Oh gosh, where to start? So much in this strip.
First off, the title. scrutator, according to my trusty 1924 Webster’s, is n. [L.] – one who scrutinizes. A quidnunc, by the way, is: “one who is curious to know everything that’s going on, a gossip.” And, while Stephanie doesn’t fit the last part, it was too good not to use.
Faithful readers (you, you, and especially you) will remember that Stephanie’s mentioned a wish to solve mysteries before. Geoffrey had no idea of this, of course. It was pure luck.
And people do like to tell Stephanie things. Often whether they like to or not.
I was gonna put dialogue on the Clue Card panel, but realized that less is more.
Stephanie as Dick Tracy? Well, she knows that many years before Edison Lighthouse actually met Dick Tracy. Astute readers (you, you, and you too) know that Edison often wears Tracy’s hat.
By the way, I’d like to thank Joe Staton again for sending me the original pencils for that strip. He is a great guy.
Sooo, it looks like Stephanie’s decided to not tell Larry if Edison doesn’t come clean. Hope Edison finds that out before she confesses. If she does. Guess we’ll find out pretty soon.
But not next time. Next time we’ll hang out with the Testosterone Trio, Nelson, Toivo, and Larry. There’ll be the usual bantering, a cameo, a giant winged-Oh, but that’d be giving too much away. You’ll just have to stick around!
I mean, if you spin it a certain way, an interrogation sort of counts as an investigation, r-right?
As whopping great lies go, this is really plausible. Like, “if you’d released this page before revealing the actual truth I would have totally bought it” plausible.
Oh, Geoffrey is that good. The best lies contain a kernel of truth, after all.
Well, Geofrey managed to save the day. This is indeed a lie with pieces of truth.
Despite his many faults, Geoffrey is good at certain things. Womanizing, lying, irritating the Captain…
I don’t see Stephanie as being ruthless enough to be a Miss Scarlet.
Oh, she’s definitely not ruthless.
But she’s seen herself as a femme fatale before.
I clicked that link. Stephanie in a red dress is a real killer.
Ain’t she though?
I cannot begin to tell you how much I have enjoyed your work over the years. I have only had a few web comics I like, and you and one other are all that survive.
Your art reminds me of my childhood, going to my brother-in-laws house where he allowed me to read his hoard of Heavy Metal Magazines from the late 70’s and early 80’s.
Not to knock web artists, but most lack the level of quality of art you provide. Thank you for so much work and such a fun and uplifting serial.
Oh Greven, thank you so much for those kind words. And sticking with G,K through all the ups and downs. Welcome to the select few-the best commentor/readers a creator could ever hope to share with.
Ah, Heavy Metal…I spent a fair amount of time reading that back in tge day (still have my #1). High praise indeed, my friend!
And thanks for the comment on tge art. Don’t know why or how, but I seem to be on a roll lately. Fingers crossed that it keeps up. I’ve got some fun ideas and I really want these characters to look tgeir best for them.
While maybe it shouldn’t be applauded, this is in a fact a fantastic lie. Close enogh to the truth to make it believable, and the pieces to fit, but far enough away that the horrible implications of the truth are safely buried.
Love Stephanie as Dick Tracy, by the way.
Thanks! Those Rick Fletcher drawn squinty eyes are really hard to get right. Glad you like ’em.
As for the Big Lie, well… credit Geoffrey with that one. I wasn’t really sure what he was gonna come up with until I remembered Stephanie’s earlier line about solving mysteries.
I wonder uf things will be any different when she gets home.
There are a few big mysteries still to solve around Innesmount.
That was a nice Dick Tracy homage! And I loooove the Clue card!
Thanks! I’m so happy at how she turned out in both of those.