It’s time to ‘focus’ on Dick Locher flawed writing practise (picked up from Kilian?). This relates principally to what many describe as dull, glacial “pacing”
One ‘MARKER’ to look for is how many ‘weeks’ into the story it takes before a CRIME is committed!
The following can easily be checked by anyone. The story information is easily available. Pacing is one of DL’s big impediments as it was with Kilian. Gould’s “story-structure” formula usually had the crime committed in the first THREE weeks, often, in week ONE!! This acts as a “trigger” to get things happening. As the examples below will show Locher’s stories run for weeks before a CRIME takes place to get the ‘action’ rolling. He, like his predecessor gets bogged down by “buikd up”,”build up” and MORE “build up”. A setting of the stage, a practise that makes for dreadfully dull story telling, while readers become impatient waiting for someting of “substance” to happen! For example it took EIGHT weeks for Braces’ gang to commit a crime. It’s easy to to be missled by “ping-pong” dialogue between characters that creates a mirage that there is meaningful forward movement.
Here are some Locher examples:
First, the famous 75th Anniversary tale of the strip, Dr.Figment Froid: Story length 21+ weeks. Crime at 14th Week. A lot of dull unnecessary talk in that time.
Before that, Al Kinda. Story, 21 weeks. Crime at 14 weeks.Then the Baskerville case. Story,12 weeks, 5 days. Crime at 4 weeks, 4 days!
I’ve already mentioned Bracea at 8 weeks to crime. But I’m not saying ALL his stories are like this, but most by Kilian and Locher where !
In contrast GOULD in his final two years had numbers as follows: LISPY: (ST)Story 1O Weeks, 1 day. (C)Crime, 1st day ! PUCKER PUSS: (ST)14 Weeks, 4 days. (C)2 Weeks, 4 days. BOLO:(S)9 Weeks (C)1 Week. PERFUME Thieves: (S)14 Weeks, 2 days.(C)10 Days. ZERO NAUGHT: (S) 12 Weeks,4days. (C)At 2 Weeks,3 days! DADE PLENTY: (S) 28 Weeks. (C)In 7 Days.
That was a “key” part of Gould’s strategy for an “interesting” story. It triggered the excitment of the “chase”. He was never bogged down in boreing repetition which young “wanna’be’s” like Mattie are “hypnotized” into thinking that it is a process of “building suspense”. No future for him if he “parrots” Locher’s style. He’ll be dead in the water!
The most powerful thing DL has going for him is the recognition of being the Writer/Artist of Dick Tracy! Some years ago Stan Drake told him he, “was working on the best strip in the business” Imagine, he took it as a compliment!! “WORKING on” doesn’t mean “PRODUCING the best”!! He should have looked at the rapid reduction in newspaer’s carrying the strip! Stan Drake may have been envious, he realized it was the continuity strip with the best “potential” in the business.
I’m not surprised! I think so too!
It’s time to ‘focus’ on Dick Locher flawed writing practise (picked up from Kilian?). This relates principally to what many describe as dull, glacial “pacing” One ‘MARKER’ to look for is how many ‘weeks’ into the story it takes before a CRIME is committed! The following can easily be checked by anyone. The story information is easily available. Pacing is one of DL’s big impediments as it was with Kilian. Gould’s “story-structure” formula usually had the crime committed in the first THREE weeks, often, in week ONE!! This acts as a “trigger” to get things happening. As the examples below will show Locher’s stories run for weeks before a CRIME takes place to get the ‘action’ rolling. He, like his predecessor gets bogged down by “buikd up”,”build up” and MORE “build up”. A setting of the stage, a practise that makes for dreadfully dull story telling, while readers become impatient waiting for someting of “substance” to happen! For example it took EIGHT weeks for Braces’ gang to commit a crime. It’s easy to to be missled by “ping-pong” dialogue between characters that creates a mirage that there is meaningful forward movement. Here are some Locher examples: First, the famous 75th Anniversary tale of the strip, Dr.Figment Froid: Story length 21+ weeks. Crime at 14th Week. A lot of dull unnecessary talk in that time. Before that, Al Kinda. Story, 21 weeks. Crime at 14 weeks.Then the Baskerville case. Story,12 weeks, 5 days. Crime at 4 weeks, 4 days! I’ve already mentioned Bracea at 8 weeks to crime. But I’m not saying ALL his stories are like this, but most by Kilian and Locher where ! In contrast GOULD in his final two years had numbers as follows: LISPY: (ST)Story 1O Weeks, 1 day. (C)Crime, 1st day ! PUCKER PUSS: (ST)14 Weeks, 4 days. (C)2 Weeks, 4 days. BOLO:(S)9 Weeks (C)1 Week. PERFUME Thieves: (S)14 Weeks, 2 days.(C)10 Days. ZERO NAUGHT: (S) 12 Weeks,4days. (C)At 2 Weeks,3 days! DADE PLENTY: (S) 28 Weeks. (C)In 7 Days. That was a “key” part of Gould’s strategy for an “interesting” story. It triggered the excitment of the “chase”. He was never bogged down in boreing repetition which young “wanna’be’s” like Mattie are “hypnotized” into thinking that it is a process of “building suspense”. No future for him if he “parrots” Locher’s style. He’ll be dead in the water! The most powerful thing DL has going for him is the recognition of being the Writer/Artist of Dick Tracy! Some years ago Stan Drake told him he, “was working on the best strip in the business” Imagine, he took it as a compliment!! “WORKING on” doesn’t mean “PRODUCING the best”!! He should have looked at the rapid reduction in newspaer’s carrying the strip! Stan Drake may have been envious, he realized it was the continuity strip with the best “potential” in the business. I’m not surprised! I think so too!