Comic-strip lawman Dick Tracy returning with series from Mad Cave Studios

Comics are about to get a little law and order, thanks to Mad Cave Studios’ brand new Dick Tracy ongoing series.

Where’s our two-way wristwatch

“Calling all DICK TRACY fans – with over 90 years of storytelling across various mediums, everyone has ‘their’ version of Chester Gould’s yellow-jacketed detective,” said Mad Cave Studios Senior Editor, Chas! Pangburn. “Mad Cave Studios is beyond honored to continue this legacy through a neo-noir reinvention of the character. We’ve partnered with all-star creators to deliver new tales of corruption, thievery, and murder.” 

Mad Cave Studios press release

It’s tough to imagine that Dick Tracy has been around, as a character, for almost a century. Yet here we are, with not only 90 years in the bag for the heroic detective, but a new comic book on the horizon. As you can see, that’s coming from Mad Cave Studios, and from the sound of things, getting this deal done was no mean feat.

The publisher will be teaming with license-holder Tribune Content Agency for the new book, but that’s not all. Also in the mix are comics rights-holders Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, and Chantelle Aimée Osman, which should give you a good idea of just how much went into getting this title into production.

And while there isn’t a ton of detail on what to expect just yet, what was included in the press release kind of sounds like the comic will be a modern return not just for Tracy, but for the iconic ‘crime-comic’. That’s been a long time coming, as the genre hasn’t been represented much for… decades? So yeah, there’s some cause for excitement from a few different angles.

Stay tuned, there’s plenty more to come on Dick Tracy, as we head towards the first issue’s launch in March of 2024. Make sure you scroll down and check out some commentary from the parties involved while you’re here too, as there are some little bits of info sprinkled throughout.

Quotes from the team:

“Alex, Chantelle, and I have been pursuing DICK TRACY for many years, so to say this is a passion project, even that’s an understatement,” said Michael Moreci. “We love this character, we love this world. And we’re approaching it with great care—we don’t want to make a new DICK TRACY; we just want to make a DICK TRACY that feels rich and layered, that feels suited to our times. We can’t wait to share, with our great partners at Mad Cave, what we have in store.”

“This has been a long time coming, and we are all so excited to bring our grounded, noir take on the DICK TRACY mythos to life at Mad Cave,” said Alex Segura. “Michael and I have loved DICK TRACY, his stellar rogues gallery, and unforgettable supporting cast since we first became aware of the character as kids. It’s been a winding road to not only get the rights to publish new stories starring the iconic detective, and I’m so thankful that my journey with Chantelle and Michael brought us to Mad Cave. The stuff Geraldo is cooking up perfectly evokes the grounded, cinematic vibe we’re bringing to this origin story.” 

“Mad Cave Studios is pleased to partner with Alex, Michael, Chantelle, and Tribune as part of our continued growth in the licensing arena,” said Mark Irwin, Mad Cave Senior Vice President. “DICK TRACY brings a wealth of colorful characters and stories that greatly enhance Mad Cave’s already strong licensing output.”

“We’re proud to see DICK TRACY, an all-time classic of truth and justice, return to comic books through our partners at Mad Cave Studios,” said Wayne Lown, Vice President & General Manager at Tribune Content Agency. “We look forward to daring new detective cases for this cultural icon, guided by their exceptional team of top-notch creators.”

Mad Cave Studios press release