Li'l Genius #33

Jon D'Agostino's cover for this 1961 Charlton issue captures the boy inventor Li'l Genius in pure comedic form — headphones on and grinning with delight, he sweeps his homemade "Bone Detector" across the yard as it goes "Beep! Boop! Beep!", while an excited little dog is already ahead of him, happily slurping up the giant bone the gadget has unearthed. It's a perfectly timed gag that sums up the series' cheerful spirit: big ideas, small inventor, and a pup who doesn't need any fancy technology to find a snack. At a still-just-10-cents cover price, Li'l Genius #33 is a delightful slice of early-'60s all-ages comics fun.