Li'l Genius #39

Li'l Genius is at it again — on this July 1962 Charlton cover by Jon D'Agostino, the pint-sized inventor in a space helmet cheerfully holds a lit match near a rocket labeled "Moon or Bust," which is suspended upside-down from a wooden crane while a horrified kid in the background throws up their hands and shouts "Oh, Nooo...!" The fuse is already sparking with a dramatic "FZZZZZZ!" suggesting the launch — or disaster — is mere seconds away. It's a wonderfully chaotic snapshot of childhood ambition run delightfully amok, perfectly capturing the warm, slapstick humor that made Li'l Genius a Charlton favorite.