TV & VIDEO - Aug. 7, 1990

Down but Not Out: The recent brouhaha over the reruns of the animated “Dick Tracy Show” on KCAL Channel 9 didn’t discourage buyers at an auction of animated artwork in Burbank Sunday night. An unidentified collector paid $990 (including commission) for seven cels from the ‘60s UPA cartoon series, nearly matching the top pre-sale estimate of $1,000. The group of cels offered by animation art dealer Howard Lowery included images of Tracy; villains Pruneface, Itchy, Sketch Paree; and Tracy’s assistant, Joe Jitsu, whose appearance and cries of “say-o-nara” drew protests from some Asian-American groups. Channel 9 subsequently took the series off the air.