Dick Tracy, the Green Hornet, and a Masked Hero

Dick Tracy's creative team, Joe Staton and Mike Curtis, continue to add characters to the what I call the ever-expanding Tracyverse. In a storyline started in April 2018, they not only added a current hero, but also a famous one from the past.

In the sequence below, publisher of the Daily Sentinal, Britt Reid, comes to Tracy's city in pursuit of two criminals -- the Topper, and the Green Hornet.

In reality, Britt Reid is the Green Hornet. The Hornet fights criminals while posing as an outlaw. Reid is assisted by his Asian manservant, Kato. The Green Hornet uses a gas gun to disable, rather than kill his foes.

Reid's secretary Lenore (Casey) Case shares the secret of the Hornet's identity. In the Dick Tracy sequence, Case is filling in for Kato, who's working undercover for Topper.

The character debuted on radio in 1936 and ran through 1952. The Green Hornet spawned a comic book series and four movie serials in the 1940s. In 1966 "The Green Hornet" TV show appeared as a spin-off of "Batman." It lasted one season.

If you're only familiar with the Green Hornet because Bruce Lee played Kato on TV, read on.

George W. Trendle helped create the Green Hornet for his radio station WXYZ. It was his second successful character. The first was the Lone Ranger -- whose older brother was Dan Reid.

Over the course of the Lone Ranger radio show, the Lone Ranger adopted his nephew Dan Reid, Jr. And eventually the Green Hornet radio show revealed that Dan Reid, Jr. was Britt's father.

Britt Reid is the grandnephew of the Lone Ranger. Which means a famous part of the fictional Wild West is now part of the Tracyverse.

Eventually, the Lone Ranger and Green Hornet properties were sold to different companies. Because of copyright issues, the familial connection between the two heroes was never explored further.

But true fans know.

And in the world of Dick Tracy, back in the 1880s, the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode the trails of the Old West.

Dick Tracy Meets Harold Teen (sort of)

Coming off their successful crossover story with the Spirit (see: Dick Tray's Spirit), Mike Curtis and Joe Staton shift gears with something quite different. And as always, the fun is in the small details.

This sequence ran April 7-9, 2017. Note the change in credits. Shelley Pleger stepped in for Joe Staton, who needed time for some other projects. Pleger's a part of the Dick Tracy creative team, inking Staton's penciled art and doing the lettering.

She's also a talented artist in her own right and provided the art for Mike Curtis "Shanda the Panda."

As with most of the references written into Dick Tracy, these sequences further the story without getting in the way. If you don't recognize any of these characters, no worries. This three-day sequence simply establishes the upcoming cosplay convention (where a crime will happen) as a major event everyone will be attending.

But for some comics readers, it's the reappearance of some very old friends. "The Love Life of Harold Teen" was a comic strip written and drawn by Carl Ed. It ran from 1919 to 1959, and featured the exploits of a typical teenager -- Harold Teen.

There was a regular cast of supporting characters, of course. The action usually centered around the Sugar Bowl, a soda shop run by Pop Jenks. Gedunk sundaes were often advertised in depictions of the shop.

Harold's sidekick was Shadow Smart. He was often shown wearing earmuffs. Note how Pleger updated the character by changing them to earbud headphones.

Harold Teen and Shadow were jazz-crazy in the 1920s, and were just as wild about swing in the 1940s, at the height of the strip's popularity. So  Pleger's change is in keeping with the character.

Harold references his long-time girlfriend, Lillums Lovewell, though she's not shown in this sequence.

It's a great homage to a once-popular comic strip that's all but forgotten. And now Harold Teen's world joins the Tracyverse.

Dick Tracy's Spirit - Part 3

Dick Tracy recently concluded a storyline involving Will Eisner's creation, the Spirit (Dec. 2016 through Mar. 2017). In Part 1 I tried to fill in the background of this important comic strip character (for those who came in late). In Part 2 I looked at how parts of the Spirit's mythos were handled by Mike Curtis and Joe Staton.

It's not my intention to rehash the entire story arc, but in this final installment I want to look at a few details embedded in the story.

By now, Boston Charlie (of "Terry and the Pirates") is now a supporting character in Dick Tracy. So it's not surprising to see him piloting in a mysterious figure for an exclusive auction. Also shown are Oliver Warbucks, ("Little Orphan Annie") who's found a home in the Tracyverse. The last panel shows the Spirit's archenemy, the Octopus, and his henchman, Mr. Carrion.

Up for auction is an immortality formula. The Spirit relates the last time he encountered one, which was also the first time he met P'Gell in 1946, who would became a love interest/opponent throughout the series.

P'Gell's first appearance in the Spirit, 1946.

More P'Gell from 1947. Note how her features look a little less exotic.

I have to admit I liked this sequence. Commissioner Dulan and Chief Patton are trading stories about their respective crime fighters. Sammy Strunk, the Spirit's sidekick, isn't impressed. What I find amusing about the first panel is that the middle character has served both as superior and sidekick to the hero. Pat Patton started out as Tracy's assistant, and became police chief only because Tracy turned down the offer.

The immortality formula is being auctioned off by Perenelle Flamel, widow of Nicolas Flamel. The name may be familiar to Harry Potter fans, but Flamel's story predates JK Rowling.

Nicolas Flamel (1330-1418) was a scribe and printer in medieval Paris. He was also an alchemist -- not unusual for the time. Centuries later, he was credited with finding the Philosopher's Stone, actually turning base metal into gold, and developing an elixir of life. These legends continued to grow, and far outgrew the original person.

Its always fun when Diet Smith, Chester Gould's original plutocrat mixes with Oliver Warbucks. Warbucks mentions Doc Savage had an immortality formula in 1934. I'm not sure about that, but I do know Lester Dent's pulp character did encounter such a formula in 1939's "The Crimson Serpent."

And we see who Boston Charlie was transporting -- the Dragon Lady, Milton Caniff's quintessential villain from "Terry and the Pirates."

It's the details such as these that make the story, I think. As always, Curtis and Staton tell a great story.

This panel from the end of the story arc is a study in shadow and
light that is worthy of Eisner.

Dick Tracy's Spirit - Part 2

Dick Tracy recently concluded a storyline involving the Spirit (Dec. 2016 through Mar. 2017). Last week, I shared some of the basic backgrounds for Will Eisner's creation (see: Part 1). But importing a comic book character from the 1940s isn't just as simple as drawing it accurately.  Mike Curtis and Joe Staton had to strike a delicate balance between the accepted canon and modern sensibilities.

Ebony White was always a valuable aide for the Spirit.
But sensibilities for acceptable cartoon
exaggeration have changed greatly
since the 1940s.

A Changing Cast of Characters

The Spirit had a fairly stable cast of supporting characters. There was Police Commissioner Dulan, who was one of the few people who knew the Spirit was resurrected policeman Denny Colt. Dulan was the reason the Spirit was able to work with -- and under the sanction -- of the police department.

Ellen Dolan, the commissioner's daughter, was the love interest of Denny Colt/the Spirit. She was more than just a convenient damsel in distress. Ellen Dolan was competent, capable, and often more than a match for the men in her life.

Like many masked crime fighters of the 1940s, the Spirit had a youthful sidekick. Ebony White was drawn as an African American stereotype, but his character was anything but.

Most comic scholars agree that Will Eisner wasn't inherently racist, just a product of his time. But times change. By 1949 it was clear that Ebony had to go.

And so he was replaced by Sammy Strunk, who would fill out remaining three years of the Spirit's run as his sidekick. For true Spirit fans, Ebony White remains the Spirit's true sidekick. But for new readers in 2017? No way.

(L-R) Sammy Strunk, Commissioner Dulan, the Spirit. I do wonder how
he managed to board a commercial flight with a mask and traveling
under an alias...

Singing a song

Although Ebony White was gone, he certainly wasn't forgotten. Staton and Curtis had the Spirit singing the song "Every Little Bug" in several sequences. The tune first appeared in a Spirit comic in 1946, and was a running gag through 1950.

The tune was written by Ebony White, and was on the Hit Parade (at least in the Spirit's world). Sheet music for the tune was also published in the real world (Will Eisner, lyrics; Bill Harr, music), although it was less successful outside of the comic strip.

The Lunar Connection

In the course of Staton and Curtis' story, it's mentioned that the Spirit has been to the moon.

By 1951 appeal for the masked hero had pretty much run its course. After World War II superhero comics were on the decline, and popular tastes were changing. Will Eisner employed Wally Wood, one of the premier science fiction comic artists, to help steer the Spirit into a new direction.

In 1952, the comic was rebranded "Outer Space" with the Spirit parenthetically mentioned. The six-part story involved the first moon expedition. The crew was a mix of scientists and criminals, earning their pardon by participating in was could well be a fatal mission. The Spirit came to keep the cons in line.

It was a gritty, mostly somber tale with stunning artwork. And it pretty much marked the end of the series. After the Spirit returned to Earth, there was one further adventure (with the Spirit as a UFO hunter), and the comic was canceled.

 Since the Moon also played an important part of Chester Gould's Dick Tracy strip, it seemed only natural that the subject arises in conversation.

Next week: the ever-expanding Tracyverse

Dick Tracy's Spirit - Part 1

Dick Tracy recently concluded a storyline involving the Spirit (Dec. 2016 through Mar. 2017). It's significant for a number of reasons. First, the creative team of Mike Curtis and Joe Staton bring the Spirit's world into the ever-expanding Tracyverse.

Second, it was well-done from start to finish, remaining true to Will Eisner's iconic character. And third, it was the type of story that would have worked for either detective individually.

So who was the Spirit?

For those who came in late, the Spirit was a masked detective created in 1940 by Will Eisner. The character was part of a 16-page newsprint insert distributed to the Register and Tribune Syndicate newspapers for their Sunday comics.

In addition to a 7-8 page Spirit story, the insert included 4-page stories from supporting characters from the Eisner shop, such as Mr. Mystic and Lady Luck.

And so it begins.

So who cares?

Quite a lot of people. Eisner used the Spirit to stretch the boundaries of sequential art. The splash page featured the title treated differently each week.

The first page of three different Spirit stories. Each week the title was
treated differently.

An example of Eisner's virtuosity. The comic
strip panels are incorporated into the house.
As the eye moves from left to right, the story
unfolds, with the dramatic point being hit
in the last panel (room) in the lower right.

The stories could be anything from a simple crime adventure to a love story, to social satire.

After the Spirit was discontinued in 1952, the comic lived on. The original comic inserts were collected and studied. Several series of reprints were also collected and studied.

As a result, Eisner's work influenced several generations of comic strip and comic book artists. He so defined the field that in 1988 the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award was created.

For the industry, the Eisner is equivalent to the Oscar. Awards are given each year for categories such as Best Writer, Best Artist/Penciller/Inker, Best New Series, Best Continuing Series, Best Letterer/Lettering, Best Limited Series or Story Arc, and more.

That's how much Eisner's artistry (and his creation) are regarded.

So how do you incorporate a character with so much history into a current comic strip? We'll look at what Curtis and Staton brought from the canon into Dick Tracy next week.

The Expanding Tracyverse

It wasn't that long ago that I cited an example of Mike Curtis and Joe Staton bringing another comic strip into Dick Tracy's universe (see: Dick Tracy's Dream). The sequence below ran July 12-14, 2016 and brought another long-running comic strip character into the Tracyverse.

I'm not sure if this appearance is somewhat elliptical because of copyright restrictions, but it certainly fits with the character.

Long-time comic strip readers will recognize the Phantom in his Mr. Walker persona. Although the figure is never clearly shown, his upturned collar, low-slung fedora, and dark glasses provide more than enough clues. And the wolf is, of course, Devil as Tracy almost directly says.

In a way, this addition is a twofer. Both the Phantom and Mandrake the Magician were created by Lee Falk, and share the same universe (having appeared in each other's strips). So if Dick Tracy and the Phantom know each other, then Mandrake is part of the Tracyverse now, too.

And as part of the same story arc, another cameo was brought back. Deathany Denobia of Bill Holbrook's On the Fast Track was already established in the Tracyverse (see: Dick Tracy on the Fast Track). She returned in an early August 2016 sequence to provide information about the sidekick of Abner Kadaver, a horror show host turned hitman.

One-off cameos can be fun. Subsequent appearances by them can be even more so.

Dick Tracy's Dream

Mike Curtis and Joe Staton continue to expand the world of Dick Tracy world into other comic strip universes. They've established that Little Orphan Annie exists in Tracy's world, as does Gasoline Alley, Terry and the Pirates, Popeye, Fast Track, and more.

They've even created an alternative version of Fearless Fosdick for Tracy's world in the form of Straightedge Trueworthy (created byVera Alldid). Now Al Capp's original character parody joins the Tracy universe in an innovative way, beginning with this sequence from June 28. 2016.

It's important to remember that Fearless Fosdick was always a fictional character. In Al Capp's strip L'il Abner, Fearless Fosdick was a comic strip that L'il Abner read. The comic within a comic was a send-up of Dick Tracy, carrying the tropes of Chester Gould's strip to the extreme.

And in the sequence started above, Fosdick remains a fictional character. In this case a dream creation of Dick Tracy. So where does that leave L'il Abner and the denizens of Dogpatch in the Tracyverse? I'm not sure -- but I'm going to keep reading to find out.

Dick Tracy's Dark and Stormy Night

Last week I wrote about Mike Curtis and Joe Staton's homage to Sherlock Holmes (see: Dick Tracy's Final Problem). As in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original story, both the detective and his arch enemy were locked in a mortal struggle at the Reichenbach Falls, and both apparently tumbled to their doom.

Tracy, of course, survived and was nursed back to health by a mysterious figure.

Of course, I thought perhaps the figure was Dr. Watson. But that wasn't quite true.

Dr. Bulwer Lytton was a little delusional, but otherwise harmless (and by tending to Tracy's wounds quite helpful, actually). And if that name sounds somewhat familiar, it should.

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) was a well-known British novelist, playwright, poet, and politician of the Victorian Era. Some of his stories were used for operas -- Wagner's "Rienzi" is one of them. He's credited with coining phrases still in use, such as "the pen is mightier than the sword."

 But today he's remembered for the opening sentence from just one of his novels, "Paul Clifford" (1830) -- because it was used in Peanuts (first appearing in 1971, I believe).

From there, the phrase and the author became something of a joke. And now the creator of phrases like "the almighty dollar" and "the great unwashed," is memorialized by the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. The goal is to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels.

Kudos once again to Curtis and Staton for having a walk-on character with such rich connotations and associations.

Dick Tracy's Final Problem

One of the most rewarding things about reading Mike Curtis and Joe Staton's Dick Tracy is that each story is packed with literary, cultural, and comic strip references that can be very rewarding for the careful reader. In this case, from August-September 2016, it's the final showdown between assassin Abner Kadaver and Dick Tracy. 

For mystery readers, the location has meaning. The Swiss Reichenbach Falls was where Sherlock Holmes confronted his greatest adversary, Professor Moriarty. Not only does the setting harken back to that 1893 story, but Kadaver's top hat and cloak also seem to echo the Victorian era.

Although we never get to see what's left of Kadaver's face, we do know one thing -- it's not as bad as Pruneface's. That's a nice reference to Tracy's own canon. Pruneface was a Fifth Columnist who first appeared in a 1942 story line. Although apparently dead, he reappeared in 1983 after being cryogenically frozen. But Kadaver's right -- he was a spy, not a hired assassin, so technically an amateur at death-dealing.

As with Doyle's original tale, both detective and criminal plunge over the falls. And only one (apparently) survives. Which leads to a very curious cameo...

Dick Tracy's Honeymoon(ers)

Sometimes I think I could almost make a weekly feature out of Dick Tracy cameos. Mike Curtis and Joe Staton are clearly having fun with the strip. As I've noted previously, they've had crossover stories with characters from other strips (see: Dick Tracy and the Jumble Crossover and Dick Tracy Gets Funky), and referenced other media (see: The Comical Dick Tracy, Part 3 and Dick Tracy and Superman). Some of these references are major parts of the story and some minor. But the most fun is the ones that are just throwaways. if you're not paying attention, you might think it's just filler -- but it's not.

Here's a good example -- the characters in the January 19, 2016, sequence only appeared this one day. And they were there to further the story (by showing what happened to a corpse).

Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden and
Art Carney as Ed Norton in "The Honeymooners."

To readers of a certain age, the identities of the two garbagemen are obvious -- it's Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton. These two blue-collar characters were mainstays on the Jackie Gleason Show in a skit titled "The Honeymooners." (Gleason played Kramden, Art Carney played Norton). The segment proved so popular that it later became a sitcom.

Their jobs were just a little different in the golden age sitcom -- Ralph Kramden drove a bus, and Ed Norton worked in the sewers. But Kramden was always quitting his job to pursue another get-rich-quick scheme, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that eventually the transit system just stopped taking him back. And as for Norton, collecting garbage might even be considered a promotion!

Thanks to Curtis and Staton for sequences like this one. It keeps readers like me on my toes!

Dick Tracy On the Fastrack

According to the current creative team of Mike Curtis and Joe Staton, the characters in Dick Tracy's universe are well aware of those in Bill Holbrook's On the Fastrack. In a sequence from January 15, 2015,  Honeymoon Tracy was reading an e-book starring Dethany Dendrobia, an "On the Fastrack" character (see: Dick Tracy and the Literary Double).

January 15, 2016, the following appeared in Dick Tracy (top), and On the Fastrack (bottom).

Dick Tracy discusses the e-book case with Dethany in person, while in Fast Track, Dethany investigates in cyberspace -- and crosses paths with Dick Tracy.  It's a great crossover, thoughtfully executed by both strips.

And I found a few noteworthy things to consider. First, does this mean that Dethany -- and by extension -- the entire Fast Track cast exist in the same world as Dick Tracy? That's a change from having them exist as literary creations in said universe.

Second, note how Holbrook reinforces the concept of identity theft in his strip. He first shows Dick Tracy, then in the final panel, Fearless Fosdick, Al Capp's satirical take on Tracy -- a character that in some ways did indeed steal Tracy's identity.

One more thing -- the first crossover of these two strips (to my knowledge) occurred 1/15/15, the second 1/15/16. Is this going to be a yearly thing? No complaints from me if it is!