Li'l Genius #9

Sponsored by Blue Bird Shoes, this 1960 Charlton charmer features cover art by Frank Johnson showing the round-headed, beret-wearing Li'l Genius gleefully painting his own doodles — a sailboat, a stick-figure labeled "DAD" — directly onto a fence wall while a flustered adult balances on a stepladder trying to paint over the mess. Rounding out the cover are five circular portraits spotlighting Black Fury, Six Gun Heroes, Timmy the Timid Ghost, Freddy, and the Masked Raider, hinting at the variety packed inside this Blue Bird Comics offering. At just a dime, it's a delightful snapshot of early 1960s all-ages humor comics done with real wit and warmth.