- Dick Locher
-
Dick Locher Born Richard Earl Locher
June 4, 1929
Dubuque, IowaNationality American Area(s) Cartoonist Notable works Dick Tracy Awards Pulitzer Prize, Editorial Cartooning (1983) Richard Earl Locher (born June 4, 1929), better known as Dick Locher, is a nationally syndicated cartoonist.
Early life and career
Locher was born in Dubuque, Iowa. After high school, he began studying art at the University of Iowa and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. While in Chicago, he became an assistant to Rick Yager, who was drawing Buck Rogers at the time. However, he left the job after few months to enlist in the Air Force, where he became a test pilot. While at the Air Force, he began freelancing for the Stars and Stripes.
In 1957, he began assisting Chester Gould on Dick Tracy,[1] where he inked the figures and colored the Sunday strips. He also contributed to a story that was cited in Gould's 1959 Reuben award. He left the strip in 1961 to work on other areas, including starting an advertising company, where he worked on designing some of McDonald's characters.
Locher kept in touch with Chester Gould even after leaving the strip. In 1973, an editorial cartoonist position at Chicago Tribune opened up and Gould recommended Locher to take the position. Despite having no experience in editorial cartooning, the Tribune hired Locher and he still draws in the field to this day.
Locher, working with his son John,[2] returned to work on Dick Tracy in 1983,[1] when its previous cartoonist, Rick Fletcher, died. That same year, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning.[3] In 2009 Jim Brozman took over the drawing of Dick Tracy; however Locher continued to write the storyline and contributed sketches.[4] In 2011, Locher retired from Dick Tracy and handed the reins to the new creative team of Mike Curtis and Joe Staton. Locher's last Dick Tracy strip was published Sunday, March 13, 2011.
In 2006, Locher was inducted into the Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma by Michael Vance. The Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection, created by Vance, is located in the Toy and Action Figure Museum.[5]
Personal life
Locher currently lives in Naperville, Illinois[1] with his wife, Mary.
The new Land of Lincoln Trophy designed by Dick Locher goes to the winner of the Northwestern-Illinois college football game.[6]
References
- ^ a b c Goldsborough, Bob (April 5, 2010). "Dick Tracy sculpture to keep an eye on Naperville Riverwalk". Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-04-05/news/ct-x-w-0407-dick-tracy-statue-20100403_1_naperville-lawyer-naperville-city-council-dick-tracy. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
- ^ "John Locher dies; drew Dick Tracy .". Reading Eagle. May 21, 1986. http://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=01IiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7aYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3705,649573&dq=dick-locher&hl=en. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
- ^ "Pulitzer cartoonists go Mad for march". Seattle Times'. February 6, 2008. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2004165210_aebriefs06.html. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
- ^ "Naperville to honor 'Dick Tracy' cartoonist". Daily Herald. September 29, 2009. http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=324733. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ "Toy and Action Figure Museum Event". comicbookbin.com. October 6, 2006. http://www.comicbookbin.com/news979.html. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^ Chicago Tribune article
Preceded by
Rick FletcherDick Tracy artist
1983-2009Succeeded by
Himself (pencils) and Jim Brozman (inks)Preceded by
HimselfDick Tracy artist (pencils, with Jim Brozman inking)
2009-2011Succeeded by
Joe StatonPreceded by
Mike KilianDick Tracy writer
2005-2011Succeeded by
Mike CurtisPulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning (1976–2000) - Tony Auth (1976)
- Paul Szep (1977)
- Jeff MacNelly (1978)
- Herbert Lawrence Block (1979)
- Don Wright (1980)
- Mike Peters (1981)
- Ben Sargent (1982)
- Richard Locher (1983)
- Paul Conrad (1984)
- Jeff MacNelly (1985)
- Jules Feiffer (1986)
- Berkeley Breathed (1987)
- Doug Marlette (1988)
- Jack Higgins (1989)
- Tom Toles (1990)
- Jim Borgman (1991)
- Signe Wilkinson (1992)
- Stephen R. Benson (1993)
- Michael Ramirez (1994)
- Mike Luckovich (1995)
- Jim Morin (1996)
- Walt Handelsman (1997)
- Stephen P. Breen (1998)
- David Horsey (1999)
- Joel Pett (2000)
- Complete list
- (1922–1950)
- (1951–1975)
- (1976–2000)
- (2001–2025)
Categories:- 1929 births
- Living people
- American editorial cartoonists
- Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning winners
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