Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for May 17, 2022

Good morning™, everyone!

It turns out that WestofthePecan was right yesterday. The shadowy man apparently dropped his card to get the other man to pick it up, but he then hypnotized his victim into handing over the cash.

It reminds me of mentalists who do stage shows, such as “The Amazing Kreskin” who recorded two syndicated series in Ottawa and Toronto. My parents went to one of the Toronto tapings and we saw them in the audience on TV. Wikipedia tells me that Kreskin teaches classes for law enforcement groups, which “focuses on psychological methods such as jogging lost memories through relaxation techniques or detecting lies through body language and voice inflections” (citing a Chicago Tribune article from 2008.)

“Everybody Loves Hypnotoad!”

Good morning™, retreads ?

Did the hypno guy from years ago who went straight and even helped police return to his old ways, like a reformed coffee shop operator ?

All this circus for the measly cash one has on on himself before retrieving on ATM?

I must say, hypnoman is quite a decent chap. Take the money, leave the victim untouched.

The Seattle Times still shows Joe’s name and not Shelley’s.

She should sue!!!

This strip has had hypnotizers like Yogee Yamma and the now reformed Influence. Or has he?

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Two days in and I have nothing negative to say about the strip!

Great start! Really liking this new hypno-guy character!

Influence?

I suggest the dopey villain name “Headlights”!

Did he order those glasses from a comic book?

Almost looks like the powers the Hood has. (From the 60s British Supermarionation show, Thunderbirds.) Glowing yellow eyes, compulsion — very similar.

“look into my eyes ,you are getting drowsy”

A new bad guy?

The victim may forget, but the ATM camera won’t.

Can’t say I’ve seen this weirdo before.

Hep hep..I bin hippmotized!!!

So you only cheat and rob people who are courteous and thoughtful?

Oh goody…HYPNO-GOGGLES!!!! Looks like those old ads in the back of comic books in the 1970’s still have some merchandise laying around in a warehouse somewhere

Influence, maybe? I thought he’d reformed, though.

cue the ominous music

Having consulted Boberina Sue McSwine, my only moderately psychotic psychic advisor, guys, I now know what’s happening in this tale!

1) The mysteriously swathed character we were introduced to yesterday is faded TV star Yogi Bear out for one last, devastating score against The Man.

2) His ultimate scheme is to acquire the fabulous ’Tsarina’s Bejeweled Loaf of Pumpernickel’ and make the ‘bestest ever’ egg salad and prune sandwich. With ghost pepper puree and lovingly garnished with lark’s vomit.

This is, as you no doubt already know, a snack frequently whispered of in almost Lovecraftian terms as the one true way to end everything that’s gone before and reopen Earth as the ancestral home of the Snorks aka ‘any Old Ones’).

There’s something in there as well abut eternal free oil changes, but I’ll gloss over that as it seems fairly complicated and was only recorded in ancient Sanskrit.

3) The dropped item yesterday was a business card bearing the hastily scribbled number of Barney Google’s eye doctor. Yogi has ongoing issues due to repeated eye-bugging during his work in frequently slapstick cartoons. Hence the glasses we see today.

So there you go. Simple, isnt it?

Of course, this may just be idle speculation, but I don’t think so.

And while you’re AT it, bark like a chicken and do the tango for ONE! I’m bored, and anyway I’ve always wanted to SEE that.

a shady hypnotist.

1-RED COATZARECOMIN: Sorry. I don’t take American Express. The fees are too high.

2-TRENCHY: Oh! I found some cash… RED: Crap – you did?

3-TRENCHY: Yep. Now how about that date?

4-RED: Sigh…Fine. I guess a bucks a buck and a …_you know…_

TRENCHY: WELL IF THAT’S YOUR ATTITUDE I’M TAKING BACK MY MONEY! DEALS OFF! JUST FORGET IT!

RED: YOU’RE UNDER ARREST FOR SOLICITATION! TRENCHY: REALLY? RED: Nah. Just kidding. BOTH: HA HA HA!

it’s the perfect crime.

Where’s Pony?

There was a guy on the TV version of Batman, who had a purple top hat. The top would flip up showing two eyes and beams would come from them. I think to hypnotize. Trench coat guy reminded me of him.

I found an image of the Batman villain. The top hat was gray. He was called The Mad Hatter.

Influence, in the hereafter, is seething with jealousy.

What I witnessed today is a “smooth criminal” in motion. Even if he does look like one who as a kid was teased a lot in school.

Influence’s grandson??

The guy probably has several back up pairs to those glasses he is wearing. If Vitamin Flintheart had “discovered” him, every night at the theater would be sold out.

Well if it’s Influence (hope not) he sure hasn’t missed any meals.

MOVIE QUOTE—“I can always go through life sideways”

Gloria Grahame—THE BIG HEAT—1953

Well,we’ve stirred up some beginners 20 Questions,that’s for sure!!

I’ve got my fingers crossed it isn’t Influence.Like The Mole,he’s actually become a loveable old fellow.All for calling him in as a “Consultant” on this one.

We never did find out what happened to Slim.(his stoogy).

ooh, he’s got magic glasses

Vitamin Flintheart was introduced in March 1944.

In August 1944 the Abbott&Costello movie LOST IN A HAREM was released—-and Douglass Dumbrille played an evil Sheik named “Nimativ”.

I refuse to call it a coincidence

Wow this is great! Hypno Mole Man! Is this villian a new character?

This week’s strips are a public service announcement brought to you by the cryptocurrency industry.

Was this a First Outing for the Hypno-Crime Guy? (And I am anxious to find out his true name or moniker.) That could explain why he was content to settle for the petty cash that Red Jacket had before his ATM withdrawal (note Hypno-Crime Guy’s instructions in panel 4). Or is he just a very cautious crook who wants to attract no attention and avoids conspicuous crimes involving large amounts of money?

We’re off to a good start. Let’s hope the pacing continues to be vigorous….

Ok the Influence like ability was unexpected but I more or less called it.