjack is sporting a pretty weak disguise…..

Predictable…

Good morning™, surprise guest stars !

I believe it was Neil who predicted B.J. to be the next story which appears to be a loose continuation on the Time Drone story.

Sorry, Gweedo. I think the Time Drone story is dead-fish-dead. All that remains is the Ace of Spades and a new (?) Kill Dick Tracy plot.

“They’ll never recognize me in my MAKE AMERICA REET AGAIN hat!!!”

Apparently, Blackjack went to the Jim Carrey school of disguise

I love the Gouldian explanatory box pointing to Blackjack. Always nice to see the traditions upheld :-).

Blackjack will be asked to leave the library when his leitmotif power causes the sound system to play Tubthumping constantly

Still no word on why the absurd premise of mounting an exhibit on Dick without telling Tracy (or apparently other members of the police force)?

1) how did Tracy know what “contract” killer the Ace had hired to try and assassinate him? 2) I thought it was “Bones” was the one the Ace “contracted.”

The mayor is the head of city government. The Gould Library is part of the public library system. The superintendent of police answers to the mayor. The exhibition is good PR. The mayor wants the exhibit, so she gets the exhibit. The collection of artifacts and memorabilia is likely on a lesser scale than Blackjack’s stolen collection. This ties in well with the 90th anniversary of the strip. Let’s have a look at this America’s Top Cop exhibit…

1-DT: You’re not jealous that they’re mounting an exhibit extolling my supreme craftiness, awareness, smarts and courage over everyone else in the department including especially you, are you Chief?

2-CHIEF: Think nothing of it, Boy-o! I’ll be satisfied with making twice as much money as you and taking credit for anything you do every time I talk to the lads from the Press.

DT: Twice?

CHIEF: You got me – that’s why you get an Exhibition! It’s actually THREE times as much. Now get in their and get a conviction for your old Chief. And remember – it’s not a lie if you can get a Jury to believe it!

3-BLACKSTRAP MOLLASSES: So far so good. I think a couple of hundred visits should be enough to smuggle out my collection under this nondescript cap. Not even Tracy will be able to solve this crime! Bwaa haaa… Oops. Did I say that outloud?

Umm… isn’t that technically ‘Blackjack NOT in disguise?’

Yeah, he doesn’t look suspicious at all.

The library is, of course, a tribute to Canadian pianist Glenn Gould (and not, as some would assume, to composer/pianist Morton Gould).

@dalemcnamee9:

Nobody in the police or corrections community seems to know that Blackjack escaped from prison

Proof to the contrary:

https://www.gocomics.com/dicktracy/2021/09/26?ct=v&cti=1028975

Shelly’s personal style is evolving very well. This is one of her best daily strips. Tracy is especially well drawn.

he’s disguised as jim carrey?

“We’ve got eyes on the library, Tracy”. I hope the security guards have facial recognition software. Anybody among the who’s who of villains is going to show for the exihibit.

Even Tracy has a vibe that nothing good can come out of this. Makes me wonder if the mayor’s announcement is aimed at winning re-election.

GOING OUT ON A LIMB I believe Blackjack’s collection of Tracy memorabilia went missing. Could that be part of the exhibit? It might serve as a reason to keep Tracy in the dark and not asking questions like, “Hey, where did you get this?”

And, if so, will Blackjack file a stolen property report?

Maybe another reason for the secrecy about the exhibit is because of Dick Tracy’s birthday? Some fictional characters, like Superman, do have birthdays on the actual calendar. (Superman, if I recall actually has two birthdays: February 29th, when Kal-El was born, and June 18th, Clark Kent’s birthday, when his ship landed on Earth.)

Next we’ll be reminded that “Whoever controls magnetism will control the universe!”

I want to see the whole story here.

Now I remember why I’ve always read this comic.

Though I know he is not a favorite character of some, perhaps many, of our Commenters here, I enjoy Blackjack tremendously. He is so over-the-top that he always brings a note of humor and, yes, joy to the strip, while at the same time being reasonably proficient at what he does—rob banks, listen constantly to Chumbawamba https://tinyurl.com/br4ctfn , dress flamboyantly, shoot like a world champion, and idolize Dick Tracy. I deem him one of my favorite characters in the strip and always am happy to see him, even in his flimsy disguise outside the Gould….

Will this culminate in a confrontation between Blackjack and Richard Bonhomme? “The Gunfight at the Gould Library”?

Hearing? Is it time to deny Broadway his shot at parole again? Or maybe Mumbles, or Mr Bribery?

Not with THAT face,he isn’t!!

Good profile of Dick in Panel 2.