He’s been copied honored by Vera Alldid as Dick Tracy parody J Straightedge Trustworthy. He’s been mentioned in passing once twice probably at least three times by struggling comic strip writer Vera Alldid. To many, or Mr. Alldid at least, he’s great in ways that Dick Tracy could only wish. Now, straight from the crossover loving mind of the man himself (Mr. Curtis), the one and only Fearless Fosdick is on his way this summer!
Alldid better have his autograph book. We can’t wait to see how this plays out.
Wait, what’s a Fosdick? Time to drop a little Fearless knowledge.
Al Capp, well-known creator of Li’L Abner and all around hilarious satirist created the famous Dick Tracy parody, Fearless Fosdick roughly 74 years ago as Li’l Abner’s favorite comic crime fighter and “ideel” role model. Fosdick first appeared in 1942 and was promptly shot. Fosdick could not be bothered by “mere scratches” however, and reported back to his corrupt Chief and over the next decade went on to battle an absurd succession of Dick Tracy-esque enemies like Rattop, Bombface, the Chippendale Chair and Sidney the Crooked Parrot.
In addition to battling villains, Fosdick maintained a rich love life with a perpetual 17 year engagement to his very own Tess Trueheart, here named Prudence Pimpleton. Unlike Tracy, Fosdick would never marry. Fosdick’s crime-fighting style was incredibly violent, excessive and dedicated to the extreme. Drawn wearing suit and cap with a razor-sharp jawbone, Fosdick was according to his creator, “pure, underpaid, purposeful” and of notorious bad aim. “When Fosdick is after a law-breaker, there is no escape for the miscreant,” Capp wrote in 1956. “There is, however, a fighting chance to escape for hundreds of innocent bystanders who happen to be in the neighborhood – but only a fighting chance. Fosdick’s duty, as he sees it, is not so much to maintain safety as to destroy crime.” A prime example of this is “The Case of the Poisoned Beans”, wherein Fearless Fosdick proceeds to slaughter dozens of citizens to protect them from consuming tainted beans. You can read 20 full pages of the Poisoned Bean case here.