Bid Smart: Betty Boop: Closing in on a century as a cartoon ‘It’ girl

This Don Dewa Zuni inlay shell and coral Betty Boop ring realized $200 plus the buyer’s premium in July 2021. Image courtesy of Billy The Kid Auction House and LiveAuctioneers.
This Don Dewa Zuni inlay shell and coral Betty Boop ring realized $200 plus the buyer’s premium in July 2021. Image courtesy of Billy The Kid Auction House and LiveAuctioneers.
This Don Dewa Zuni inlay shell and coral Betty Boop ring realized $200 plus the buyer’s premium in July 2021. Image courtesy of Billy The Kid Auction House and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — One of the earliest female animated characters, dubbed the “Queen of Cartoons,” is the unflappable Betty Boop. She has been a pop culture icon for decades, instantly recognizable for her large eyes framed with long lashes, curly hair and a button nose. Her most distinctive feature is her curvy figure that usually sports a dress short enough to expose a leg garter.

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