Izzy and Dizzy

 

 

Hi Guys!

Here's a little something for you from Ha Ha Comics number 45, published in September 1947!   Ha Ha was put out by the American Comics Group beginning in 1943.  These guys, better known as ACG, were also behind the world's first horror comic, Adventures into the Unknown, which came out in 1948!  That's beside the point, though.  Ha Ha was one of the most successful funny animal comics, with a print run that lasted more than ten years and almost 100 issues!

So today we've got a story about two bear cubs, Izzy and Dizzy.  Just flippin' through the pages, it looks like standard fare:  two mischievous furry kids get into various hijinks.  The end.  But on second look, there's a couple of curious things going on here.  

It seems that these two bears are in possession of a magic lamp!  How they got it is unknown and whether it's genuine or not is anybody's guess.  That being said, it seems to work for them.  The second odd thing is this sea-serpent!  That by itself is only just a little strange; after all, in comics, anything goes!   What's weird here is that the comic makes specific reference to this sea serpent appearing at Nantucket.  In funny animal comics, it's highly unusual to make mention of places in the real world!  

So I figured that there must have been some kind of sensational event concerning sea serpents and Nantucket back in the 1940s or 1930s.  It would have been something big and something that kids would have remembered.  And you know what?  I was right!

 

For the whole story, see: 

https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-nantucket-sea-serpent-hoax-1937

 

In the summer of 1937, these mysterious dinosaur-like footprints began to appear on the beach at Nantucket!  It made the papers and for a while it was a pretty big deal!  Then not too long after, this crazy giant sea-serpent balloon turned up.  The whole thing was a fake, orchestrated by famous puppeteer, Tony Sarg, who lived on Nantucket and just happened to have a tourist shop there.  Sarg also made balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  It was all in good fun and you can bet that it wasn't quickly forgotten!  I'm guessing that today's story is connected to Sarg's stunt, especially as it's never quite clear if Izzy and Dizzy's sea serpent is real or not.  

Anyhow, you can be the judge.  Check it out!

So there you have it!  This little tale sure raises some interesting philosophical questions about the nature of reality and existence, doesn't it?  And what about the moral of the story?  Is it wrong to lie to somebody in order to make them feel better?  Is it wrong to lie to somebody if they might not be real?  I dunno, but don't worry, there won't be any quizzes!  

OK guys, that's it for now; see you later!

 

Coming up:  more unreal weirdness from Ha Ha Comics!

 

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