Boop-Oop-A-Doop
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years, particularly now that there seems to be a trend towards the blissful
nostalgia of characters from the past. And although she’s especially prominent
today, the fact is, from the moment she was penned by animator Grim Natwick she
has been attracting the attentions of fans all over the world. It’s interesting
that a character who was so racy for her time is now regarded as an icon of
American innocence – whose image can turn a run-of-the-mill item into a instant
collectible.
She first shimmied onto the scene in a 1930 cartoon from the
Fleischer Studios entitled “Dizzy Dishes,” a film that actually starred Betty’s
pal Bimbo (who would ultimately become better known for his supporting roles.)
Betty’s part was tiny – in fact, she hadn’t even been named yet – and
featured her as a canine cabaret singer with a Helen Kane voice and a Mae West
body. And it started a phenomenon. Over time, Betty lost her dog ears and
morphed into the familiarly vampy, trampy gal with hoop earrings – and by 1932,
she was a powerhouse of drama, music and comedy. The public went bananas over
her and couldn’t get enough of her wild – yet seemingly innocent – adventures.
With her pals Bimbo and Ko-ko, and later her pup Pudgy, in tow, Betty
found herself in over 100 animated films. And whether her skirt was flying up or
her top falling down, she was always implicated in some sort of risque hi-jinx
that challenged the moral climate of the day. It was only a matter of time
before the Hays Code of 1933 stepped in and insisted that Betty’s image be
significantly toned down. Soon enough, her garter had disappeared, her hemline
had dropped, and her roles had become decidedly more spinster-ish.
In
1934, however, Betty entered into the world of comic strips, which featured a
whole new lot of antics and a whole cast of characters never before seen. These
strips endured through 1937, and focused mostly on Betty’s plight as an actress
and her dealings with her mischievous little brother, Billy.
Excluding a
half-hour CBS musical special from 1985 entitled The Romance of Betty
Boop, Betty’s last film, “Yip, Yip, Yippy,” was released in 1939. And the
years since have treated her amazingly well. Though her costumes reflect the
times, her saucer-like eyes, pouty lips and spit-curls have remained the same.
Some popular collectible Betty items include Big Little Books, buttons,
postcards, and more recently, Wacky Wobblers.
Mendes-directed film <i>Road To Perdition</i>, the character of young Michael
Sullivan, son of Tom Hank’s lead character Michael Sullivan, Sr., spends a goodsults
in a future edition of <i>Scoop</i>!<br><br></div>
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al cartooning. They treat comic art as
an art form, but they also try not to lose sight of what attracts people to it
in the first place: it’s fun. For an <A
HREF=”http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=703&si=122”>interview
with <i>Hogan’s Alley</i> Editor Tom Heintjes</A>, check out this issue’s
Superstars.<br><br><i>Hogan’s Alley is available at comic shops, selected
bookstores and via subscription.</i><br><br></div>
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<div>One of the most eclectic magazines in comics fandom, the missi