Li'l Eight Ball

Dan Gormley introduced Li'l Eight Ball to readers in The Funnies #64 in 1942, right in the thick of the Golden Age, when Dell's anthology titles were brimming with personality and charm. This pint-sized character carved out a niche in the pages of New Funnies and The Funnies alongside some genuinely beloved company — Woody Woodpecker, Andy Panda, and even Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy shared those issues. The catalog run is a compact one, stretching from 1942 to 1946, but two of those appearances carry key-issue status, making Li'l Eight Ball a legitimately collectible slice of Dell's Golden Age lineup — a small footprint with real historical weight for the dedicated vintage comics hunter.