Dick Tracy USPS stamp"Flattop" Jones, Dick Tracy's famous enemyDick Tracy strip with Crimestoppers' TextbookDick Tracy Sunday strip from 2005. Art by Dick Locher.

Discover great deals on the many hard to find and one of a kind items available only on ebay!

Dick Tracy

Dick Tracy is a popular character in American pop culture. The character of Dick Tracy is a hard hitting, fast shooting, and supremely intelligent police detective who has matched wits with a variety of often grotesquely ugly villains. more...

HomeHome
ComicsComics
Alan MooreAlan Moore
AquamanAquaman
BatmanBatman
DaredevilDaredevil
Dave McKeanDave McKean
Dick TracyDick Tracy
EverquestEverquest
High FidelityHigh Fidelity
HulkHulk
Jack KirbyJack Kirby
Justice LeagueJustice League
Justice LeagueJustice League
League of Extraordinary...League of Extraordinary...
Neil GaimanNeil Gaiman
Sin CitySin City
SpawnSpawn
SpidermanSpiderman
Stan LeeStan Lee
SupermanSuperman
Teen TitansTeen Titans
The A-TeamThe A-Team
Todd McFarlaneTodd McFarlane
WatchmenWatchmen
WillowWillow
WolverineWolverine
Wonder WomanWonder Woman
X-MenX-Men
ComputersComputers
ElectronicsElectronics
MoviesMovies
TelevisionTelevision
ToysToys
Video GamesVideo Games


Dick Tracy was created by cartoonist Chester Gould in 1931 for a newspaper comic strip also entitled Dick Tracy. The strip, which made its debut appearance on October 4th, 1931, was distributed by the Chicago Tribune Syndicate. Gould wrote and drew the strip until 1977.

The comic strip

Early years

Chester Gould introduced a raw violence to comic strips, reflecting the violence of 1930s Chicago. Gould also did his best to keep up with the latest in crime fighting techniques and, while Tracy often ends a case in a shootout, he uses forensic science, advanced gadgetry, and plain hard thinking to track the bad guy down. It has been suggested that this comic strip was the first example of the police procedural mystery story. Others have noted that actual mystery plots were relatively rare in the stories since the comic strip format is a difficult one for that kind of plot. The real focus, they argue, is the chase with the criminal seen committing the crime and Dick Tracy figuring out the case and relentlessly pursuing the criminal who becomes increasingly desperate as the detective closes in.

The strip's villains are arguably the strongest appeal of the story. Tracy's world is decidedly black and white where the bad guys are sometimes so evil, their very flesh is deformed to announce their sins to the world. The evil sometimes is raw and coarse like the criminally insane Selbert Depool ("looped" spelled backwards, typical Gould). At other times it is suave like the arrogant Shoulders, who can't help thinking that all women like him. It can even border on genius like the Nazi spy Pruneface who is not only a machine design engineer but also dabbles with a chemical nerve gas.

However, by far the most popular villain was Flattop Jones, a freelance hitman who had a large head that was as flat as an aircraft carrier's flight deck. In a classic storyline, Flattop was hired by black marketeers to murder Tracy and he came within a hairsbreath of accomplishing that before deciding to blackmail his employers for more money before he did the deed. This proved to be a fatal mistake since it gave Tracy time to signal for help and he eventually defeated his assassin in a spectacular fight scene even as the police were storming the hideout. When Flattop was eventually killed, fans went into public mourning.

Reflecting some of the era that also produced film noir, Gould tapped into the existential despair of the criminals as small crimes lead to bigger ones and plans slip out of control and events happen sometimes for no reason at all because life can be unpredictable and cruel. Treachery is everywhere as henchmen are killed ruthlessly by their bosses and bosses are betrayed by jilted girlfriends and good people in the wrong place at the wrong time are gunned down.

Evolution of the strip

Gould changed Tracy with the times, sometimes with mixed results as with the introduction of science fiction elements such as the two-way wrist radio which proved to be the first of a variety of personal wrist communicators and other futuristic gadgets provided by the eccentric industrialist, Diet Smith. This eventually led to what Gould thought was the logical conclusion in the 1960s of the Space Coupe, a spacecraft with a magnetic propulsion system. This started a much-derided science fiction period that had Tracy and friends having adventures on the moon and meeting the late Moon Maid and her race in 1964. This in turn led to an eventual sharing of technologies and the villains had to be even more exaggerated in power to challenge Tracy in an escalating series of stories that completely abandoned the urban crime drama roots of the strip. Finally, Junior actually marries the Moon Maid, and they produced two children! In the 1970s, Gould even less successfully tried to modernize Tracy by giving him a longer hair style and mustache, adding a supposedly "hip" sidekick, Groovy Grove.

More successful was the decades-long substory of the Plenty family, a group of goofy redneck yokels headed by former villains, Bob Oscar "B.O." Plenty and Gravel Gertie. The family provided a humorous counterpoint to Tracy's adventures. Their daughter, Sparkle Plenty, first gave the strip an infant character, and later a pretty young adolescent girl character, since, unlike most comic strip children, she was allowed to grow up. Another successful addition was that of Lizz the Policewoman as one of Tracy's sidekicks. She proved be to an active and formidable female character in a manner that was groundbreaking for comic strips of that era.

However, the later stories were often shackled with a stubborn grousing condemnation of the rights of the accused which often involved Tracy being frustrated by criminals because of legal technicalities and prosleytizing about it. The fact that newspaper comics were sharply reduced in space for each feature during that time also negatively affected Gould's storytelling abilities as he failed to adjust.

The strip often included a frame devoted to "Crimestoppers' Textbook", a series of handy illustrated hints for the amateur crimefighter; for instance, when attempting to memorize the face of an evildoer for later identification purposes, make sure to note the size and shape of the ears and earlobes.

Later years

Gould retired from the strip in 1977 and Dick Tracy was taken over by Max Allan Collins and longtime Gould assistant Rick Fletcher. Collins reversed some of Gould's science-fiction changes by having the character Moon Maid killed off in 1978, as well as doing away with other Gould creations of the 1960s and 1970s, and generally taking a less cynical and simplistic view of the justice system. Rick Fletcher died in 1983 and was succeeded by Dick Locher, who had assisted Gould on the strip in the late 1950s, early 1960s. In 1992, Tribune writer and columnist Mike Kilian took over the writing; Kilian died on October 27, 2005.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]

Dick Tracy Weapon Gun Holster 1990 Original Figure AccessoryDick Tracy Weapon Gun Holster 1990 Original Figure Accessory $2.99 Dick Tracy and Breathless figuresDick Tracy and Breathless figures $9.99
Vintage 1990 Playmates Dick Tracy Action Figure Lot Set Gangsters AccessoriesVintage 1990 Playmates Dick Tracy Action Figure Lot Set Gangsters Accessories $84.99 Rare Vintage 1968 Dick Tracy Space Coupe Aurora Model KitRare Vintage 1968 Dick Tracy Space Coupe Aurora Model Kit $20.50
Dick Tracy Lot of 3 10" Dolls Itchy~Big Boy~Flat Top~Cloth Plush 1990 ApplauseDick Tracy Lot of 3 10" Dolls Itchy~Big Boy~Flat Top~Cloth Plush 1990 Applause $20.00 Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters Lips Manlis (Playmates, 1990) UnopenedDick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters Lips Manlis (Playmates, 1990) Unopened $12.00
New listing
		Vintage 1990 Playmates Dick Tracy Lips Manlis Action Figure Unpunched Sealed #2New listing Vintage 1990 Playmates Dick Tracy Lips Manlis Action Figure Unpunched Sealed #2 $21.99 Lips Manlis' Dick Tracy 5" Coppers & Gangsters Mosc Action Figure 1990 PlaymatesLips Manlis' Dick Tracy 5" Coppers & Gangsters Mosc Action Figure 1990 Playmates $22.00
Vintage Dick Tracy / Lieutenant's badge / original / cleanVintage Dick Tracy / Lieutenant's badge / original / clean $19.99 Dick Tracy Inspector General Secret Service Patrol Badge Quaker Oats Cereal 1938Dick Tracy Inspector General Secret Service Patrol Badge Quaker Oats Cereal 1938 $40.00
Vintage Disney Playmates Dick Tracy accessories bullet bandolier detonator clubVintage Disney Playmates Dick Tracy accessories bullet bandolier detonator club $34.99 Dick Tracy 11x17 Movie Poster - Licensed | New | Usa | [G]Dick Tracy 11x17 Movie Poster - Licensed | New | Usa | [G] $10.99
Vintage 1990 Dick Tracy Lips Manlis Action Figure Playmates Mob Gangster MafiaVintage 1990 Dick Tracy Lips Manlis Action Figure Playmates Mob Gangster Mafia $6.00 Vintage Lot of 2 Dick Tracy Cars Disney Applause Plastic-pull back-friction carsVintage Lot of 2 Dick Tracy Cars Disney Applause Plastic-pull back-friction cars $10.95
Dick Tracy Comics Monthly #132 Gd/Vg 3.0 1961 Chester GouldDick Tracy Comics Monthly #132 Gd/Vg 3.0 1961 Chester Gould $5.99 Dick Tracy. 1990. Dick Tracy. Tommy GunDick Tracy. 1990. Dick Tracy. Tommy Gun $3.00
Vintage Dick Tracy Lot of 3 Weapons / Accessories - Playmates 1990Vintage Dick Tracy Lot of 3 Weapons / Accessories - Playmates 1990 $4.98 Vintage Disney - Lot Of 3 Dick Tracy FiguresVintage Disney - Lot Of 3 Dick Tracy Figures $9.99
Vintage Dick Tracy 15” Action Figure Playmates Toys Disney Rare 1990’s PVintage Dick Tracy 15” Action Figure Playmates Toys Disney Rare 1990’s P $15.00 Custom Playmates Dick Tracy Jacket Trench Coat (Coat Only no figure)Custom Playmates Dick Tracy Jacket Trench Coat (Coat Only no figure) $10.00
New listing
		Vtg Dick Tracy Radial Flying Disc Frisbee Toy 1990 On Magnet Yo-yo LotNew listing Vtg Dick Tracy Radial Flying Disc Frisbee Toy 1990 On Magnet Yo-yo Lot $19.99 Dick Tracy DvdsDick Tracy Dvds $9.39
Lot of 2 Dick Tracy Clip-on MagnetsLot of 2 Dick Tracy Clip-on Magnets $5.00 Playmates Disney Dick Tracy The Tramp Action Figure. New!Playmates Disney Dick Tracy The Tramp Action Figure. New! $12.95
Al "Big Boy" Caprice Dick Tracy Clip-On Magnet Disney 1990 Playmates New MoscAl "Big Boy" Caprice Dick Tracy Clip-On Magnet Disney 1990 Playmates New Mosc $8.73 Dick Tracy Dick Tracey Blu-ray Comic Stylized Gangster Movie Beatty MadonnaDick Tracy Dick Tracey Blu-ray Comic Stylized Gangster Movie Beatty Madonna $19.95
Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters Figure Walt Disney 1980's NosDick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters Figure Walt Disney 1980's Nos $10.00 Dick Tracy The Tramp Vintage Playmates Action Figure 1990 New in PackageDick Tracy The Tramp Vintage Playmates Action Figure 1990 New in Package $12.99
Dick Tracy Viewmaster 3D Walt Disney 3 Reel Set New/SealedDick Tracy Viewmaster 3D Walt Disney 3 Reel Set New/Sealed $15.00 Dick Tracy Action Figures Lot Playmates 1990 Vintage ToysDick Tracy Action Figures Lot Playmates 1990 Vintage Toys $35.00
Lot of 10 Vintage Dick Tracy Playmates 1990 Movie Action Figures Some DamagedLot of 10 Vintage Dick Tracy Playmates 1990 Movie Action Figures Some Damaged $13.99 Vintage Applause 1990 Dick Tracy Dolls Figures Complete 7Pc Set W/Stands New!Vintage Applause 1990 Dick Tracy Dolls Figures Complete 7Pc Set W/Stands New! $99.95
Vintage Dick Tracy action figure Complete w Gun, Stick, Holster 1990 PlaymatesVintage Dick Tracy action figure Complete w Gun, Stick, Holster 1990 Playmates $16.00 Dick Tracy Weapon Detonator 1990 Original Figure AccessoryDick Tracy Weapon Detonator 1990 Original Figure Accessory $2.99
Vintage Colgate-Palmolive Soaky Dick Tracy 1965 Chicago Tribune BottleVintage Colgate-Palmolive Soaky Dick Tracy 1965 Chicago Tribune Bottle $17.50 Vtg Dick Tracy The Tramp Vintage Playmates Action Figure 1990 Moc UnpunchedVtg Dick Tracy The Tramp Vintage Playmates Action Figure 1990 Moc Unpunched $8.49 Was:  Previous Price $9.99
Dick Tracy Monthly Comics #127 Fr 1.0 1961 Chester GouldDick Tracy Monthly Comics #127 Fr 1.0 1961 Chester Gould $4.99 @ Playmates Dick Tracy 3 Loose Figure Lot With 2 Stands.@ Playmates Dick Tracy 3 Loose Figure Lot With 2 Stands. $20.00
Vintage 1940s Dick Tracy Detective Club Toy Pin BadgeVintage 1940s Dick Tracy Detective Club Toy Pin Badge $19.99 Applause Dick Tracy and Breathless Mahoney Dolls 10' (Madonna edition recalled)Applause Dick Tracy and Breathless Mahoney Dolls 10' (Madonna edition recalled) $9.99
Dick Tracy Rad Rollers Action Marbles Spectra Star CollectionDick Tracy Rad Rollers Action Marbles Spectra Star Collection $12.94 Vintage Dick Tracy Breathless Mahoney Madonna 9" Doll Figure with Tag ApplauseVintage Dick Tracy Breathless Mahoney Madonna 9" Doll Figure with Tag Applause $14.95
Dick Tracy by Len Wein and John Moore (1990, Trade Paperback)Dick Tracy by Len Wein and John Moore (1990, Trade Paperback) $3.99 Trending at $5.65 Vintage 1990 Dick Tracy Sticker Lot By Applause NosVintage 1990 Dick Tracy Sticker Lot By Applause Nos $19.75
New listing
		Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters Itchy (Playmates, 1990) Moc UnpunchedNew listing Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters Itchy (Playmates, 1990) Moc Unpunched $29.99 Dick Tracy, G-Man, Barney Google,Men Of The Mounted Little Big Book lot 1930sDick Tracy, G-Man, Barney Google,Men Of The Mounted Little Big Book lot 1930s $21.99
3 Vtg 1990 Playmates Dick Tracy Coppers & Gangsters Action Figures, New3 Vtg 1990 Playmates Dick Tracy Coppers & Gangsters Action Figures, New $40.00 Vintage Dick Tracy 2-Way Wrist Watch Disney 1990 Playmates NewVintage Dick Tracy 2-Way Wrist Watch Disney 1990 Playmates New $24.99
Playmates / Disney Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters - Lips Manlis' Figure UsedPlaymates / Disney Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters - Lips Manlis' Figure Used $2.99 Playmates 14" Doll Dick Tracy Madonna as Breathless Mahoney NrfbPlaymates 14" Doll Dick Tracy Madonna as Breathless Mahoney Nrfb $29.99
New listing
		Dick Tracy in Chains of Crime Whitman Big Little Book #1185 GdNew listing Dick Tracy in Chains of Crime Whitman Big Little Book #1185 Gd $9.99 New listing
		Marvel Two-In-One # 1 - (Fn/Vf) -The Thing And The Man-Thing-The Molecule ManNew listing Marvel Two-In-One # 1 - (Fn/Vf) -The Thing And The Man-Thing-The Molecule Man $1.57
Harvey Dick Tracy Monthly #117 Vintage 1957Harvey Dick Tracy Monthly #117 Vintage 1957 $19.99 New listing
		Dick Tracy 90s Vintage Disney Figure Playmates Toys Figure InfluenceNew listing Dick Tracy 90s Vintage Disney Figure Playmates Toys Figure Influence $11.99
1971 Larami Dick Tracy Rack Toy Trick Water Camera Mint On The Card1971 Larami Dick Tracy Rack Toy Trick Water Camera Mint On The Card $12.95 Vintage 1990 Playmates Disney Dick Tracy Itchy Action FigureVintage 1990 Playmates Disney Dick Tracy Itchy Action Figure $10.00
Lot 4 Vintage Playmates Dick Tracy Action Figures 1990 Flattop Big Boy TrampLot 4 Vintage Playmates Dick Tracy Action Figures 1990 Flattop Big Boy Tramp $50.00 Nos 1990 Dick Tracy Wheelies Police Car Rolling Coffee Mug / Cup ApplauseNos 1990 Dick Tracy Wheelies Police Car Rolling Coffee Mug / Cup Applause $19.99
Dick Tracy Classic Tin Riot Car W/Siren Sound. New. 2002.Dick Tracy Classic Tin Riot Car W/Siren Sound. New. 2002. $5.00 Dick Tracy Coppers Gangsters Dick Tracy 5" Action Figure Playmates 1990Dick Tracy Coppers Gangsters Dick Tracy 5" Action Figure Playmates 1990 $19.95
Dick Tracy Coffee Mug Applause Vintage DisneyDick Tracy Coffee Mug Applause Vintage Disney $8.90 Vintage 1990's Dick Tracy Action Figure Doll By Applause with Tag 9" DollVintage 1990's Dick Tracy Action Figure Doll By Applause with Tag 9" Doll $9.99
Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 29Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 29 $26.82 The Original Dick Tracy #4 (1991 Gladstone) Comic by Chester Gould Vf+ or betterThe Original Dick Tracy #4 (1991 Gladstone) Comic by Chester Gould Vf+ or better $3.99
New listing
		2 Madonna items from Dick Tracy:3.5" Breathless Mahoney Pvc Figure & 1" PinNew listing 2 Madonna items from Dick Tracy:3.5" Breathless Mahoney Pvc Figure & 1" Pin $22.00 1969 Larami Corp Dick Tracy Target Set Still Sealed And Unpunched1969 Larami Corp Dick Tracy Target Set Still Sealed And Unpunched $25.00
Dick Tracy Action Figure Sam Catchem By Playmates Toys Disney 1990 MocDick Tracy Action Figure Sam Catchem By Playmates Toys Disney 1990 Moc $19.75 Vintage 1990 Disney Dick Tracy 9" Cloth Doll Action Figure Applause MadonnaVintage 1990 Disney Dick Tracy 9" Cloth Doll Action Figure Applause Madonna $15.00
Vintage Dick Tracy Collectors Case Holds 12 Figures New UnusedVintage Dick Tracy Collectors Case Holds 12 Figures New Unused $39.99 Vintage 1990's Dick Tracy Action Figure "Breathless" Doll 9" By Applause w tagVintage 1990's Dick Tracy Action Figure "Breathless" Doll 9" By Applause w tag $9.99
Vintage Playmates Disney Dick Tracy Lot of 3 Action Figures 90's w/ Gun ⭐️Vintage Playmates Disney Dick Tracy Lot of 3 Action Figures 90's w/ Gun ⭐️ $24.00 New listing
		Daredevil # 14 - (Fn-) -If This Be Justice-Ka-Zar-The Plunderer-Karen PageNew listing Daredevil # 14 - (Fn-) -If This Be Justice-Ka-Zar-The Plunderer-Karen Page $5.00
Vtg 1930s Dick Tracy Millers Hat Portrait Ring Adjustable Brass Cereal PremiumVtg 1930s Dick Tracy Millers Hat Portrait Ring Adjustable Brass Cereal Premium $29.99 Dick Tracy Breathless Mahoney The Sultry Songstress 14" Doll FigureDick Tracy Breathless Mahoney The Sultry Songstress 14" Doll Figure $9.95
Mumbles 1990 Dick Tracy Playmates Vintage Action FigureMumbles 1990 Dick Tracy Playmates Vintage Action Figure $13.70 Vintage Dick Tracy Detective Club Metal Badge with Belt Clip Nice 1930sVintage Dick Tracy Detective Club Metal Badge with Belt Clip Nice 1930s $30.00
Applause Dick Tracy 9" Figure set. Mahoney, Flattop, Pruneface, Big Boy NwtApplause Dick Tracy 9" Figure set. Mahoney, Flattop, Pruneface, Big Boy Nwt $49.99 New listing
		Dick Tracy, Sculpted By Yoe #637 Of 950New listing Dick Tracy, Sculpted By Yoe #637 Of 950 $35.50
Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters Itchy (Playmates, 1990)Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters Itchy (Playmates, 1990) $21.99 Vintage 1990 Madonna Dick Tracy Figure 3.5" Figurine Toy Breathless MahoneyVintage 1990 Madonna Dick Tracy Figure 3.5" Figurine Toy Breathless Mahoney $5.99
Vintage Walt Disney Dick Tracy Movie Promotion Yellow Vinyl Duffle BagVintage Walt Disney Dick Tracy Movie Promotion Yellow Vinyl Duffle Bag $15.99 Custom Playmates Dick Tracy Flat Top Jacket Trench Coat (Coat Only no figure)Custom Playmates Dick Tracy Flat Top Jacket Trench Coat (Coat Only no figure) $10.00
Playmates 1990 Dick Tracy Action Figure Lot Original Authentic 3 Figures LoosePlaymates 1990 Dick Tracy Action Figure Lot Original Authentic 3 Figures Loose $4.99 Dick Tracy Big Boy Caprice Pvc Figures Disney Applause 3.25" 1990 VintageDick Tracy Big Boy Caprice Pvc Figures Disney Applause 3.25" 1990 Vintage $10.00
Vintage 1990 Playmates Dick Tracy The Rodent Action Figure Sealed New MocVintage 1990 Playmates Dick Tracy The Rodent Action Figure Sealed New Moc $20.00 Dick Tracy Action Figure flatheadDick Tracy Action Figure flathead $6.99
1990 Dick Tracy Figures With Weapons Lot Of 61990 Dick Tracy Figures With Weapons Lot Of 6 $29.99 New listing
		vintage dick tracy t shirtNew listing vintage dick tracy t shirt $50.00
Vintage Disney Dick Tracy 90s t shirt adultVintage Disney Dick Tracy 90s t shirt adult $9.90 Vintage Dick Tracy Crimestoppers Grooming Set Dc521 Walt Disney Hong Kong NosVintage Dick Tracy Crimestoppers Grooming Set Dc521 Walt Disney Hong Kong Nos $13.49 Was:  Previous Price $14.99
Disney Dick Tracy Plastic Lunchbox Only Aladdin VintageDisney Dick Tracy Plastic Lunchbox Only Aladdin Vintage $11.41 Dick Tracy - Dvd - GoodDick Tracy - Dvd - Good $7.18
Dick Tracy (Sega Genesis, 1990) Complete Cib - Tested - AuthenticDick Tracy (Sega Genesis, 1990) Complete Cib - Tested - Authentic $89.95 New listing
		Super comics featuring Dick Tracy #102New listing Super comics featuring Dick Tracy #102 $15.00
1990 Playmates Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters The Rodent1990 Playmates Dick Tracy Coppers and Gangsters The Rodent $18.89 Nintendo Nes Bandai Dick Tracy Video GameNintendo Nes Bandai Dick Tracy Video Game $19.99
Dick Tracy (Nintendo Entertainment System, 1990) Tested and WorksDick Tracy (Nintendo Entertainment System, 1990) Tested and Works $3.00 Vintage Dick Tracy Figure Disney Applause Warren Beatty No. 713 Of 5000 New!Vintage Dick Tracy Figure Disney Applause Warren Beatty No. 713 Of 5000 New! $49.95
Toy Kids Dick Tracy Playmates New Old Stock Vintage On Card WristwatchToy Kids Dick Tracy Playmates New Old Stock Vintage On Card Wristwatch $32.50 Dick Tracy 15 Inch Playmates Collectors Edition DisneyDick Tracy 15 Inch Playmates Collectors Edition Disney $20.00
Click to see more Dick Tracy items at www.ebay.com
Prices current as of last update, 12/11/22 9:20am.

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay