Li'l Genius #3

Li'l Genius #3 is a sunny slice of 1959 Charlton humor, with the cover delivering an irresistible gag: the red-headed Li'l Genius has apparently "helped" an older kid into a chair so thoroughly bandaged that only his snoozing face peeks out, a box of bandages and a first aid kit nearby as evidence of the little guy's handiwork. The bright yellow background and cheerful cartoon style set the perfect tone for the story inside, "Hardly Helpful." Presented by R&S Shoe Store under the Blue Bird Comics banner, this issue also spotlights a fun lineup of circular character portraits along the bottom — Black Fury, Wild Bill Hickok, Timmy the Timid Ghost, Freddy, and the Masked Raider — making it a lively sampler of Charlton's 1959 roster.