Li'l Genius #13

From Blue Bird Comics and presented by Big Shoe Store, this 1961 Charlton title finds Li'l Genius up to his usual mischief — here he's gleefully scrawling "Niagara Falls" backwards on a tiled wall while perched atop a wave of rushing water, toy boats tumbling in the sudsy chaos around him. The cover art by Jon D'Agostino captures that perfectly silly, light-hearted energy that made this series a treat for young readers, and the bottom of the cover teases a fun roster of characters including Black Fury, Wyatt Earp, Timmy the Timid Ghost, Freddy, and Atom the Mouse. At just a dime, issue #13 — subtitled "Down Hill" — is a charming snapshot of early-sixties all-ages comics at their most playful.