These two seem like a very natural pairing and neither would seem that out of place if included in one of the other's tales. Each have had their fair share of dealings with ghoulish villains, femme fatales and daring escapes in their classic adventures. I can only imagine that a story featuring them both would packed with film noir style goodness.
Dis you see the recent Dick Tracy storyline featuring Annie? Her strip ended with her kidnapped and Daddy Warbucks hanging in limbo wondering if she was alive. Tracy resolved the storyline. Joe Staton is the current artist and is doing amazing things. There was also a week-long crossover with Funky Winkerbean. I hear it was just okay.
ReplyDeleteMaybe in the right hands both Tracy and The Spirit might find the same audience that enjoyed Iron Man. Warren Beatty still owns the film rights to Dick Tracy.
I hadn't heard about that, sounds like a cool crossover!
ReplyDeleteAny reason why Walt Dısney and Warren Beaty never made a sequel or rebooted the serıes? The Beaty fılm wıth Al Pacıno and Madonna may have been campy, but ıt was still a box offıce success ıf I recall. What a shame ıt has yet to be rebooted wıth new actors (Lady Gaga & Bennedıct Cumberbatch?)
ReplyDeleteStaton and Curtis have had a lot of interesting crossovers and Easter eggs since they took over Dick Tracy. Aside from Annie and Funky, they brought in Walt Wallet from Gasoline Alley for a few days, and in one storyline Tracy investigated the murder of an aquarium curator named Arthur Curry. But my favorite was when they brought back a forgotten Tracy villain from the '30s, Broadway Bates, whose trademark was his monocle and cigarette holder. Bates made frequent references to his brother in another city where the cops wear masks, and Bates' girlfriend Belle once mentioned her old cellmate who worked for "Mister J."
ReplyDeleteThis match up seems natural. I'm surprise you haven't done it before. (Unless you have and I missed it or forgot about it.)
ReplyDeleteThat's provided the original version of the Octopus was used as the Chief Bad Guy. No offense to Samuel L. Jackson. But, part of the charm of the Will Eisner Octopus is that he was _never_ seen! Except, of course, as a pair of folded hands resting authoritatively resting on top of his desk (with a word balloon above them). And, on the occasions that he had to be drawn as physically present from head to toe? He was in disguise...with only a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-type face mask left behind to indicate he had been there, at all.
ReplyDeleteThat being said; if the ill-fated movie adaptation of THE SPIRIT had stuck with that depiction, it might have don a lot better at the box office (of my hometown multiplex) than it originally did.
That's provided the original version of the Octopus was used as the Chief Bad Guy. No offense to Samuel L. Jackson. But, part of the charm of the Will Eisner Octopus is that he was _never_ seen! Except, of course, as a pair of folded hands authoritatively resting on top of his desk (with a word balloon above them). And, on the occasions that he had to be drawn as physically present from head to toe? He was in disguise...with only a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-type face mask left behind to indicate he had been there, at all.
ReplyDeleteThat being said; if the ill-fated movie adaptation of THE SPIRIT had stuck with that depiction, it might have done a lot better at the box office (of my hometown multiplex) than it originally did.
FreLiverfree - you're right, I was surprised I hadn't thought of it earlier as well!
ReplyDeleteThat crossover between Dick Tracy and Annie Warbucks was a great storyline. I'll see if I can hunt up the start date for that for you, Ross, and send you the link at GoComics. It was very true in tone to both Tracy and Annie.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, that storyline was immediately followed by one featuring Gruesome, a villain from one of the 1950s Dick Tracy films, played by Boris Karloff. In this story, Gruesome got caught up in a production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" (see the connection?). The story even featured a cameo appearance by Boris' real-life daughter Sara.
Between those two things I think it's not beyond the realm of possibility for the Spirit to turn up in the Tracy strip -- especially if we demand it nicely enough.
As long as Frank Miller and his ilk are kept as far away from any film involving either character, I'd be interested (not sure how well known either character is to the general public anymore - especially the millenial movie goers - even the Beatty film was quarter century ago.) Need less noir, more heroic characterizations, IMO.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Bert. Amen! :-)
ReplyDeleteGuess what?
ReplyDeleteThe Spirit IS joining forces with Dick Tracy in the current strip by Mike Curtis and Joe Staton!