Dick Tracy and Superman

I'm sure writing a daily adventure strip can be stressful -- pressing deadlines, restrictive format, etc. But I think it has to be fun, too. Take a look at the April 7, 2015 sequence in Dick Tracy, for example. Joe Staton and Mike Curtis were kicking off a new adventure involving a train robbery. (click on image to enlarge)

That throw away line in the first panel is indeed relevant. It refers to the classic 1942 Superman cartoon by Max Fleischer. It was one of 17 Superman cartoons that Max Fleischer produced for Paramount Pictures for theatrical release. The series was beautifully animated, and is considered a classic of the genre -- much the same way Dick Tracy is regarded in the realm of sequential art.



Although not strictly necessary to Dick Tracy's story arc, the Billion Dollar Limited reference was much appreciated by fans such as myself.