List of Dick Tracy characters

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The comic strip Dick Tracy has introduced numerous characters.

Contents

Dick Tracy

The titular hero of the strip. Dick Tracy was born in 1909 (eight years after creator Chester Gould). In 1931, before even joining the police, he had captured his first villain Pinkie the Stabber. While leading a posse against the Arsons and Cutie Diamond, Tracy is seen in a police uniform and not his regular plainclothes. He served as a lieutenant (senior grade) in US Navy Intelligence during World War II.

Allies

Tracy family

Professional comrades

Began in the art theft division, helped capture Art Dekko. During a tumultuous period of corruption in the Police Department, Adonis resigned rather than work for the corrupt Chief Climer; and joined Tracy in a private detective agency. After Climer was killed, Adonis chose to remain a private detective.

Dick Tracy's Police Department

Dick Tracy's City and the Police Department it is part of is never named, although there are hints it is based upon Chester Gould's residence of Chicago Illinois. It is beside a large bay/lake. It is located in a midwestern state close to Ohio.

Police Chiefs in Dick Tracy comic Strip 1920–2020

Five members of the police have been exposed as either corrupt or having ties with "The Apparatus" [i.e. Organized Crime]

Personal acquaintances

After a 28-year absence, returned to the strip in 1978; having attained financial security for the first time and operating a playhouse theatre in Dick Tracy's city(although he also had a mansion in Hollywood). Entered into another successful May/December marriage with Kandikane Lane; successful freelance film-maker. The famous Flintheart vitality proved still active, as Kandikane presented him with a son.

B.U. TIFFIL(1980)---Famous actress, the daughter of BO Plenty's sister(revealed for the first time that the family wasn't just "eight boys"). Came to town to star in a play with Vitamin Flintheart; both her agent and her husband disliked the financial sacrifice she was making to do so. Various sabotage attempts were made on the production, which were eventually traced to her agent PUSHY POINTER; who had blackmailed his way into B.U.'S inner circle. Pushy accidentally shot Sparkle Plenty when aiming for B.U.---and sustained body-cast injuries attempting to escape. Tracy cleaned up the"blackmail" matter. And Sparkle Plenty and Junior Tracy fell in love during her recovery period.

Enemies

One of the appeals of the Dick Tracy comic strip is its unique villains. [2] Many had bizarre deformities, including the Blank (1937), Little Face Finny (1941), Pruneface (1943), the Brow (1944), Shaky (1945), and Pearshape (1949). [3] Chester Gould wrote these villains for his reader's righteous condemnation, without exploring moral gray areas. [4] This was emphasized by depicting the heroes as attractive and the villains as grotesque. [4] Other notable villains include Big Boy (1931), Breathless Mahoney (1931), and Flattop (1943).

Committed suicide with dynamite when cornered at a Diet Smith industrial facility.

Archie tie-ins

In the 1970s, Archie's TV Funnies had cartoon "shorts" of Dick Tracy episodes. Guest villains included B.B. Eyes; The Brow; 88 Keys; the Mole; Mumbles; Pearshape Tone; Shaky; Shoulders; Sketch Paree. Cameos included appearances by Tess Trueheart, Moon Maid, B.O. Plenty, Mrs. Van Hoosen, Lizz Grove, Sam Catchem and Chief Patton. Likewise, an episode (1/8) of the Josie and the Pussycats cartoon series had an episode in which the musicians are chased by a "Blank" (faceless) criminal called the Mastermind.

References

The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 1 And 2 [6]

The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 3 [7]

The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 4 [8]

The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 5 [9]

  1. Curtis, Joe Staton and Mike (2012-09-30). "Dick Tracy by Joe Staton and Mike Curtis for September 30, 2012 | GoComics.com". GoComics. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  2. "IDW Publishing Celebrates 75 Years of Dick Tracy with the Release of The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, Vol. 1 in October!". IDW Publishing. Archived from the original on 2006-10-26. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  3. "DICK TRACY". Toonopedia.com. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  4. 1 2 "Dick Tracy: Morality in Black and White". comicsfun.com. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  5. Gould, Chester (1978). Dick Tracy, the thirties, tommy guns, and hard times. New York : Chelsea House Publishers. p. 1. ISBN   978-0-87754-071-7.
  6. Gould, Chester (2007). The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 1 And 2 Slipcase Edition. IDW Publishing. p. 704. ISBN   978-1-60010-139-7.
  7. Gould, Chester (2007). The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 3. IDW Publishing. p. 352. ISBN   978-1-60010-038-3.
  8. Gould, Chester (2008). The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 4. IDW Publishing. p. 352. ISBN   978-1-60010-039-0.
  9. Gould, Chester (2008). The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 5. IDW Publishing. p. 352. ISBN   978-1-60010-201-1.