Won't Somebody Think Of The Children?!?

I will bet you 70 zillion dollars that this was how the Circus Of Crime got it's start:

Ah, heck, it's just a fairly innocuous giveaway comic for hardware and appliance stores. But you can be sure that Maynard Tiboldt saw this and thought, "Hey, you know..."

It's actually a fun little book, with lots of fun advice on how kids can do the costumes and many of the various sideshow acts:

And...

...and...

Of course, it was all a ploy to help move appliances:

Geez, lady, how much food can you stuff into that fridge?

Ringmaster's Guide is from 1956