Betty Boop’s Secret Origin Story Is More Complicated Than Most Fans Realize

Betty Boop is one of those characters almost everyone recognizes, even if they have never actually watched one of her old cartoons. With her short black curls, big eyes, a tiny dress, and her famous “boop-oop-a-doop” tagline, she became one of the most recognizable animated figures of the 1930s. She is still fairly popular and doing meet-and-greets at Universal theme parks, and now Betty is getting another turn in the spotlight, with Quinta Brunson set to develop and star in a new Betty Boop feature film.

The project comes from Brunson’s Fifth Chance Productions, Mark Fleischer, and Fleischer Studios. Mark Fleischer is the grandson of Max Fleischer, whose studio helped create Betty nearly a century ago. Putting Betty Boop back in the spotlight has made us realize that her history is more complicated than we thought.