The legendary Dick Tracy has arrived at your local comic shop thanks to the current Mad Cave Studios Dick Tracy series. Better yet, Dick Tracy is brought to you by a rogues’ gallery of incredible all-star talent: Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, Chantelle Aimée Osman, Geraldo Borges, Mark Englert and Jim Campbell.
To learn more about the series, Comics Beat caught up with Segura to ask about all things Dick Tracy. Examine the dossier below to discover all the confidential information for yourself. And be sure and let us know in the comment section what you think about the series, available at your LCS today!
AVERY KAPLAN: Do you have a personal history with Dick Tracy and if so, can you share it with us?
ALEX SEGURA: My first big memory was the Warren Beatty film – which hit soon after Tim Burton’s Batman, so there was a hunger for more comic book or comic book-adjacent films. It was such a different time, especially in contrast to how many comic films and shows we have today. So, needless to say, i was intrigued and excited about this new movie – and it blew my mind, opening the door to a lifelong love for the character, his villains/cast, and the source material. After the movie, I got into the newspaper strips, cartoon, and of course, other comics.
KAPLAN: How did you come to be involved in this comic project?
SEGURA: This is a complicated and winding story, so I’ll try to keep it simple – a few years back, when I was Co-President at Archie Comics, I tried to acquire the comic book license for DT. We thought we had it, and Moreci and I were slated to write the series – we even announced it. But due to factors out of our control, it ended up that we didn’t have the license, so the idea went back on the shelf. But Michael and I, and our creative consultant and partner, Osman, loved the idea – and, eventually, we decided to just try and get the license ourselves. Tribune liked our take, and then we were able to partner with the great team at Mad Cave to bring the project to life – and add artist Borges, colorist Englert, and letterer Campbell to the crew.
KAPLAN: How is this incarnation of the character similar and/or different from previous incarnations of the character? Is it necessary to have a background with the character for this book?
SEGURA: Michael and I purposely wrote a story that would feel timeless and ideal for new readers, but we didn’t skimp on the Easter eggs for longtime DT fans – if you’re just looking for a fun, compelling, and character-driven crime comic, this is for you. If you’re a lifelong DT fan – this book is also for you. Tonally, we’re leaning hard into the source material, particularly Chester Gould’s affinity for the darkness of society and twisted, menacing villains. Top line, our vibe is “what if we blended Dick Tracy with films like LA Confidential?” Noir, steeped in history, and also featuring a bit of the pop and color of the film. We hope readers new and old will love it.
KAPLAN: What was your collaborative process like with the rest of the creative team? What’s it like working on a book that has a “creative consultant” listed in the credits?
SEGURA: Michael and I are old friends and we’re both passionate about the character, so the writing has been fun and painless. Neither of us has a huge ego, so we take each other’s (and our editor and creative consultant’s) notes well. We just want the book to be good. Seeing the art come in – and develop – from Geraldo and Mark has been the real treat, because they’ve nailed the visual aesthetic that previously only existed in our minds, and improved on it! In terms of having a creative consultant – Chantelle has been with us on this journey since the beginning, and her insights are invaluable. We’re all pooling together to make the best comic we can.
KAPLAN: What went into writing a story set just after World War II? Was any research required? How is it different from a story set today?
SEGURA: We wanted the story to feel like readers were getting in on the ground floor – so, Michael and I joke this is DICK TRACY: YEAR ONE AND A HALF. Obviously, some stuff has happened already, but we’re getting a relatively new, inexperienced DT, in contrast to the more established hero we see in the film or comic strip. That felt new, and to do that, we needed to set it at a time that almost reflected Dick Tracy’s mindset. In many ways, DT is the American experience – reeling from this traumatic event and desperate to climb out of the darkness. I wouldn’t say we went into a deep research hole – Michael and I are already big history buffs, so we drew on a lot of the material we were already enjoying as readers.
KAPLAN: Do you have a personal favorite Dick Tracy character? Do you have a favorite fictional detective in general?
SEGURA: Aside from DT, I really love Pruneface and the Blank!
In terms of fictional detectives – it’s hard to top Philip Marlowe or Matt Scudder. I also really love Nick Stefanos, Tess Monaghan, and Sherlock Holmes.
KAPLAN: Given your specific experience in the arena, can you give us any insight into what makes a Dick Tracy story different from any other detective story?
SEGURA: Dick Tracy isn’t corrupted. He isn’t bad – he isn’t rotten. Unlike many PIs or jaded vigilantes, Dick Tracy is a good man at heart and externally. I joked with someone recently that Dick Tracy is basically Superman as a detective, and I think that holds true – he wants to do the right thing and will strive to make it happen.
KAPLAN: By contrast, I’m curious what hallmarks of the noir genre the book leans into most heavily? Were there any stories that were particularly influential to your work on this title?
SEGURA: Noir has become a marketing turn that can mean anything, but for me, noir is about people being cornered by their own bad decisions, and seeing how they dig their way out of it – and one of the big elements there that we play with is the idea of your past creeping up on you, or having to atone for your sins. We see that with Tess’s father, with Pat’s brother, and to a larger degree, Dick Tracy in relation to the war.
KAPLAN: Can you tease anything that’s in store for readers in subsequent issues of this series?
SEGURA: The rest of the arc will delve deeper into the mystery of the Green Eye Diner murders and how they tie into the bigger gang war, and tee up what’s to come in arc 2!
Read The Beat’s review of Dick Tracy #1 by clicking here.
And you can visit Mad Cave’s official Dick Tracy website to learn more about the series.
