Joe Palooka Comics #21

A beloved fixture of American popular culture in 1948, Joe Palooka was reportedly reaching over 50,000,000 readers every day — and this Harvey Comics issue shows exactly why the big-hearted boxer had such a hold on the public. Al Avison's cover captures a wonderfully comic moment at ringside, with the grinning, red-headed Joe leaning through the ropes in his green robe while a wide-eyed, bald cornerman reacts with alarm behind him, all to the delight of a crowd of enthusiastically cheering spectators below. Inside, Bob Powell handles both writing and art for "Adventure in the Hidden City," promising the kind of good-natured, all-ages fun that kept Palooka a fan favorite throughout the era.