The Friendly Ghost, Casper #40

Harvey Comics serves up another charming dose of Casper's good-natured misadventures in this December 1961 issue. The cover says it all — poor Casper sits on a red mat, soaking wet with a fishbowl tumbled over his head, a goldfish somehow swimming right through his ghostly midsection, and an overturned fish net lying in a puddle nearby; his sad little expression perfectly captures the spirit of the interior story, "Mr. Bad Luck." It's a wonderfully expressive piece of 1961 Harvey humor that reminds you why Casper's gentle, put-upon charm won over so many young readers.