Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: American Comics Group, golden age, ogden whitney

Owen Fitzgerald Unleashed on ACG's Dizzy Dames, at Auction

A slapstick comedy title inspired by the likes of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Dizzy Dames features the work of animator Owen Fitzgerald.

The thing that makes Dizzy Dames noteworthy is that it features one of the most infamously weird characters in comics history from a publisher in American Comics Group, which was known for weird characters (see: Herbie). The ditzy but beautiful blonde Moronica first appeared in The Kilroys #8 in a story titled "The Nation's Nitwit" by the legendary Milt Gross. But that character and the lead feature duo called the Broadway Babes were drawn in this issue by Owen Fitzgerald.  The title featured the kind of physical, slapstick comedy (with an extra dose of beautiful women involved) that had been popularized during this period by the likes of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.  An underappreciated and notorious humor comic book, there are a few issues of Dizzy Dames up for auction in the 2024 June 16-18 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122425.

Owen Fitzgerald had worked as a Disney animator beginning in 1937, and began working for ACG in 1944. In addition to Dizzy Dames, he also worked on titles, including Starlet O'Hara for ACG. As a comic book artist, Fitzgerald would become best known for his DC Comics work which included The Adventures of Bob Hope, and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. He would also work on Dennis the Menace comic books for Hallden-Fawcett. Fitzgerald was a part of the Army Signal Corps WB animation unit which produced the Private SNAFU cartoons and would work as an animator for the likes of Fleischer, MGM, and Hanna-Barbera throughout his career.

Dizzy Dames #1 cover artist Ogden Whitney (1919-1975) was an underappreciated artist of the Golden Age and Silver Age of comic books. During his career, he worked for several publishers, including DC Comics, Marvel, ACG, Tower Comics, and Magazine Enterprises, and made his mark across a wide range of genres. His first known comic work was for DC Comics' Adventure Comics #42, on the feature In The Pit of Dagan. A short time later, he briefly took over the Sandman feature in the title.

But it was at American Comics Group (ACG) that Whitney really found his stride. While contributing art and covers for a variety of ACG titles, Whitney is most fondly remembered for his work on Adventures Into the Unknown and Forbidden Worlds. His most notable creation arrived in Forbidden Worlds #73 in the form of Herbie Popnecker, a young and unassuming kid who secretly held incredible power.

His most noteworthy work after ACG ended in 1967 was with Marvel Comics. He briefly became the artist of  Two-Gun Kid from issue #87 through its final issue in 1968.  He returned to the title briefly in 1972, with a story written by Marv Wolfman in issue #103 becoming his last known comics work.

Whitney was ACG's go-to cover artist no matter what the genre, and his charming work on Dizzy Dames #1 got the series off to an appropriate start.  A notorious classic humor series, there are a few issues of Dizzy Dames up for auction in the 2024 June 16-18 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122425.

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