Top Notch Laugh Comics #34

This March 1943 MLJ/Archie humor anthology bills itself as "America's Funniest Joke Book," and Red Holmdale's cover delivers on that promise with a wonderfully chaotic scene — a caped figure in a yellow-and-blue costume winds up a spinning punch at a startled shirtless man, while a blonde teenager in a yellow shirt scrambles out of the way and a crowd of wide-eyed, cartoonishly expressive onlookers peers over a giant red circle in the background. The energy is loose and playful, perfectly capturing the slapstick spirit that made these wartime humor comics such a welcome escape. Inside, Sam Cooper contributes the artwork, rounding out a package that's equal parts superhero absurdity and laugh-out-loud comedy.