Li'l Genius #8

Brought to you by Blue Bird Shoes, this 1960 Charlton gem finds Li'l Genius in a snowy winter scene — a tall, wide-eyed older boy in a red coat looks on in dismay while a smaller red-haired kid slides across the ice, knocking things every which way, with another figure ice-fishing cheerfully in the background. Along the bottom, a charming row of character portrait circles previews Black Fury, Six Gun, Timmy the (Ghost?), Freddy, and Masked Raider, making this a delightful sampler of Charlton's kid and adventure roster. At a dime a copy, issue #8 captures the loose, warm energy of early '60s all-ages comics with Frank Johnson's lively linework on full display.