Dick Locher facts for kids

Richard Earl Locher (born June 4, 1929 – died August 6, 2017) was a famous American cartoonist. He drew cartoons that appeared in many newspapers across the country. He is best known for his work on the popular Dick Tracy comic strip.

Becoming a Cartoonist

Early Life and Art Studies

Dick Locher was born in Dubuque, Iowa. After finishing high school, he started studying art. He went to the University of Iowa and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. While in Chicago, he got his first job helping another cartoonist, Rick Yager. Rick Yager was drawing the Buck Rogers comic strip at that time.

Serving in the Air Force

After a few months, Dick Locher left his job to join the United States Air Force. He became a test pilot, which means he flew new planes to check if they worked well. While in the Air Force, he also started drawing cartoons for the Stars and Stripes newspaper. This newspaper is made for people in the military.

Working on Dick Tracy

In 1957, Dick Locher began helping Chester Gould with the Dick Tracy comic strip. He helped by inking the drawings and adding color to the Sunday comic pages. He even helped with a story that won Chester Gould an award in 1959.

Locher left Dick Tracy in 1961 to try other things. He started his own advertising company. There, he helped design characters for McDonald's, which is a very famous fast-food company.

Return to Newspapers

Dick Locher stayed in touch with Chester Gould. In 1973, a job opened up at the Chicago Tribune newspaper. They needed someone to draw editorial cartoons. These cartoons share opinions about news and politics. Chester Gould suggested that the Tribune hire Locher. Even though Locher had never drawn editorial cartoons before, the newspaper hired him. He worked there until he retired on May 1, 2013.

Awards and Later Work

Winning the Pulitzer Prize

In 1983, Dick Locher returned to work on Dick Tracy. He came back after the previous cartoonist, Rick Fletcher, passed away. That same year, Locher won a very important award called the Pulitzer Prize. He won it for his editorial cartoons. This award is a big honor for journalists and artists.

Continuing Dick Tracy

Locher worked on Dick Tracy for many more years. In 2009, Jim Brozman started drawing the strip. But Locher still wrote the stories and made sketches for them. In 2011, Locher fully retired from Dick Tracy. He handed the comic strip over to a new team, Mike Curtis and Joe Staton. His last Dick Tracy comic strip was published on March 13, 2011.

Other Achievements

In 2006, Dick Locher was honored in the Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame. This is a special place that celebrates cartoonists.

In 2013, Locher helped design and create a large bronze statue. The statue was 9.5 feet tall and honored Captain Joseph Naper. He was the person who founded the town of Naperville, Illinois.

Personal Life

Dick Locher lived in Naperville, Illinois, with his wife, Mary. They had three children: Stephen, John, and Jana.

Locher also designed the new Land of Lincoln Trophy. This trophy is given to the winner of the college football game between Northwestern and Illinois.

Dick Locher passed away on August 6, 2017, at the age of 88.