With a new, exclusively curated exhibit, San Diego’s Comic-Con Museum is celebrating the more than 90-year legacy of Betty Boop, whose child-like voice and pin-curl hair won the hearts of adult audiences during the Great Depression era.
Now open to the public, “Becoming Betty Boop,” is a visual display of the history and success of the cartoon flapper, highlighting original drawings, costumes and merchandise dating from 1930 to present day.
Alongside the artwork, visitors can experience an interactive display featuring the eight voice actresses who portrayed Betty Boop on screen, and also view six original Betty Boop films in the theater next door. The exhibit takes viewers through a timeline that captures the rise to fame of Betty Boop — a cartoon character created by Max Fleisher — who is described by his studio as the “very first fully human and fully female animated film character.”
The exhibit not only illustrates Betty Boop’s evolution on the silver screen, but also examines her impact on feminism as a character that embraces her femininity and independence.
“From 1930 to 1936, she started out as a dog, morphed into a female character and then took on all these different personalities,” Comic-Con Museum Executive Director Rita Vandergaw said. “From being a sex symbol to a housewife, to someone who ran for president and flew an airplane, she did all kinds of things that women today still achieve and strive to do.”
The inspiration behind the collaboration with Fleischer Studios initially came from an exhibit team member who suggested it because her mother loved the character, according to Vandergaw. Since then, their team has worked closely with independent collectors and of the Fleischer family to curate a collection that tells Betty Boop’s story.
The Fleischer Studios’ archives, combined with the Comic-Con Museum’s graphic design and storytelling, create a unique experience for modern-day fans. Mark Fleischer oversaw the exhibition at the Comic-Con Museum as the official chairman and CEO of Fleischer Studios.
He was born into the family business and re watching his grandfather “Papa Max” run his animation studio as the creator of Betty Boop. Fleischer emphasizes how the exhibit not only captures Betty Boop in all her stages of development, but also how she drove a shift in culture, especially for women.
“It was a time of women in America becoming empowered, recognized and feeling their freedom. And Betty reflected that and led it,” Fleischer said. “In her cartoons, she was everything. She’s telling the story of not just women, but particularly women and empowerment, and that story is far from over.”
The Betty Boop exhibit will have a home at the Comic-Con Museum for the next year with tickets available for purchase either online or at the door. Each ticket will also grant guests access to explore the entire museum, which includes the main floor exhibit “POPnology: Yesterday’s Fantasy is Today’s Reality.”
For more information on ticket prices and available dates or times, visit their website here.
‘Becoming Betty Boop’
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, closed Wednesday
Where: Comic-Con Museum, 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego
Tickets: $12-$25, free ission for children ages five and below
Online: comic-con.org/museum/event/becoming-betty-boop/2024-06-27/
