Piston Puss was a thief with short-cropped light-colored hair and a thick face. He was very tall and typically wore a headband and metal coverings over his ears.
Piston Puss robbed an auto parts store, stealing cash and spark plugs. Stuck in heavy traffic, Dick Tracy and Sam Catchem eventually caught Piston Puss when Tracy observed the heavy smoke coming the robber's exhaust.
Some time later, Piston Puss was present at the home of the wealthy H.K. Krispies when Krispies was found murdered. Dick Tracy arrived to investigate and recognized Piston Puss. Piston Puss stated that he had been managing an automobile dealership for Mr. Krispies and had come to the house to discuss business.
Dick Tracy observed evidence that led him to accuse Piston Puss of being the murderer. Piston Puss was arrested and taken away.
Piston Puss in 2017, as drawn by Charles Ettinger
Notes[]
- Piston Puss first appeared in a print advertisement for Autolite Auto Parts. He was later incorporated into the Dick Tracy comic strip in a Minit Mystery.
- The Minit Mystery in which Piston Puss appears includes an anachronistic element wherein Tracy arrives at H.K. Krispies' mansion in a 1930s-style streamline sedan with running boards. Such a vehicle would have been outdated in 1966, when Piston Puss first appeared in advertisements for auto parts. The presence of this vintage automobile is not explained.