Mutt & Jeff #13

Bud Fisher's beloved odd-couple duo tears across the Spring 1944 cover of this DC humor title in grand slapstick fashion — the tall, lanky Mutt and the tiny, top-hatted Jeff are riding in a bright red open-top automobile that has apparently just crashed straight through a wooden shed, leaving debris flying and a bystander throwing up his hands in the background. A chicken scrambles away from the smoking engine as Jeff defends himself with the immortal excuse, "Haven't got enough gas!!" — a gag that lands perfectly thanks to Sheldon Mayer's lively cover art. If you enjoy cheerful, laugh-out-loud comics cartooning from the early 1940s, this Spring issue is a delightful snapshot of the strip's enduring charm.