Through the Looking Glass
The Making of Mr. Mirror
Two Sides to Every Story
This week marks the halfway point of our latest story for the Dick Tracy newspaper comic strip, so I thought I’d give you a peek behind the two-way glass, showing exactly what goes into making a daily comic.
When artist Howie Noel and I were hired to return to Tracyville, we were given six weeks worth of daily strips to play with (and seven Sundays). I’d already brainstormed this particular story somewhat back in 2024, when I was writing our first two-week Dick Tracy story (which you can read here). In that comic, Howie and I had introduced a new character, Mr. Mirror. Right off the bat, I knew I wanted to showcase that villain and eventually reveal Mirror’s secret identity. I even planted clues back in that first original story, but so far, no eagle-eyed readers have spotted them.
With a basic idea in mind, I then moved on to an outline. In a comic book, I’d pace the story out page-by-page. But a newspaper comic strip requires a day-by-day outline. There’s less room in a strip than on a comic book page, and the structure has very little flexibility when it comes to changing panel size and/or shape. Every image and word needs to help move the plot along, add character depth, or heighten the excitement.
If you’ve read the strip already, you’ll notice some major changes between the outline and the finished work. When I got to the scripting stage, I opted not to talk about the Mahoney sisters on Day 3, for example, and I did away with the mirror in the window sill. I also decided to show Mr. Mirror at the end of the sequence, perched on a rooftop for a bit of added drama.
Here’s what the script looked like for Day 6’s comic, Saturday, January 16th. The script has been slightly altered to protect some story secrets that have yet to be revealed.
After the script was approved by Tribune, Howie got to work on the initial pencils.
I absolutely love the mood and atmosphere of Howie’s work in this sequence. Just look at Panel 3. The big moon, the falling snow, and villain’s coat and scarf blowing in the wind? Absolutely perfect. This is exactly what Tracy’s city looks like in my mind.
However, I didn’t think Panel 2 conveyed the idea of Tracy using Endless’s compact to see out the window. I wanted that idea to come across as the main focus of the panel. So with a bit of help from a crime stopper in training, I sent Howie an idea of what I was looking for. My youngest kiddo, Gwen, got into character, and I sent this photo over to Howie.
Howie wasn’t sold on my composition (although he was impressed by my model), so he took another crack at Panel 2, changing the angle to something that would better highlight the use of the compact mirror. And he was right, his shot gave a great visual variety to the sequence, and draws the reader’s eye right to the compact. So with the pencils finished, Shelley Pleger, our letterer extraordinaire, soon filled in the blanks.
Meanwhile, Howie was hard at work inking over his pencils. He sent us his finished artwork, all nice and dramatic and fit for print.
Then it was Shelly’s turn again. While Shane Fisher colors the Sunday installments, Shelley colored every single one of our Tracy dailies. The former regular artist on the strip, Shelley is a natural storyteller. Her choices really cemented the mood, moved the story along naturally, and helped our detectives pop off the page with a bold splash of color.
She then sent us the colors to proof, and Howie noticed that Mr. Mirror’s glove color was off. His yellow gloves are meant to match his scarf. So after a quick fix, Mr. Mirror was ready to hit the town.
You can read our Dick Tracy strip for free every day over at gocomics.com/dicktracy. The site allows you to read the previous two weeks worth of comics, but to go back any further, you’ll need a subscription. If you like what you see, please share, like, and/or comment. We have plenty more Tracy stories to tell, more villains to debut, and more crimes to solve, so help us get the word out! And for more of Howie’s art, check out his instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dicktracyroguesgallery/. You can also find him on facebook and other social media sites.
From the Batcave
Outside of Dick Tracy, it’s no secret that Batman has one of the best rogues galleries in comics. But even with the likes of the Joker and Penguin to choose from, as a kid, I was always drawn to the outcasts, the weirdest of the weird. When I’ve written Batman over the years, it’s rare that I don’t include a few of my favorite oddballs. And surprise, surprise, my Bat-Collection often follows suit. So for today’s From the Batcave, here’s a look into some of my favorite Gotham City third-stringers.
First up is Professor Pyg. I got a chance to write this disturbingly gruesome weirdo when he was adapted for the Beware the Batman cartoon. As one of the regular writers of the tie-in comic, Pyg was my first choice when I started pitching ideas for that book. The Bat-Collection now has two different little Pyggies: the comic book version that was just released from McFarlane Toys, and the DC Direct figure that’s based on the Arkham Knight video game.
A bit more popular is Killer Moth, who’s been waiting for his big break since his debut in 1951, back in the pages of Batman #63. Spoiler alert: it hasn’t arrived yet. I pit Robin against this less-than-impressive villain back when I was writing The Batman Strikes. Let’s just say he didn’t fare particularly well, even against Batman’s junior partner.
Finally, all roads lead to Condiment King. I squeezed this guy into a panel of Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #4, thanks to tolerant artists Jon Sommariva and Sean Parsons. Condiment King has earned a figure from Todd McFarlane’s Batman: The Animated Series line, a Heroclix gaming piece, and apparently a Lego mini figure that has somehow eluded me. I guess you could say, I’m playing… ketchup.
Sorry. I’m so sorry.
