Joe Palooka Comics #51

Ham Fisher's beloved boxing champion is front and center in this December 1950 Harvey issue, with Joe Palooka taking a dirty shot in the ring — the cover caption bluntly declares he's been fouled and hurt badly, even as he winds up a counter left against his opponent before a packed crowd of ringside spectators. The header poses the burning question of whether Joe can avenge his pal Bateese after a beating handed out by the villainous Balonki, setting up what promises to be a satisfying slugfest inside. A punchy, crowd-pleasing package from Ham Fisher, whose byline appears proudly on the cover of this monthly series that boasted over 50 million daily newspaper followers.