The legendary Dick Tracy has arrived at your local comic shop, thanks to the current Crazy Cave Studio Dick Tracy series. even better is, Dick Tracy Brought to you by a rogues gallery of incredible all-star talent: Alex Segura, Michael Morrissey, Chantel Aimé Ottoman, Gerardo Borges, Mark Englert and Jim Campbell.
To learn more about the series, Comics Beat caught up with Segura to ask all things Dick Tracy. Check out the archives below to discover all the secret information for yourself. Be sure to tell us what you think of the series in the comments section and watch it on your LCS today!
Avery Kaplan: Do you have a personal history with Dick Tracy?
Alex Segura: My first important memory is Warren Beatty Movie – coming out soon Tim Burtonof batman, so people are hungry for more comic books or comic book-related movies. It was a very different time, especially compared to how many comic book movies and shows we have today. So, needless to say, I’m intrigued and excited about this new movie – it blew my mind and opened the door to a lifelong love of the character, his villain/actor, and the source material. After watching the movie, I started reading comic strips, cartoons, and of course other comics.
Kaplan: How did you get involved with this comic project?
Segura: It’s a complex and twisty story, so I’ll try to keep it simple – I tried to get the comic book license for DT a few years ago when I was co-president of Archie Comics. We thought we’d done it, Moreci and I planned to write the series – we even announced it. But due to factors beyond our control, we ended up not getting a license, so the idea was shelved again. But Michael and I, along with our creative consultant and partner Osman, loved the idea – and ultimately, we decided to try to license it ourselves. The Tribune liked our work, and we were then able to work with the great team at Mad Cave to bring the project to life, adding artist Borges, colorist Englert, and letterer Campbell to the team .
Kaplan: How is this incarnation of the character similar and/or different from previous incarnations of the character? Does the book need character background?
Segura: Michael and I intentionally wrote a story that’s timeless and ideal for new readers, but we didn’t skimp on Easter eggs for long-time DT fans – if you’re just looking for a fun, engaging, character-driven story oriented crime comics, this is for you. If you are a lifelong DT fan – this book is for you too. Tonally, we paid great attention to the source material, especially Chester GouldA love for society’s dark and twisted, sinister villains. More than anything, our vibe was “What if we merged Dick Tracy with a movie like this?” L.A. Confidential? Film noir, which has a long history, also has some of the pop and color of film. We hope readers old and new will enjoy it.
KAPLAN: What is your collaborative process like with the rest of the creative team? What’s it like to write a book that lists “creative consultant” in the credits?
Segura: Michael and I are old friends and we both have a passion for the character, so writing was fun and easy. Neither of us have big egos, so we did a good job of taking notes from each other (and our editors and creative consultants). We just hope the book is good. It’s been a real treat to see Geraldo and Mark’s art come in and evolve as they have nailed a visual aesthetic that previously only existed in our heads and improved upon it! As far as having a creative consultant goes, Chantelle has been with us on this journey from the beginning and her insights have been invaluable. We all work together to make the best comics possible.
Kaplan: What went into writing a story set in the aftermath of World War II? Is any research needed? How is it different from today’s story?
Segura: We wanted the story to make readers feel like they were on the ground floor—so, Michael and I joked that it was Dick Tracy: A Year and a Half. Obviously, something has happened, but what we get is a relatively new and inexperienced DT, in stark contrast to the more mature heroes we’ve seen in movies or comics. It felt fresh, and to do that we needed to set it in a time that almost reflected Dick Tracy’s mentality. In many ways, DT is the American experience—recovering from this traumatic event and desperately trying to get out of the darkness. I wouldn’t say we went into a deep research hole—Michael and I were already history buffs, so we drew on a lot of material that we already enjoyed as readers.
KAPLAN: Do you have a personal favorite? Dick Tracy Features? Do you have a favorite fictional detective?
Segura: Besides DT, I really like Pruneface and the Blank!
As far as fictional detectives go, it’s hard to top Philip Marlowe or Matt Scudder. I also really like Nick Stefanos, Tess Monaghan, and Sherlock Holmes.
KAPLAN: Given your specific experience in this field, can you give us some insight into what success looks like? Dick Tracy How is the story different from other detective stories?
Segura: Dick Tracy was not corrupt. He is not bad – He is not rotten. Unlike many detectives or jaded vigilantes, Dick Tracy was a good guy inside and out. I was joking with someone recently that Dick Tracy was basically a superhuman detective, and I think that’s right – he wants to do the right thing and will work hard to achieve it.
Kaplan: I’m curious, in contrast, what characteristics of the noir genre does this book lean most toward? Were there any stories that were particularly influential in your work on this piece?
Segura: Black has become a marketing swerve that can mean anything, but to me, Black is about people being cornered by their own bad decisions and seeing how they get out of it – a big element of what we’re playing with is Thoughts of your past creep up on you or have to atone for your sins. We see Tess’s father, Pat’s brother, and to a greater extent Dick Tracy’s relationship to the war.
Kaplan: Is there anything you can reveal for readers in future installments of this series?
Segura: The rest of the arc will delve deeper into the mysteries of the Green Eyes murders and how they tie into the larger gang war, and set the stage for what’s to come in Arc 2!
Read The Beat’s review Dick Tracy #1 Click here.
You can visit Mad Cave’s official Dick Tracy website to learn more about the series.
