TIAHBlog at 16 Presents 16 Covers -- Number Twelve: The Long Arm (and Legs) of the Law!

Many years before JUDGE DREDD was THE LAW...

...It was personified by DICK TRACY!

And, while Judge Dredd could - and would - do many amazing things to  (intentional oxymoron alert) "violently keep the peace"...

...Could even HE equal this astounding feat demonstrated by Dick Tracy?! 

...An astounding FEAT with his LEGS!  (...feat, legs... that's a JOKE, son!) 

Yes, if one can believe his or her comics-reading eyes, the cover of DICK TRACY #135 (Harvey Comics, Cover Date: August 1959) would seem to show Tracy's "wide stance" straddling a CITY BLOCK!   

In contrast, here is the cover of DICK TRACY # 4 (Mad Cave Studios, Cover Date: August 2024), showing a more proper perspective between Tracy and the city streets he strives to keep safe!  

How 'bout that... Cover Dates of AUGUST 2024 (above) and AUGUST 1959 (below)!  I guess times DO change!  

Were the STREETS MUCH NARROWER in 1959, or were POLICE DETECTIVES MUCH TALLER?  I wouldn't hazard a guess!  

But, in defense of Dick Tracy's creator, writer, and artist the great Chester Gould (...as if he needs me to defend any aspect of his work), this cover that appears to have gotten its perspective so wrong (...hey, maybe I should have saved this for a future installment of "I'M NOT AN ARTIST BUT...") was NOT drawn by Gould, nor was it constructed from any Gould interior reprint panels!

Yes, this issue, and many like it, was filled with Chester Gould Dick Tracy newspaper strip reprints, in this case from April thru July 1939!  And there is no such actual corresponding scene in Gould's work of 20 years prior.  Let's take a look at what Chester Gould DID give us...

NOPE! No street-straddling going on here!  

But, we needn't be so hard on the uncredited cover artist for DICK TRACY # 135, because even the best manage to blow-their-perspective once in a while.  And here is one each from two of the greatest comic book artists ever to set pencil to paper, or illustration board, or whatever they use.  (...Maybe Deb can help me out here?)  

FANTASTIC FOUR #26 (Marvel Comics, Cover Date: May, 1964): 

 I know Marvel heroes are supposed to be "Larger Than Life"... but, Sheesh! 

Many of them are TALLER THAN THE DIFFERENT FLOORS of this skyscraper under construction! We'll give Giant-Man a break on this, but look at SUE STORM at cover's middle! She could NOT FIT into the space of that next-to-top-floor - even before the available space is further shortened by any "below-floor" or "above ceiling" wirings or other necessities!  

She'd have to BEND OVER just to walk down that building's halls!  Same pretty much goes for the others!  ...Poor perspective on the part of... the great JACK KIRBY! 

WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES #174 (Dell Comics, Cover Date: March, 1955) ...And, given the differences in cover dates vs. release dates,  the issue most likely on sale at the time of my birth!  

Donald Duck has always had a "big head", but enlarging-and-simultaneously-scrunching it is painfully uncharacteristic of the great CARL BARKS!  Even as the nephews are done with his "usual" superior level of skill! 

I've always had some doubts about this cover being completely penciled and inked by Barks!  Donald's head is just so WRONG!  But both INDUCKS and GCD say it's Barks, so I'll have to ACCEPT IT... but I don't have to LIKE IT... and I DON'T... Nyaaah! 

But, if two of the faces on the theoretical "Mt. Rushmore" of comic artists (...or, would that be "Mt. BRUSHmore"?) can have these covers on their resume, who am I to quibble over the cover of DICK TRACY # 135?  

I'll just award it the honor of being Cover Number Twelve... even it if is "quite a stretch!" 

 That's a JOKE TOO, Son!