For Autograph Hound Super-Sunday, how about a piece that makes even Brian Leno take notice? And he’s virtually buried in John Hancocks! Brian reports, “Chester Gould would not be considered a rare autograph, but his signature is one that cries out for framing.
“This Gould was obtained through the mail by a Tracy fan almost 45 years ago, and I have the envelope that goes with it. The date on the bottom of the card got chopped off in my antique scanner — it should read 12/6/75.
“It’s obvious Gould, creator of the immortal Dick Tracy, was a very willing signer. Like most artists he sometimes included an original sketch of his detective along with his autograph, but these can be somewhat pricey.
“However, it’s easy to imagine the pleasure of the recipient of this Gould when he opened the envelope and saw the contents. Bet it made his day. Seeing that Chester Gould had no problem sending out his signature only increases my respect for him.
“It’s pretty cool that Gould takes the time to point out the picture isn’t an original — and I wonder if he misspelt original as ‘origenal’ or just forgot to dot his i. Not being a detective, I can’t tell you.
“I’ve been an admirer of Dick Tracy for a long time — ever since I discovered him in the newspapers during the Moon Maid days of the sixties. I’ve been reading some of the early Dick Tracy cases, fantastic stuff. Read how Tracy took on Pruneface and Mrs. Pruneface, after her hubby’s death. Jesus Christ, I thought Tracy was a goner for sure!”
