Auntie Flattop

Auntie Flattop
First Appearance	June 28th, 1956
Known Relatives	Poptop Jones, Father Unnamed Mother Unnamed Uncle Unnamed Aunt Blowtop Jones, Brother Flattop Jones Sr., Brother (deceased) Sharptop Jones, Brother Croptop Jones, Sister Stiletta Jones, Sister-in-Law (deceased) Flattop Jones Jr., Nephew (deceased) Angeltop Jones, Niece (deceased) Hi-Top Jones, Great-Nephew Unnamed Husband (deceased) Frizzletop, Cousin Dennis O'Copper, Cousin-in-Law
Created By	Chester Gould
Can be Found:	The Complete Dick Tracy Vol. 16 The Complete Dick Tracy Vol. 17

Auntie Flattop was the sister of Flattop Jones Sr., possibly his twin. She shared the family's physical traits of dark hair, heavy eyelids, prominent lips and flat-headedness.

Her name was not revealed at the time that she met Dick Tracy and Sam Catchem, who addressed her only as "Auntie Flattop". In the 4/11/24 strip, it was revealed that she was known by the nickname "Curlytop".

Raising Her Brother's Son

Auntie Flattop was a widow. After her brother Flattop's death, her niece Angelica was put in a foster home and her nephew, Flattop Jr. (who was six years old at the time) was put in her care in South Dakota. She had to work to support herself and her nephew, which resulted in him often being left unsupervised. She was aware of young Flattop's artistic and mechanical genius, and also his growing criminal tendencies.

When Flattop and his partner Joe Period were on a crime spree, including the killing of "Nothing" Yonson, she was worried and expressed remorse about his behavior. When Tracy visited her seeking information regarding Flattop Jr., she was fully willing to cooperate but could offer little information as to her nephew's whereabouts.

By all indications, she was a responsible law-abiding citizen like her brother Sharptop.

Notes

• In an early appearance, Flattop Jr referred to being raised by an uncle. This would tend to indicate that Auntie Flattop's husband was alive for at least some of Flattop Jr's childhood.
• There were portraits of some flat-headed relatives hanging in her house with one labeled "Mother", but they have not been identified.
• It is unknown how Flattop Jr. was placed into Auntie's care after Flattop drowned, given that Stiletta was alive in Europe as a circus performer. It's possible that Stiletta wasn't aware of her husband's death and Auntie was Floyd Jr's next of kin or Auntie Flattop volunteered.
• The Curlytops were the main characters in a series of children's novel written by Howard R. Garis in the early 20th century. Additionally, Curly Top is also the name of a 1935 musical film starring Shirley Temple.