Dick Locher
{{Short description|American syndicated cartoonist (1929–2017)}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox comics creator
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name = Richard Earl Locher
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|6|4}}
| birth_place = Dubuque, Iowa
| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|8|6|1929|6|4}}
| death_place = Naperville, Illinois
| area = Cartoonist
| alias =
| 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 studied at Loras College before studying art at the University of Iowa.{{Cite web |title=Richard E. Locher 1929-2017 |url=https://iagenweb.org/boards/dubuque/obituaries/index.cgi?read=650877 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=iagenweb.org}}{{Cite news |last=Cavna |first=Michael |date=2017-08-08 |title=Dick Locher, RIP: ‘Dick Tracy’ cartoonist also won the Pulitzer for his Reagan-era satire |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/08/08/dick-locher-rip-dick-tracy-cartoonist-also-won-the-pulitzer-for-his-reagan-era-satire/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} He then graduated with honors from 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 during the Korean War,{{Cite web |last=Wernette |first=Jane |date=2017-08-11 |title=Remembering Naperville Cartoonist Dick Locher |url=https://www.nctv17.org/news/remembering-naperville-cartoonist-dick-locher/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=NCTV17 |language=en-US}} where he became a test pilot and later was given an Honorable Discharge as Captain. While at the Air Force, he began freelancing for the Stars and Stripes.
In 1957, he began assisting Chester Gould on Dick Tracy,{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/04/05/dick-tracy-sculpture-to-keep-an-eye-on-naperville-riverwalk/|title=Dick Tracy sculpture to keep an eye on Naperville Riverwalk|date=April 5, 2010|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=April 8, 2010 | first=Bob | last=Goldsborough}} 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.{{cite book|last=Locher Evans|first=Jana}}
Locher, working with his son John,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=01IiAAAAIBAJ&pg=3705,649573&dq=dick-locher&hl=en|title=John Locher dies; drew Dick Tracy .|date=May 21, 1986|newspaper=Reading Eagle|access-date=8 April 2010}} returned to work on Dick Tracy in 1983, when its previous cartoonist, Rick Fletcher, died. That same year, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning.{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2004165210_aebriefs06.html |title=Pulitzer cartoonists go Mad for march |date=February 6, 2008 |newspaper=Seattle Times |access-date=April 8, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622080435/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2004165210_aebriefs06.html |archive-date=June 22, 2011 }} In 2009, Jim Brozman took over the drawing of Dick Tracy; however Locher continued to write the storylines and contributed sketches.{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=324733|title=Naperville to honor 'Dick Tracy' cartoonist|date=September 29, 2009|newspaper=Daily Herald|access-date=April 29, 2010}} 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.
Dick got honorary doctorates from Benedictine University and Loras College. He was a long-tenured trustee of Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois.
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookbin.com/news979.html|title=Toy and Action Figure Museum Event|date=October 6, 2006|publisher=comicbookbin.com|access-date=November 22, 2010}} In 2008, he was inducted to the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Alan |date=2008-04-21 |title=Dick Locher inducted to local hall of fame |url=https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2008/04/21/dick-locher-inducted-to-local-hall-of-fame/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The Daily Cartoonist |language=en}}
In 2013, Locher helped design and make a 9.5-foot bronze statue of Naperville's founding father, Capt. Joseph Naper.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/08/23/naperville-dedicates-statue-of-founder/|title = Naperville dedicates statue of founder| website=Chicago Tribune | date=23 August 2013 }} He also designed the Land of Lincoln Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Northwestern-Illinois college football game.[http://www.nusports.com/sports/2015/6/8/GEN_0608150337.aspx?id=459 Land of Lincoln Trophy]
Throughout his career, Locher published over 10,000 cartoons.{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Alan |date=2013-05-20 |title=Dick Locher announces retirement |url=https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2013/05/20/dick-locher-announces-retirement/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The Daily Cartoonist |language=en}}
John Locher Memorial Award
Dick Locher's son, John, who was also a cartoonist, passed away in 1986 at the age of 25. The same year, while appearing at the 1986 Ohio Comic Con at Ohio State University, Hy Rosen, Albany Times Union cartoonist, and Andy Donato, Toronto Sun cartoonist, both of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, suggested the John Locher Award to recognize aspiring college-age cartoonists in remembrance of Locher's son, who helped him on Dick Tracy. The first award competition was launched in 1987.{{Cite web |title=History of the Award |url=https://locheraward.org/history-of-the-award |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The John Locher Memorial Fellowship |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Locher married Mary (née Cosgrove) in 1957. In 1969, they moved to Naperville, Illinois, where they lived until his passing.
They had three children: Stephen, who lives in the Chicago area; John, who died in 1986 at age 25; and Jana, who lives in Colorado.
Locher died on August 6, 2017, in Naperville, Illinois, aged 88.{{Cite web |last=Goldsborough |first=Bob |date=2017-08-08 |title=Dick Locher, Pulitzer Prize-winning Tribune cartoonist, dies at 88 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2017/08/08/dick-locher-pulitzer-prize-winning-tribune-cartoonist-dies-at-88/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}} His death was caused by complications from Parkinson's disease.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/ct-dick-locher-obituary-met-20170807-story.html|title=Dick Locher, Pulitzer Prize-winning Tribune cartoonist, dies at 88|last=Goldsborough|first=Bob|website=chicagotribune.com|date=8 August 2017 |access-date=2019-12-18}}
Awards
- Scripps Howard Institute Award for Conservation, 1975
- Sigma Delta Chi Award, Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contributions to journalism and research (Editorial Cartoon), 1982{{Cite news |last= |date=1983-03-09 |title=Sigma Delta Chi Lists 1982 Award Winners |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/09/us/sigma-delta-chi-lists-1982-award-winners.html |access-date=2025-03-20 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
- Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, 1983
- Overseas Press Club Award, Thomas Nast Award, 1982 and 1983
- Peter Lisagor Award
- John Fischetti Editorial Cartoon Award, 1987
- National Cartoonist Society Silver T-Square Award, 2006
References
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{Succession box|before=Rick Fletcher|title=Dick Tracy artist|years=1983-2009|after=Himself (pencils) and Jim Brozman (inks)}}
{{Succession box|before=Himself|title=Dick Tracy artist (pencils, with Jim Brozman inking)|years=2009-2011|after=Joe Staton}}
{{Succession box|before=Mike Kilian|title=Dick Tracy writer|years=2005-2011|after=Mike Curtis}}
{{S-end}}
{{Tribune Company}}
{{PulitzerPrize EditorialCartooning 1976–2000}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Locher, Dick}}
Category:American comic strip cartoonists
Category:American editorial cartoonists
Category:American comics artists
Category:Chicago Tribune people
Category:People from Dubuque, Iowa
Category:Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning winners
Category:School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni