Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for October 16, 2022

In younger days, past rookie phase, Sam Catchem caught a case

Stolen cars sent near and far. A chop shop was the place

With torches lit the metal split. See boosted cars no more

Sheboygan got a shiny grill, New Port a pristine door.

The parts were gold. The trail went cold. Yet Sam recalls a name

Arc welder just a kid back then. Precision brought him fame.

Steelface was his moniker. He never could be found

Now his name is in the wind. Sam knows he is around.

a trip in Sam’s wayback machine, it seems…

So the plate bolted to his forehead is a clever disguise!

Good Sunday morning™!

So… Sam has dealt with Steelface before! We knew already that he came to Tracy’s city from Boston, but I’m pretty sure he never mentioned this case before. He did have one case that followed him here from Boston: Sleet.

… and, we now know what Steelface’s racket is — or at least, what it was.

“That time” was 1948. 73 years ago

So … Steelface moved his hot car operation to Tracy’s town many years ago, & he’s just crossing Sam & Tracy’s radar screen now?

Sam doesn’t know how screwy Steelface’s nuts and bolts really are.

Maybe the fact that Catchem knows Steelface explains why Steelface wants to leave town – he can sense trouble is coming.

Sam has a blast from the past !!!

Unless the guy committed a murder, what would be the Statute of Limitations on that case ?

If Sam is that old, does he have freckles or liver spots on his face ?

I called it again! Wow!

A lot of us were right yesterday about Sam knowing who he was.

Well now we know this will be a Sam centered story

Sam like baked beans being from Boston?

“And since the perp in Boston trademarked the name Steelface™ no one else can use it. Tracy, we got us a case of trademark violation, right here in Tracyville!”

Gotta luv Sam’s brown eyes!

cue the dark ambient music with discordant overtones which, although broadly tonal, is inflected with chromatic and polytonal passages to utter sound in tremulous tones.

Steelface had not added the plate yet. Interesting…did Steelface realize the police in Boston was on to him, and so left town? Has he been in Tracytown all these years, working out in the open, with the Steelface moniker?

Great artwork today. Shelley is shining like a star.

Time does not fly in comicville!

“But, hey, that was the nickname of EVERYONE in Boston. You should’a seem Miss Steelface of ‘43! Hubba hubba! Could’ve made a fortune recycling that babe!”

1-DT: Put your tri-focals on before you get a headache, Sam. What are you reading anyway?

2-SAM: Awh, I gotta summons to appear.

DT: Another paternity suit? Dag, Sam – you got a closet full of those! Get it? Paternity SUITS?

3-SAM: Yeah – hilarious…

4-…No. This one is from when I worked the Boston Vice. I was always arresting guys I thought walked “funny” …

5-…Apparently, this “Steelface” guy didn’t find it “amusing”. Get it? “Funny”? “Amusing”?

DT: I don’t get it.

Maybe it"s another guy with magnetic skin?

The dealer in hot cars suddenly disappeared. Well, I can rule out: the witness protection program. Will have to google to see if turning state’s evidence existed in 1948. Did Steelface jump bail, his family (father, mother and siblings) must have bankrupted when he skipped.

No wonder he secured a part for his nephew Robert in the play, Steelface is trying to mend fences with his family.

If Sam and Tracy nab Steelface, which city has dibs on him? Boston or Tracyland?

Too sad about that first responder. Jon Stewart hadn’t embarrassed Congress enough by then, so there was little or no compensation for these heroes.

O T AGAIN: Got a review proof of the OTHERWORLD hardback today. A few things to deal with (without screaming). The table of contents is missing. It, and the supplements I added, should be in place in a week. Nice after several paperbacks to finally see something in hardback!

Sam’s sharp memory of the young punk dealer in hot cars from his Boston days is the likely crucial link needed to today’s Tracyville Steelface!

Great art by Shelley today, especially with Sam’s and Tracy’s varied expressions. And also great story advancement and pacing (would that it were so consistently!). We are at length getting somewhere….