Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Shelley Pleger for October 05, 2022

Daddy Warbucks’s illegitimate child?

Good morning™, everyone!

Nephew Robert definitely looks the part. We finally see Steelface’s face out of shadow and it looks a bit “steely” plus the thing on his forehead.

At first I thought that car in the first panel was outside the window, but the angle is wrong for that. Now I realize, that they have a framed picture of a car on the wall. That might be a clue to Steelface’s business.

it seems to be a steel plate on his forehead…

That secretary looks like someone just ran over her dog.

Wonder what sort of criminal enterprise Steelface is running….?

and what appears to be his secretary actually calls him Mr. Steelface?… and after he complained to Gaspar that he doesn’t want to be addressed that way just a couple of days ago… what great continuity here already…

well, it appears that all the Garage Man fans out there will finally be rewarded with him probably being included in this arc, based on Robert’s ’Annie-eyes ’ look in his introduction here today…

Three different character drawing styles.

The third style, Mr. Steelface, would make a great Dick Tracy noir style that you would see “fleshed out” in a graphic novel series that you see.

Uncle Arceneaux appears to have a patient expression on his face in the last panel. Maybe he’s not all bad. He didn’t club Caspar, he only slapped him, which is a lot less than many other henchmen get in this comic.

I hope Vitamin Flintheart doesn’t own any race horses.

Good morning™, young aspiring actors !

I thought steel plates went under the skin so as not to be obvious.

Is there a data port behind that plate ?

He’s certainly not a teacher. He doesn’t have any pupils…

“Uncle Arcenaux! I need a favor! Can you headbutt Vitamin Flintheart until he gives me a part in his crappy play?”

Looks a bit like Tracy after a brawl.

Loving the steely jaw…..

More like Daddy Steelbuck’s secret offspring!!!

The part in the Funny Papers would be Daddy Bigbucks !!!

The Great Profile he ain’t

Lemme guess… Punjab? (Why do I have the feeling we’re warming up here for a visit from Annie and the crew?)

And we get the face reveal and…Steelface looks very, very silly.

He needs to put on some weight to be Warbucks.

Robert reminds me of Zoot Sputnik’s sidekick Winky from DCs Mazing Man comic….

Steelface. Because Steelforehead was too long and cumbersome.

…and those “steely blue” eyes. I take it this is his first appearance in this strip? ¯\( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)/¯

“I play an introverted oak tree who is wooed by a deranged serial-pecker woodpecker. In the first scene, I die. Then I lie around the set for 52 acts, growing moss and toadstools. I plan on adding a little dance to the recitation of the Dead Parrot Sketch, somewhere in act 42!”

OK, we see why Arceneaux is called Steelface, with that exposed plate on his forehead, (though the explanation for it belongs to comic strip medicine, and, not necessarily needed here.) And, we know he seems to be a success at something, so that his nephew can ask him for ask for a favor from Vitamin. We just don’t know how these things fit in the plot, yet.

So it’s okay for the assistant to call him Steelface?

Robert looks like a combination of Little Orphan Annie and Henry.

As the days go by, readers will find out how much influence Uncle Steelface must have to get his nephew into a play.

Robert’s uncle is a patron of the arts. Must be his sister’s kid.

METALHEAD: Don’t call me Steelface?"

SECRETARY: But that seems to be your name.

METALHEAD: Oh, OK. Then don’t call me Chief.

SECRETARY: Ok, Chief. How about Magnetbreath? What an ass-hole!

METALHEAD: Ms. Olsen, get out of here! …and the name is Arceneaux.

SSECRETARY Ok, Chief.

Daddy Warbucks is Annie’s adoptive father. Is Annie somehow related to these people or just a resemblance?

“What is it this time, Robert?” Obviously not the first rodeo for either one of them.

Little orphan Robert……just kidding!

Nice to see Henry’s found work after his comic strip ended.

“I play the Colored Kid.”

How could this criminal’s name NOT be Steely Dan?

Arceneaux reminds me a bit of Marvel’s Dr. Doom…

Maybe his metal plate is used to secure a mask or a cover plate…

He’s so fresh-faced and cheerful! Kinda reminds me of “Henry”, just a little more talkative…

1-SECRETARY: I’m taking the rest of the day off – cramps and a heavy flow.

STEEL: YUCK! JUST GO! That’s the third time this month. That girl has problems… SECRETARY: SUCKAAA!

2-ROBERT: Hi Uncle. Can I borrow one of the cars off your lot? One that runs?

3-…I gotta new career idea involving the upcoming Tracyville 500 Stockcar Race!

STEEL: Sigh Lemme guess – you wanna be a stockcar driver.

ROBERT: Wow! That head trauma didn’t hurt you none, Uncle! Say, you ever think about wearing bangs?

Well, now I know he couldn’t pass as Tracy. Not with that metal plate on his forehead.

This is starting to get lame.

I thought he didn’t like being called Steelface, but his secretary /receptionist calls him that. Also, with a name like Steelface, I expected him to resemble Victor Von Doom.

Why’s everyone calling him Steelface ???

why does Steelface have a coin slot in his forehead? Have to keep the meter running?

Hmm, Robert reminds me of the Yellow Kid

Did any one mention in frame 3 his steely blue eyes….?

Names! Names! What’s in a name?

I am a tad astonished that no one has yet explicitly noted that Steelface (first name? last name? nickname?) has gone from being introduced as Arcenaux to today’s more euphonious Arceneaux (not to be confused with Arsenio Hall). And about that “Steelface” thing: we were led to assume it was a nickname by Gaspar’s words and by today’s reveal of his steel-plated forehead and seemingly steely chin. But his rather intimidated-looking secretary addresses him as “Mr. Steelface,” as though that were his family name. What’s the dealio here?

Steelface’s 5 o’clock shadow is all the way up to 8.

Junior shaved his head????