9 Comic Book Movies That Won Academy Awards

7) Dick Tracy

Won for: Best Original Song, Best Makeup and Best Art Direction.

Also nominated for: Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Design.

It’s typical, isn’t it? The comic book movie that is by far the most Oscar-adorned of the whole genre is one that’s hardly remembered by modern audiences. Based on the classic 1930s newspaper comic strip character, 1990’s Dick Tracy was a action-comedy noir that aimed to capture a comic book sensibility, including putting several members of the cast in grotesque prosthetics.

It also had an incredibly star-studded cast and crew, which probably goes someway to explaining its Oscar dominance. Directed, produced and starring Warren Beatty (yes, he of envelopegate fame), Dick Tracy also featured the likes of Al Pacino, Madonna, Dustin Hoffman and James Caan in supporting roles. Musical maestro Stephen Sondheim also provided the movie’s original songs and celebrated cinematographer Vittorio Storaro was on board, too.

Sondheim won Best Original Song for “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)” sung by Madonna, Best Makeup was won by Doug Drexler and production designer Richard Sylbert and set decorator Rick Simpson emerged victorious for Best Art Direction.