ROAD TO PERDITION 511
own book in 1960. Within the decade, Richie Rich would become Harvey’s most
popular character under the creative eyes of artists Warren Kremer and Ernie Colón.
Some debate exists over the creation of Richie Rich. Harvey Comics co-owner Alfred
Harvey has claimed credit for the character, but Warren Kremer, who was responsible
for many designs of Harvey characters, has also claimed to be the creator. At the height
of his popularity in the early 1970s, Richie Rich comics sold more than 1,000,000 copies
per month. At the point of highest saturation, Harvey Comics produced 33 Richie Rich
titles in a single month, and he has starred in over 50 titles total.
Dubbed “Th e Poor Little Rich Boy,” Richie Rich’s stories originally focused on
how the boy’s wealth and privilege kept him from enjoying most of the more carefree
pleasures of childhood. His girlfriend, Gloria Glad, rejects Richie’s exorbitant gifts in
an eff ort to keep him humble. As the series increased in popularity, Richie’s adventures
became more fantastic and often focused on the advantages that his enormous wealth
provided. Th ese adventures frequently took place on the international stage (or, in some
cases, interplanetary) and were strongly infl uenced by comic predecessors like Tintin
and Little Orphan Annie. In his world, Richie is a celebrity who is recognized world-
wide for his wealth and adventures.
Richie’s father owns Rich Industries, a multinational corporation, located in the
city of Richville, that produces a wide variety of products. Th ese products, usually
invented by Professor Keenbean, often serve as the impetus for Richie’s adventures.
Richie Rich has a large supporting cast, including Cadbury the butler, Irona the robot
maid, Dollar the dog (a rare breed of “Dollarmatians” with dollar signs in place of
spots), his girlfriend Gloria, his best friends Pee-Wee and Freckles Friendly, child
comedian Jackie Jokers, Billy Bellhops, and others. Richie’s most common nemesis is
his cousin, Reggie Van Dough. Reggie is the antithesis of Richie — a spoiled, rich child
who uses his wealth to play practical jokes on others. Reggie always gets his comeup-
pance, but such lessons never have a lasting eff ect on him.
Covers to Richie Rich comics usually depict the boy using money for purposes other
than currency: he carpets his fl oor and decorates his walls with it, he plays in piles of
bills, and dollar signs often appear in his presence. Covers also depict Richie treating
other signs of wealth, like gold, jewels, and oil, as playthings.
Harvey Comics ceased publication in 1982, only to return for a brief period from
1986 to 1994. Richie Rich also starred in his own Saturday morning television cartoon
series beginning in 1980, and he was the subject of two feature fi lms, the fi rst (1994)
starring Macaulay Culkin as the poor little rich boy.
Andrew J. Kunka
ROAD TO PERDITION. Th is graphic novel by writer Max Allan Collins ( Dick Tracy )
and artist Richard Piers Rayner ( Hellblazer , Swamp Th ing ) was published in 1998
by DC Comics under its Paradox Press imprint. Sam Mendes directed the award-
winning 2002 fi lm adaptation of the same name, which was written for the screen by
David Self. Collins’s inspiration for the 300-page novel was Kazuo Koike and Goseki
