Joe Palooka #116

This giant-sized Harvey Comics entry bills itself as a complete "Carnival Fight Story," and the cover — penciled and inked by Ham Fisher — delivers on that promise with real energy. Blond, barrel-chested Joe Palooka lands a haymaker square on a dark-haired opponent's jaw, both fighters bare-knuckled amid a cloud of dust while a crowd of onlookers presses in around them, an anvil sitting nearby as a nod to the carnival strongman setting. At 25 cents in 1960, this self-contained issue is a satisfying snapshot of the wholesome, hard-hitting spirit that made Joe Palooka one of Harvey's most enduring headliners.