Hard Case Harry (sometimes referred to as "Harry Hard Case") was an armed robber in Dick Tracy's city. He had light hair.
Harry was a high school dropout who turned to crime. He was arrested and sentenced to prison. While incarcerated her learned to be an electrician.
After fifteen years, he was released and prepared to seek revenge on Dick Tracy. Harry had a change of heart and saved Tracy's life when the detective became stranded during a snowstorm.
Harry eventually married and fathered a child. He became estranged from his wife and child when he began to have difficulty supporting them. Harry was presumed killed when he rescued a child who was in danger of drowning after a boating accident, but his body was not found.
Notes[]
- When Harry was released from prison, Tracy recalled that he had been sentenced to ten-to-fifteen years. The Warden told Tracy that Harry was being released early, but Harry later commented that he had hated Dick Tracy for fifteen years. It is not clear exactly how long Harry was in prison.
- Harry was presumed dead nine years after he spared Dick Tracy's life in the snow storm. However, the characters in the strip did not seem to have aged nine years during that time (see sliding time-line).
- During the second Hard Case Harry storyline in 2003, the strips containing Harry's first appearance (approximately 6 weeks worth, from 1993-94) were reprinted (in some cases with captions indicating that they were older material). This was the only time in the strip's history when reprints were published for an extended period of time.
- The second Hard Case Harry case was prompted by series of malfunctions in satellite communications for which Tracy suspected Harry may have been responsible. This plot thread was later dropped and the cause of the satellite malfunctions was never proven.