Jeanie Comics #23

Jeanie Comics #23 brings a perfectly timed comedic moment from 1949, as the self-proclaimed "Queen of the Teens" plants a goodnight kiss on the hapless Bashful Bates — sending the poor fella reeling backward in a cloud of stars and smoke, barely managing a stammered "Gee, thanks — gulp — Jeanie!" The bold "SMACK!" sound effect says everything, capturing that wonderfully exaggerated teen-romance humor that made these books so charming. Ken Bald's clean, lively linework gives Jeanie a confident poise that makes it crystal clear who's really in charge here.