Mon Nov 17, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger

TMS says 'Dick Tracy' not Headed for Retirement

Artist may Retgiure, not Series

When Dick Tracy writer/artist Dick Locher told Dubuque’s Telegraph Herald that he was likely to retire, rumors spread quickly that the legendary detective was likely to be retired as well.

Tribune Media Service’s Mary Elson stated “there are no plans to shutdown the comic.” She also said she knew of no formal retirement plans for Locher, who not only does the strip but produces editorial cartoons for the syndicate.

The 77 year old police strip was created by Chester Gould who handled the feature until his retirement in 1977.  Max Allan Collins and Gould’s longtime assistant Rick Fletcher then produced the feature, taking the status quo back to its earliest days.  Locher, who previously assisted Gould, stepped when Fletcher passed away in 1983. Mike Kilian replaced Collins as writer in 1992 until his death in 2005 when Locher took the writing reins as well.

Legal rights stemming from the 1990 Disney film which was directed by star Warren Beatty, have held up any additional media exploitation of the character, one of the longest running adventure strips still being published.

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