I guess there was a huge legal fight that he eventually won through argument and opponent apathy, so as long as he doesn’t let the character sit completely idle, he keeps the rights despite no longer giving a fuck either. It’s utterly petty, and if I cared more about Dick Tracy I’d probably find it infuriating rather than hilarious.
Wikipedia claims, according to the podcast episode here, the 2023 appearance was unnecessary because Dick Tracy becomes public domain in 2027. No idea how true that is, but if it is true, that adds an interesting wrinkle to the story.
Yep, it’s super weird. No one gives a shit about Dick Tracy anymore. And I even liked the Dick Tracy movie. Also, even if they did, no one is going to want to see an 87-year-old Dick Tracy.
no one is going to want to see an 87-year-old Dick Tracy
I think he knows that as well as anybody. That’s why it’s so delightfully stupid and petty.
I wouldn’t be so sure he does. There’s a good reason a lot of people suspect Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain was written about him.
It’s beyond suspicion now. In 2015, Carly Simon said the second verse is about him. But to your point of his vanity:
Simon tells People, “I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” adding, “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him!”
