True Comics #60

From Joseph Grimaldi's early pantomime to the great circus clowns of America, this story traces how jesters evolved into the beloved entertainers who've made audiences roar with laughter for generations. Meet the pioneers—George Washington Lafayette Fox, whose "Humpty Dumpty" became legendary; Dan Rice, who commanded the nation's stages and even advised President Lincoln; and Frank "Slivers" Oakley, whose one-man baseball act became a sensation—plus discover how modern clowns like Emmet Kelley continue the proud tradition under the big top.

When the Nazis invaded Holland, Patricia van Delden and her husband secretly returned home and began organizing resistance work—until a neighbor's betrayal tore them apart and left her determined to continue the fight under an assumed name. Operating as "Sonneveer," she became a crucial figure in the Dutch underground, orchestrating daring operations from coordinating agents to distributing vital supplies while constantly evading the Gestapo's pursuit. This true story chronicles her five-year struggle to outwit the occupation and aid the Allied cause from within Nazi-controlled territory.

During World War I, Lieutenant Frank Luke earns a reputation for audacity by attempting a dangerous new tactic against heavily guarded German observation balloons—diving straight at them instead of engaging from a distance. With help from fellow pilot Joe Wehner, Luke scores his first balloon kill and gains the confidence to pursue more, downing eleven additional balloons in just six days and becoming an overnight hero.

Wilbur Shaw dreamed of racing at the Indianapolis Speedway from his boyhood spent in the track's pits, and though early crashes and setbacks nearly derailed his ambition, he refused to abandon his vision—building cars from salvaged parts and grinding through dirt-track races until he finally earned his shot at the big time. This true chronicle follows Shaw's rise from a determined kid with a junk heap to a three-time winner of the legendary 500-Mile Race, a triumph that eventually led him to the speedway's front office.

Meet Butch, a 240-pound St. Bernard who's chosen the carefree life of Glen Clove's most beloved vagrant over the comfort of his owner's home—preferring raw steaks, movie theater naps, and the open road to luxury. When Butch's owner prepares to leave town, the community rallies to ensure their unofficial four-legged mayor can stay exactly where he wants to be. It's a warm true tale about a dog who found his own kind of freedom in the heart of a small town.

From Spanish settlement to modern metropolis, "Los Angeles" traces how a small frontier town transformed into one of America's greatest cities through shrewd infrastructure projects, natural advantages, and booming industries. Discover the key decisions—building a massive port, piping water from the Sierras, and the fortunate arrival of the movie industry—that turned Los Angeles into a sprawling center of film, oil, manufacturing, and tourism by 1947.

In 1870s Virginia City, Nevada, the easygoing miner "Bummer" Dan McFadden earns his nickname by steering clear of hard work—until townspeople force him to dig on a desolate sandbar as punishment for his laziness. What begins as a cruel joke becomes something far more valuable when "Bummer" strikes gold, transforming the fortunes of the entire mining camp. True to form, our protagonist cares far less about wealth than he does about his beloved pies.

When Roman conquerors drag Richard from England to a gladiator school in 52 B.C., he's forced into brutal training to fight for his life in the arena—and the only path to freedom is victory. Faced with a skilled opponent in a deadly combat, Richard must confront an impossible choice while crowds hunger for blood. A historical story of survival in ancient Rome's most vicious spectacle, set against the backdrop of a sport that would eventually fall to religious reform centuries later.