Thursday, March 26, 2026

From Comics to Toons: Dick Tracy on Archie's TV Funnies (1971)

 Archie Comics, it appears, now has its own YouTube channel, or at least a fan-operated one. This one has no full episodes of 1971's Archie's TV Funnies, but a compilation of Dick Tracy shorts from the series (some standalone videos are incomplete). In this collection, Dick (John Erwin) is after:

88 Keys, recently rebooted in the current comic book from Mad Cave as an Irish musician-turned-would-be-vigilante (Either Erwin or Dallas McKennon).

The Mole (Howard Morris, since the voice is similar to Morris' characterization of Dilton Doiley).

Pruneface (McKennon).

Flattop (McKennon), in a short we've previously screened.

Mumbles (McKennon) & Stooge Viller (McKennon or Erwin or Morris), also in a previously screened short. Filmation, for some reason, gave Viller a new name.

Wikipedia's entry on the series is also incomplete, which is why I have to guess on a couple of the villains.


Archie & the gang are seen in short bits queuing up the shorts. There's a standalone short with Sketch Paree and Liver Lips, misidentified as Groovy Grove (who was actually a cop introduced in the comic strip around the same time), but that one is incomplete. Erwin voiced Liver Lips, and it was likely McKennon as Paree.

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