Joe Palooka #102

Ham Fisher's beloved big-hearted boxer headlines another all-new adventure in this 1957 Harvey Comics issue, with cover art by Al Avison bringing the action to vivid life. The cover shows a wide-eyed Joe Palooka in close-up, looking on with alarm as a figure dangles precariously from a spinning helicopter rotor against a turbulent sky — a scene that teases the ominous-sounding story within, "The Madman's Machine." With over 60,000,000 readers claimed right on the cover, Joe Palooka was clearly one of comics' most beloved characters, and this issue looks like a fine example of why.