Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for November 06, 2022

Embrace a big risk

Take 2-way. Be brisk

Be bold and quickly skate.

Steelface gives a fright

Sam Catchem all right

‘Tis worth it to tempt fate.

A factor the threat

Yet vanquish regret

Traverse the narrow path.

Befriend what is right

Repress creeping fright

Risk retributive wrath.

UHOH… Robert is going to pocket the two-way and approach Sam about it… and Uncle Steely Arce is going to definitely notice it’s gone, as Robert is the only one who’s been in his office… unless Steely deliberately left it there to see if he can continue to count of Robert’s loyalty, only because he knows how passionate Robert is about his possible new career and doesn’t want it jeopardized in any way… it could be Steely innocently left it there or as bait to test Robert…

Where’s Neil with my ™ ? LOL !

Good morning™, backstabbing turncoats !

If Robert is being watched; I don’t expect he’ll make it back to the theater, alive or dead.

Windshield wipers are such a rip off these days. The rubber wiper strips are skimpier and not replaceable. I found a website that shows you how to remove the strips and also that you can purchase strip material and do your own replacement. The arm part will last a bunch of rubber changes. I may still have it on a tab, buried somewhere in multiple tabs and windows so wont be digging for it, just now anyway.

The spring loaded ones press the blade to the window for superior water removal but for this much for one, that I will have to trash when the chintzy rubber strip wears down or becomes detached, well, that’s plain out piggy greed.

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Clear-Advantage-26CA-Wiper/dp/B019FPINCW?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

So few comments this far in ?

Good morning™, everyone! (and Gweedo, too)

They do a pretty good job repackaging used car parts, if that’s what those are… or maybe the windshield wipers are new and the “recycled” part are used internally for repairs or sold to repair mechanics.

Robert is taking a big risk, reaching for the Wrist Radio when his uncle is out of the room, but he was kind of horrified when Steelface first showed it to him, so he definitely doesn’t approve of it being used.

It’s a test of loyalty.

Dick Tracy or Gasoline Alley?

Steelface is one of the better villains Mike has come up in recent times. I wish we could have seen more of him.

Does anybody in this strip look after their wrist radio?

Where is the Apparatus when you need them?

What powers the wrist radios? Did it go dead?

Who’s losing any sleep speculating about such trivia?? All will be revealed presently.

It’s a test and a trap. But is he showing loyalty to his uncle or his new career by doing this?

Why is the strap on the wrist radio so short? Is it the child-size version?

That’s a fierce looking customer buying those wipers— think I’d rather see what his story is….

Why didn’t Team Tracy track the device to find Steelface’s headquarters?

“Jeepers! Maybe I can sell this to that Sam guy!”

hope he don’t notice the radio missing right away.

…like the addition of the Little Trees display….what Auto Parts emporium would be complete without ’em?

How would Howard know what that thing is? Only a person who hangs around the police would recognize it.

So does Steve sell used wipers from stolen cars as new? Seems destined to fail. Maybe that’s the only part Steely uses from the cars he chops. Seems wasteful.

1-CUSTOMER: DON’T CALL ME “SIR”! I WORK FOR A LIVING!

2-PERSON FORMERLY IDENTIFIED AS HOODIE: Hi Robert. ROBERT: Hi.

3-STEELY: Good to see you but it’s kind of a bad time. I’ve been looking at my collection of old Car Repair Shop Girly Calendars I’ll be back in uh, 3 – 4 minutes tops…

4-ROBERT: Hang on…There’s the Wrist Radio that was in the cop car I boosted that belonged to Sam who I just figured out is a cop…

5-…_I’ll return it to Sam and be a HERO! I’ll be sure to give Uncle Steely some credit too. He’s been good to me._ STEELY FROM DOWN THE HALL: WHOAAA BAAAABY!!!

cue the ominous music

Robert sees an opportunity to strike back at Uncle Nickel Noggin. I just hope it is not a set up.

Actually, Robert has several options here. He could try to nick the wrist radio from Uncle Arceneaux’s office. Not wise; too easily discovered and disciplined.

He could try (as someone noted above) just turning it on, in hopes that something important (incriminating?) might be picked up by listeners at the other end. This could, perhaps, succeed.

Or he could try just to transmit a quick message himself, sotto voce, warning the listeners and/or seeking help, then returning the device to its previous dormant state. Risky timing, but possible.

Otherwise, it appears that Uncle’s “upstairs office” is upstairs from Steve’s Auto Parts, where we see a rather scary-looking guy buying some windshield wipers—probably just filler, but I suppose the guy could have some illegitimate “business” with Steelface, coded by the buying of wipers (e.g., the guy could be Steelface’s drug dealer). Terry, in that case, would probably have to pass the guy upstairs to the office…

MOVIE QUOTE—-"My darling,darling,darling——I don’t want love letters from you,I want the map!!

Charles Laughton—-ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD—1952