Li'l Genius #5

A pint-sized inventor with a hammer is cheerfully hammering a nail into a box labeled "DYNAMITE" — much to the wide-eyed, arms-flailing horror of the poor kid in the yellow shirt behind him — and the cover of Li'l Genius #5 captures that wonderfully anarchic spirit of Charlton's humor line in 1959. Brought to life by cover artist Frank Johnson, the gag is pure slapstick gold, with the oblivious young genius completely in his element while chaos erupts around him. Rounding out the cover are five circular portraits spotlighting a roster of Charlton favorites — Black Fury, Wild Bill Hickok, Timmy the Timid Ghost, Freddy, and Masked Raider — making this a genuinely fun snapshot of what the publisher had on offer that year.