BETTY BOOP’S RISE TO FAME
It’s true - the first truly female animated star began her career as a dog. She was originally created as a feminine canine foil to play opposite Bimbo, a diminutive dog who had been the Fleischer Studios’ answer to Mickey Mouse before Betty came along. But even in her first appearance in “Dizzy Dishes,” the as-yet unnamed character clearly possessed uniquely feminine charms never before seen in cartoons - and only rarely attempted since.
Betty continued to evolve in the Fleischer “Talkartoon” series, and by the time “Any Rags” was released in 1932, her floppy dog’s ears had evolved into earrings, and the world’s first truly female cartoon star was fully formed. There had been female characters before Betty Boop, but by all accounts her predecessors were more or less stick-like figures in pumps who played second fiddle to male characters.
Eventually, the popularity of Betty’s baby face, little-girl voice, independent attitude and womanly charms proved powerful enough for her to star in a cartoon series of her own. Interestingly, even after Betty evolved into a human and hit the big time, Bimbo continued to appear as her nominal boyfriend, despite the fact that he remained a dog throughout his career.