My Scrapbook: The Mystery of the Slinky Dress Cartoon

I love the whole vibe, though: the play on all those beloved private eye drops, as the startled gumshoe, J.D. Hardcase, in the obligatory trench coat and fedora, sitting in his office and smoking a gasper (of course), looks up and is startled by some femme fatale in a “slinky dress” strutting into his office. As in a dress actually made entirely out of… Slinkys.

Sure, it’s a groaner, but I love a deliciously bad pun, and this one certainly qualifies. And oh, those little details! Like the coffee mug labelled “World’s Weariest Detective” or the inspirational plaque on the wall that reads “I don’t follow leads. I trail them.” Pure nonsense, really, but I dig it.

I first spotted it on J.R. Sanders‘s Facebook page. J.R.s the guy behind the awesome Nate Ross P.I. books, and so I sent him an email, trying to ferret out a little more info. Unfortunately,  he had simply reposted it, after spotting it on Kirk Shaudys‘s equally awesome The World of Noir Facebook page, and all Kirk could tell me was that he had found it on yet another Facebook page…

I’m wondering how far down the rabbit hole I’ll have to go. According to Google, the cartoon first appeared in August 2026, and soon spread across various social media platforms, including Facebook Groups, Instagram, X, and Threads, but so far, nobody’s come clean.

And so, the hunt continues. If anyone wants to drop a dime, our lines are open…

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON’T GET IT (SIGH!)

A Slinky is a classic “Walking Spring Toy” that’s been around for eighty years or so. It can “walk” down stairs end-over-end, using its own momentum (and gravity), and you can “juggle” it from hand to hand, which is actually sorta cool. It was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame  in 2000. 

It was invented by a naval mechanical engineer, Richard James, and since its debut in 1945, it’s sold about a zillion units worldwide. You probably know someone who got one for Christmas, and can tell you how it got hopelessly entangled by New Year’s.

FURTHER INVESTIGATION

• My Scrapbook
  A Cornucopia of Tear Sheets, Illustrations, Photos, Cartoons, Scribbles & Other Crap That I Think is Sorta Cool

Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.