Big Frost was a racketeer who wanted to be rid of the threat to his operation posed by the Teleguard Camera invented by Brilliant Smith.
Big Frost was a thin, light-haired man who typically wore a bowtie.
The Murder of Brilliant[]
Big Frost gained admittance to a conference for police chiefs by presenting false credentials to Chief Brandon. Frost killed Brilliant after learning that Brilliant was the only person that knew the secrets of of the camera, unaware that the event was recorded by one of Brilliant's Teleguards.
Frost escaped and soon found himself being hounded by his daughter Flossie, who wanted her father give himself up and reform. Frost grew weary of her nagging and decided to have his men assault Flossie and dispose of the body. Flossie survived, but suffered from memory loss.
Frost would later be captured when he unwittingly retrieved one of his old cars from a garage in which Dick Tracy had installed a camera. The police soon found Frost's location and he was arrested.
Big Frost's Legacy[]
Big Frost's murder of Brilliant was the impetus for Chief Brandon's retirement.
Years later, Frost surprised Brandon in the back of the former Chief's lawn care supply store. Shots were fired and Brandon was hospitalized. Frost's body was later found in a dumpster. He had succumbed to gunshot wounds he had received from the Chief.
Appearances In Other Media[]
1950s Live Action TV Series[]
Big Frost appeared in the 1950s live action Dick Tracy television series starring Ralph Byrd. In the episode "Dick Tracy and Big Frost", Frost was played by Lyle Talbot (who also played 88 Keyes and a character called The Brain).
1990 Feature Film Continuity[]
Big Frost is not a character in the 1990 Dick Tracy feature film.
He is a character in the comic book prequel tie-in written by John Moore with art by Kyle Baker. Frost is depicted as an albino criminal, who works with the socialite playboy Johnny Mintworth. The two men are involved in the robbery of "Pops" Trueheart, during which Frost shoots and kills Pops. Frost is later cornered by Dick Tracy in a train yard. Frost shoots Tracy in the shoulder and leg. Frost then waits for an approaching train to hit Tracy, but Tracy manages to throw a switch that sends the train onto a different track, where it collides with the truck in which Frost had been sitting. Frost was killed in the collision.
In the comic, he is never referred to as "Big Frost", but it is almost certainly intended to be the same character. At one point, Johnny Mintworth identifies him as "Jack Frost".