The Life and Times of Betty Boop: The 100-Year History of an Animated Icon Peter Benjaminson 9781493064281

Although Amazon.com is now selling more than 3,000 commercial products bearing Betty Boop's image, including calendars, tote bags, coffee mugs, and books about how young women can be more like Betty, no one has ever published a book about Betty herself.

The first biography of a major American cultural symbol ever written, Betty Boop: The Most Popular Female Comic Strip and Cartoon Character of All Time describes Betty Boop's incredibly active romantic and family life as revealed in her numerous comic strips, comic books, cartoons, and movies since 1930.

Award-winning author Peter Benjaminson details the creation of Betty Boop, based on two African American female entertainers who were the human models for Betty's character. He explores the many alterations of Betty's appearance, attitudes, and behavior over the years. Benjaminson also reveals the stories of the women who provided her with a speaking and singing voice, along with the backgrounds, intentions, and careers of Betty's numerous creators and animators.

Betty Boop indulges in the controversies surrounding the character, including her adventures with Felix the Cat (a four-year daily comic strip production).

Benjaminson illuminates social trends that have kept Betty popular for nearly a century, including her recent transition from a helpless sex object to a feminist icon and her massive popularity with young American women.

Before beginning his book-writing career, Peter worked as a reporter for twelve years for The Los Angeles Times, The Detroit Free Press, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Several hundred of his news and feature articles appeared in those publications. Later, he wrote longer articles that appeared in the print editions and/or on the websites of Rolling Stone, Detroit Magazine, Detroit Discovery Magazine, Atlanta Magazine, and several other periodicals.

As a freelance author, he has written one university press book and eight commercially published books. His books cover investigative reporting, newspapers, book publishing, government investigations, and pop music stars.