Calling Dick Tracy in Chester Gould's hometown - Pawnee, OK - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

Pawnee's Dick Tracy mural pays tribute to Chester Gould, the cartoonist/creator of Dick Tracy, and a Pawnee native. The mural is by Tulsa artist Ed Melberg, and is about 10' square.

Article text:

I remember my dad talking about how much he enjoyed reading Dick Tracy comics. Consequently, he got me started reading those comics, and I looked forward to that every week.

Imagine my surprise and delight years ago when I found out the creator of Dick Tracy was an Oklahoman by the name of Chester Gould. He is the Pawnee native who created the Dick Tracy comic strip.

Now, when you drive to Pawnee from the west, the big mural of Dick Tracy can be seen. So you could say the famous cartoon detective wasn't born in Pawnee, but his dad was!

The Pawnee County Historical Society Museum is also Dick Tracy headquarters, and it gives an exciting and educational peek into the life of Gould. And at the headquarters, you'll find many pieces of history showcasing this iconic cartoon.

Gould was born in a log cabin in Pawnee in 1900, but he left town when he was 19 years old. He landed in Chicago, where his idea for a dashing detective took rook and propelled him to fame and fortune.

From its earliest days, Dick Tracy consciously incorporated and utilized up-to-the-minute police procedure. As a matter of fact, as years went by, Gould accurately documented and often predicted the newest in such procedure and related scientific technology. Consider for example, the wrist radio introduced in Tracy on Jan. 13, 1946. I admit, when I first heard of the Apple Watch, the first thing that came to mind was Tracy's wrist radio! Perhaps that two-way wrist radio was some kind of inspiration for the modern cellphone!

Gould was an innovator. The first cartoon homicide happened in the Dick Tracy comic strip. The Dick Tracy character spawned books, action figure toys, model cars and even a movie. Gould died in 1985, but for a glimpse of his legacy, you need to go no farther than the place that raised him and fueled his fertile imagination.

Besides all the Dick Tracy information you can find, the Pawnee County Historical Society Museum also preserves quite a bit of the history, the people and places of the Pawnee community. There are artifacts from area ghost towns on display, as well as exhibits of Pawnee tribal history. Take a trip to the museum and see the growth of the town of Pawnee from exploration to settlement and development through education, arts, trade and transportation!

Type of publication: Newspaper When was the article reported?: 01/21/2017 Publication: The Oklahoman Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: local News Category: Arts/Culture

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