museum is in need of donations to keep the doors open. The museum draws 4,000 to 7,000 visitors a year and has an operating budget of $40,000. The Gould family contributes the lion share of the financial support, but requires $25,000 in annual donations to operate.  With a recognizable brand name such as Dick Tracy, one would think money would not be an issue, but TMS owns all the rights to royalties for the brand, so the Gould family doesn't see any of that money. " /> museum is in need of donations to keep the doors open. The museum draws 4,000 to 7,000 visitors a year and has an operating budget of $40,000. The Gould family contributes the lion share of the financial support, but requires $25,000 in annual donations to operate.  With a recognizable brand name such as Dick Tracy, one would think money would not be an issue, but TMS owns all the rights to royalties for the brand, so the Gould family doesn't see any of that money. " />

The Daily Cartoonist

Industry news for the professional cartoonist

Dick Tracy Museum is running out of money

Alan Gardner81 mins

With all the recent celebratory events and commemorations of the comic Dick Tracy‘s 75 year anniversary, one would be surprised to read that the Gould family has told the Woodstock City Council that the museum is in need of donations to keep the doors open. The museum draws 4,000 to 7,000 visitors a year and has an operating budget of $40,000. The Gould family contributes the lion share of the financial support, but requires $25,000 in annual donations to operate.  With a recognizable brand name such as Dick Tracy, one would think money would not be an issue, but TMS owns all the rights to royalties for the brand, so the Gould family doesn’t see any of that money.

The museum is having a gala on the 25th to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Dick Tracy.

8 thoughts on “Dick Tracy Museum is running out of money”

  1. ONE WOULD THINK THAT A SYNDICATE LIKE TMS WOULD HELP OUT THE GOULD FAMILY IN A TIME OF NEED HERE!!?? COME ON!!… ESPECIALLY WHEN A CERTAIN COMIC STRIP ICON HAS REACHED A MILESTONE…!!?
    PLEASE (TMS) DO NOT ADD YOUR FACE IN TRACY’S GALLERY OF ROGUES…

  2. ONE WOULD THINK THAT A SYNDICATE LIKE TMS WOULD HELP OUT THE GOULD FAMILY IN A TIME OF NEED HERE!!?? COME ON!!… ESPECIALLY WHEN A CERTAIN COMIC STRIP ICON HAS REACHED A MILESTONE…!!?
    PLEASE (TMS) DO NOT ADD YOUR FACE IN TRACY’S GALLERY OF ROGUES…

  3. Mr. Dominguez,
    You’re right in that TMS should be able to provide some financial assistance in keeping the Dick Tracy Museum going.
    I’m sure that Dick Tracy had made alot of money for TMS and it would be nice if they can give some of it back to keep the Museum going.
    I’ve been to Woodstock a number of times. It’s a wonderful museum and tribute to a pioneering American cartoonist icon who’s probably responisble for the success of such television series as CSI: Miami & Vegas.

  4. Mr. Dominguez,
    You’re right in that TMS should be able to provide some financial assistance in keeping the Dick Tracy Museum going.
    I’m sure that Dick Tracy had made alot of money for TMS and it would be nice if they can give some of it back to keep the Museum going.
    I’ve been to Woodstock a number of times. It’s a wonderful museum and tribute to a pioneering American cartoonist icon who’s probably responisble for the success of such television series as CSI: Miami & Vegas.

  5. This raises an interesting question. How much are syndicates involved, or how much should they be involved, in areas such as this?

    There is a Charles Schultz museum, how involved is United Features in the museum and other Peanuts franchises?

    Jim Davis has his own production company based on his Garfield comic strip, which handles alot of the merchandising and various Garfield franchises, how involed is Universal Press in those endeavors?

    And the real question here if we read between the lines is, if a comic strip author’s family is in need, how willing is the strip’s syndicate to step in and give a little back?

  6. This raises an interesting question. How much are syndicates involved, or how much should they be involved, in areas such as this?

    There is a Charles Schultz museum, how involved is United Features in the museum and other Peanuts franchises?

    Jim Davis has his own production company based on his Garfield comic strip, which handles alot of the merchandising and various Garfield franchises, how involed is Universal Press in those endeavors?

    And the real question here if we read between the lines is, if a comic strip author’s family is in need, how willing is the strip’s syndicate to step in and give a little back?

  7. The syndicate, like any business, looks at the bottom line. With the revenue losses the Tribune company has had in recent years, which has led to massive layoffs in the newsrooms of their newspapers, it would be very difficult for them to rationalize spending money on a musuem for a cartoonist. If Dick Tracy was still making tons of money for them as it did when Chester Gould was alive, then maybe they could justify it. But image you are one of those hundreds of employees who lost their job this year and you heard they were spending money to keep the doors open for an obscure museum. I doubt you’d be too happy about that.

  8. The syndicate, like any business, looks at the bottom line. With the revenue losses the Tribune company has had in recent years, which has led to massive layoffs in the newsrooms of their newspapers, it would be very difficult for them to rationalize spending money on a musuem for a cartoonist. If Dick Tracy was still making tons of money for them as it did when Chester Gould was alive, then maybe they could justify it. But image you are one of those hundreds of employees who lost their job this year and you heard they were spending money to keep the doors open for an obscure museum. I doubt you’d be too happy about that.

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