Long ago and far away, I happened to be in NYC on the day that the first issue of Shazam!, the DC comic which brought back Captain Marvel, "the Big Red Cheese," to the comics world (the title, referencing the magic word that turned young Billy Batson into "the World's Mightiest Mortal," was the result of Marvel Comics have already released a Captain Marvel title).
I picked up a payphone (like I said, "long ago and far away") and called the DC offices to ask to come in and see Shazam! editor Julie Schwartz. This was long before I began writing for the trade press and, eventually, DC itself, understand. I was just a guy off the street, but they said, come on in.
Dick was the guy they sent me to when I arrive and he passed me on to Julie, who answered all my questions, called in writer Denny O'Neill and gave me a copy of issue #1 signed by both of them. It was a great, spontaneous afternoon.
I don't remember ever interviewing Julie again but I talked with Dick many times over the years and our in-person exchanges only cemented his reputation as a thoroughly professional, thoroughly likable Good Guy.
That's as good an epitaph as any of us could hope for.
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Dick did for inking what Dennis Eckersley did for relief pitching; without him, the phrase "legendary inker" would have taken much longer to enter into the comics lexicon, and the average fan would have little understanding of the importance of a finishing artist. Even beyond his immeasurable editorial contribution to the medium, that small aspect of his personal artistic contribution changed the way people think of comics forever.
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