Mike Curtis (writer)
Encyclopedia
Mike Curtis is an American writer who scripts the Dick Tracy
comic strip with Joe Staton
as artist. He has been working professionally in comic books as a writer since the mid-1980s. He has also been a newspaper editor, deputy sheriff, comic book
publisher, movie theater
manager, TV horror movie host, Santa Claus
for 39 years in the family tradition and is a Baptist
minister.
Curtis is currently best known for Dick Tracy
, but he is also the third largest collector of Superman
memorabilia in the United States. He has been exhibiting and writing about Superman since 1973. In the 1970s he was a horror movie TV Host on Channel 6 in Jackson, Tennessee
, as Count Basil on Shock Theater. He brought back the character in 2010 as horror host guest at the SIVADS OF MARCH event in Memphis, Tennessee
honoring that city's horror host.
In the 1980s, Curtis entered the comic book field by writing Richie Rich
, Casper The Friendly Ghost
and New Kids on the Block
for Harvey Comics
. While there, he also designed the Harvey Enchanted Forest map (based on Irish Bayou in Louisiana) and scripted several pilots for Casper
TV series and specials.
In the 1990s, Curtis teamed up with artist Mike Sagara to produce his own comic, Shanda the Panda, an anthropomorphic or "furry" comic about a theater manager. With the first comic published by MU Press
, the title moved to Antarctic Press
for the second issue. There it ran for 14 issues, while Curtis' wife Carole produced a Native American
cat adventure comic called Katmandu with artist Terrie Smith.
Later the Curtises took their titles to Vision Comics, while also beginning their own imprint, Shanda Fantasy Arts. Eventually. both flagship titles were reclaimed under the SFA Banner. SFA has published dozens of comic series and specials, including Extinctioners
, Albedo
and the non-furry LAST KISS.
Curtis and Staton were selected by Tribune Media Services
to continue the Dick Tracy
comic strip, now in its 80th year as of January 2011. They are only the fifth team to ever do so. Shelley Pleger, inker, who has worked as an artist for Disney, and Shane Fisher, Sunday colorist and an extremely talented graduate of the Joe Kubert
School of Cartooning, round out the team.
Shanda and Katmandu are still being published by the Curtises, but both series will end in 2011. They expect to publish an occasional comic or comic story, but the main focus is now on Dick Tracy.
When not at conventions, the Curtises live on a farm in Greenbrier, Arkansas
. Mrs. Curtis makes jewelry, does costume
work and is active in the local Society for Creative Anachronism
. Curtis is now working on several novels and other projects with various projected print dates.
On May 2, 2011, the Tennessee Senate
passed Resolution 30, congratulating Curtis and Staton on their professional accomplishments.
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
comic strip with Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Joe Staton is an American illustrator and writer of comic books.-Career:Staton started his work with Charlton Comics in 1971 and gained notability as the artist of the super-hero book E-Man...
as artist. He has been working professionally in comic books as a writer since the mid-1980s. He has also been a newspaper editor, deputy sheriff, comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
publisher, movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
manager, TV horror movie host, Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
for 39 years in the family tradition and is a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister.
Curtis is currently best known for Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
, but he is also the third largest collector of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
memorabilia in the United States. He has been exhibiting and writing about Superman since 1973. In the 1970s he was a horror movie TV Host on Channel 6 in Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
, as Count Basil on Shock Theater. He brought back the character in 2010 as horror host guest at the SIVADS OF MARCH event in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
honoring that city's horror host.
In the 1980s, Curtis entered the comic book field by writing Richie Rich
Richie Rich
Richard "Richie" Rich, Jr. is a fictional character that debuted in Harvey Comics' Little Dot #1, cover-dated September 1953. Dubbed "the poor little rich boy", Richie is the only child of fantastically wealthy parents and is the world's richest kid. He lives and works in an expensive mansion and...
, Casper The Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
and New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...
for Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
. While there, he also designed the Harvey Enchanted Forest map (based on Irish Bayou in Louisiana) and scripted several pilots for Casper
Casper
Caspar, one of the Three Biblical MagiCasper may refer to:-Given name:*Casper , 5th Century ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque*Caspar Badrutt , Swiss businessman and pioneer of alpine resorts...
TV series and specials.
In the 1990s, Curtis teamed up with artist Mike Sagara to produce his own comic, Shanda the Panda, an anthropomorphic or "furry" comic about a theater manager. With the first comic published by MU Press
MU Press
MU Press was an independent comic book publisher based in Seattle, Washington, which operated from 1990–c. 2006. MU Press was one of the industry's most prolific "furry" comic publishers, while its mid-90s imprint Aeon Publications specialized in alternative fare. MU Press was founded by...
, the title moved to Antarctic Press
Antarctic Press
Antarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes "American Manga" style comic books.Founded by Ben Dunn in 1984, Antarctic Press has produced over 850 titles with a total circulation of over 5 million...
for the second issue. There it ran for 14 issues, while Curtis' wife Carole produced a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
cat adventure comic called Katmandu with artist Terrie Smith.
Later the Curtises took their titles to Vision Comics, while also beginning their own imprint, Shanda Fantasy Arts. Eventually. both flagship titles were reclaimed under the SFA Banner. SFA has published dozens of comic series and specials, including Extinctioners
Extinctioners
Extinctioners is a science fiction, action and adventure comic book created, written and drawn by Shawntae Howard that features a superhero theme, but uses anthropomorphic animals as its main characters.- Plot and setting :...
, Albedo
Albedo
Albedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it...
and the non-furry LAST KISS.
Curtis and Staton were selected by Tribune Media Services
Tribune Media Services
Tribune Media Services is a syndication company owned by the Tribune Company.The company has two divisions, "News and Features" and "Entertainment Products"...
to continue the Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
comic strip, now in its 80th year as of January 2011. They are only the fifth team to ever do so. Shelley Pleger, inker, who has worked as an artist for Disney, and Shane Fisher, Sunday colorist and an extremely talented graduate of the Joe Kubert
Joe Kubert
Joe Kubert is an American comic book artist who went on to found The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman...
School of Cartooning, round out the team.
Shanda and Katmandu are still being published by the Curtises, but both series will end in 2011. They expect to publish an occasional comic or comic story, but the main focus is now on Dick Tracy.
When not at conventions, the Curtises live on a farm in Greenbrier, Arkansas
Greenbrier, Arkansas
Greenbrier is a city in Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,706 in the 2010 U.S. Census.- History :...
. Mrs. Curtis makes jewelry, does costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
work and is active in the local Society for Creative Anachronism
Society for Creative Anachronism
The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international living history group with the aim of studying and recreating mainly Medieval European cultures and their histories before the 17th century...
. Curtis is now working on several novels and other projects with various projected print dates.
On May 2, 2011, the Tennessee Senate
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
passed Resolution 30, congratulating Curtis and Staton on their professional accomplishments.
External links
- http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110124/NEWS01/101240311/1002/A-dream-come-true
- http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/02/21/dick-tracy-is-there-a-fedora-future-for-the-80-year-old-icon/