The Comics Kingdom site tells us that this book was released this week:
The Definitive Guide to Betty Boop: The Classic Comic Strip Collection, with an introduction by Brian Walker
Note: Max Fleischer’s animated character is here represented as she appeared in the funny pages of daily newspapers in the 1930s. So, somewhat tamed down from the adult-directed animated features.
From Wikipedia:
Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in comic strips and mass merchandising.
A caricature of a Jazz age flapper, Betty Boop was described in a 1934 court case as: “combin[ing] in appearance the childish with the sophisticated — a large round baby face with big eyes and a nose like a button, framed in a somewhat careful coiffure, with a very small body of which perhaps the leading characteristic is the most self-confident little bust imaginable.”
A feature from 1932, Boop-Oop-A-Doop, in which Betty is sexually harassed by the ringmaster of a circus she’s performing in, can be viewed here.
From Walker’s intro:
Betty Boop is the foremost leading lady in the history of animation. She is unique in that she is not defined by her relationship to a male character, like Minnie Mouse or Olive Oyl. Although many potential suitors romanced her over the years, she never tied the knot. Betty Boop continues to captivate admirers around the world as a resolutely independent woman.
On the Fleischer studio, it’s treated in one section of this 10/9/14 posting.
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