Dick Locher

Dick Locher
Dick Locher
Born	Richard Earl Locher; June 4, 1929; Dubuque, Iowa
Died	August 6, 2017 (aged 88); Naperville, Illinois
Area(s)	Cartoonist
Notable works	Dick Tracy
Awards	Pulitzer Prize, Editorial Cartooning (1983)

Richard Earl Locher (June 4, 1929 – August 6, 2017) was an American 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 a 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 characters for McDonald's.

Locher kept in touch with Chester Gould even after leaving the strip. In 1973, an editorial cartoonist position at the Chicago Tribune opened up and Gould recommended Locher to take the position. Despite having no experience in editorial cartooning, the Tribune hired Locher. Locher retired May 1, 2013.^[2]

Locher, working with his son John,^[3] 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.^[4] In 2009, Jim Brozman took over the drawing of Dick Tracy; however Locher continued to write the storylines and contributed sketches.^[5] 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.^[6]

In 2013, Locher helped design and make a 9.5-foot bronze statue of Naperville's founding father, Capt. Joseph Naper.^[7]

Personal life

Locher lived in Naperville, Illinois,^[1] with his wife, Mary, at the time of his passing.

Locher had three children: Stephen, who lives in the Chicago area; John, who died in 1986; and Jana, who lives in Colorado.

The new Land of Lincoln Trophy designed by Dick Locher goes to the winner of the Northwestern-Illinois college football game.^[8]

Locher died on August 6, 2017, in Naperville, Illinois, aged 88.^[9] His death was caused by complications from Parkinson's disease.^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Goldsborough, Bob (April 5, 2010). "Dick Tracy sculpture to keep an eye on Naperville Riverwalk". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
^ Locher Evans, Jana. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ "John Locher dies; drew Dick Tracy ". Reading Eagle. May 21, 1986. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
^ "Pulitzer cartoonists go Mad for march". Seattle Times. February 6, 2008. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
^ "Naperville to honor 'Dick Tracy' cartoonist". Daily Herald. September 29, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
^ "Toy and Action Figure Museum Event". comicbookbin.com. October 6, 2006. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
^ "Naperville dedicates statue of founder". 23 August 2013.
^ Land of Lincoln Trophy
^ Dick Locher, Pulitzer Prize-winning Tribune cartoonist, dies at 88
^ Goldsborough, Bob (8 August 2017). "Dick Locher, Pulitzer Prize-winning Tribune cartoonist, dies at 88". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-12-18.

Preceded by Rick Fletcher	Dick Tracy artist 1983-2009	Succeeded by Himself (pencils) and Jim Brozman (inks)
Preceded by Himself	Dick Tracy artist (pencils, with Jim Brozman inking) 2009-2011	Succeeded by Joe Staton
Preceded by Mike Kilian	Dick Tracy writer 2005-2011	Succeeded by Mike Curtis