Four Color #863

This 1957 Dell issue puts the talking mule Francis front and center in a wonderfully absurd bullfighting scenario — dressed in full matador regalia, holding a red cape, Francis calmly asks the bull "Do we have to fight, Pete?" with the flower-adorned bull looking anything but intimidated. David Gantz's warm, expressive linework gives the cover a breezy charm that perfectly captures the gentle humor the series was known for. At just ten cents, this Four Color entry is a delightful snapshot of mid-century funny-animal comics at their most good-natured.