Dick Locher

Richard Earl Locher (June 4, 1929 – August 6, 2017) was an American syndicated cartoonist.

Early life and career Locher was born in Dubuque, Iowa. After high school, he studied at Loras College before studying art at the University of Iowa. He then graduated with honors from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts.

While in Chicago, he became an assistant to Rick Yager, who was drawing Buck Rogers at the time. However, he left the job after a few months to enlist in the Air Force during the Korean War, where he became a test pilot where he inked the figures and colored the Sunday strips. He also contributed to a story that was cited in Gould's 1959 Reuben award. He left the strip in 1961 to work on other areas, including starting an advertising company, where he worked on designing characters for McDonald's.

Locher kept in touch with Chester Gould even after leaving the strip. In 1973, an editorial cartoonist position at the Chicago Tribune opened up and Gould recommended Locher to take the position. Despite having no experience in editorial cartooning, the Tribune hired Locher. Locher retired May 1, 2013.

Locher, working with his son John, returned to work on Dick Tracy in 1983, In 2009, Jim Brozman took over the drawing of Dick Tracy; however Locher continued to write the storylines and contributed sketches. In 2011, Locher retired from Dick Tracy and handed the reins to the new creative team of Mike Curtis and Joe Staton. Locher's last Dick Tracy strip was published Sunday, March 13, 2011.

Dick got honorary doctorates from Benedictine University and Loras College. He was a long-tenured trustee of Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. In 2008, he was inducted to the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame.

In 2013, Locher helped design and make a 9.5-foot bronze statue of Naperville's founding father, Capt. Joseph Naper. He also designed the Land of Lincoln Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Northwestern-Illinois college football game.

Throughout his career, Locher published over 10,000 cartoons.

John Locher Memorial Award Dick Locher's son, John, who was also a cartoonist, died in 1986 at the age of 25.

Personal life Locher married Mary (née Cosgrove) in 1957. In 1969, they moved to Naperville, Illinois, where they lived until his death. His death was caused by complications from Parkinson's disease. Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, 1983 Overseas Press Club Award, Thomas Nast Award, 1982 and 1983 Peter Lisagor Award John Fischetti Editorial Cartoon Award, 1987 National Cartoonist Society Silver T-Square Award, 2006