Naperville in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Dick Tracy

2010

— Naperville Century Walk —

Dick Tracy Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

1. Dick Tracy Marker

Inscription. Born in the tommy-gun smoke of the likes of Flattop, Bigboy and Pruneface, the comic character, Dick Tracy, has pursued dastardly criminal minds across newspaper pages since October 4, 1931. This first police detective in the comic strips has become a renowned crime fighter appearing worldwide in movies, TV, radio and on the internet.

Dick Tracy was the brainchild of Chester Gould (1900-1985), and has been syndicated by the Chicago Tribune to this day. He roared off Gould’s drawing board for 46 years to achieve the status of one of America’s most recognizable icons making “Crimestoppers” a household name. Tracy, along with his innovative 2-way wrist radio, personifies law enforcement.

Longtime Naperville resident Dick Locher became illustrator of the Tracy strip in 1983 and eventually became author as well. He has also won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning and created this bronze tribute to the yellow-coated crusader for justice.

Erected 2010.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is October 4, 1931.

Location. 41° 46.286′ N,

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88° 9.064′ W. Marker is in Naperville, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is on Water STreet near Webster Street, on the right. The marker and statue are on the Naperville Riverwalk, a short distance from the covered bridge over the West Branch of the DuPage River that is near Webster Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 135 Water Street, Naperville IL 60540, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Grassroots Overlook (a few steps from this marker); Riverwalk Visionaries (within shouting distance of this marker); Naperville Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); "Streaming History" (within shouting distance of this marker); Steve Chirico

Dick Tracy marker and statue image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

2. Dick Tracy marker and statue

(within shouting distance of this marker); Naperville (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial (about 300 feet away); Henry and Eva White Plaza (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Naperville.

More about this marker. The statue of Dick Tracy is to the right of the marker. Locher designed the model for the statue and also helped select its location. The marker itself has a profile of Tracy's head speaking into a comic strip-style talking bubble.

Regarding Dick Tracy. After coming to Chicago to get a fine arts degree from the Chicago Academy of Arts, Dick Locher was hired as an assistant to Chester Gould, the creator of the Dick Tracy comic strip. In 1973, he was tapped as the Chicago Tribune's editorial cartoonist even though he had no experience in the role. He would go on to hold the position for 40 years and won a Pulitzer in 1983 for editorial cartooning. That same year he returned to Dick Tracy upon the death of Rick Fletcher, who had taken over the comic strip after Gould retired in 1977. Locher drew the strip until 2009 and was creator

Dick Tracy marker and statue and the West Branch of the DuPage River image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

3. Dick Tracy marker and statue and the West Branch of the DuPage River

of the storyline until 2011; he died in 2017 at age 88.

Also see . . . Dick Locher, Pulitzer Prize-winning Tribune cartoonist, dies at 88. From the Chicago Tribune in 2017

Excerpt: "'Dick was one of the best cartoonists in the nation,” said Tribune Editor and Publisher Bruce Dold. 'He was also one of the nicest people who ever walked through the Tribune newsroom. I most admired the richness of detail in his drawings. His work was funny and incisive and his message often carried a hard pop, but his artwork was always incredibly elegant.'"

(Submitted on September 17, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 466 times since then and 79 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 17, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.