Li'l Genius #16

This January 1958 Charlton gem packs a whopping 68 all-new pages into its 15-cent cover price, making it a genuine bargain for fans of kid humor comics. Frank Johnson's cover art captures the red-haired Li'l Genius in his polka-dot shorts, crouched in deep concentration near a puddle of oil and a garden hose, while a yellow-suited figure scrambles around a large vehicle in the background — the perfect setup for some classic small-but-clever mischief. It's the kind of cheerful, warm-hearted comic that reminds you why Charlton's humor titles had such an endearing charm in the late 1950s.