Betty Boop debuts 1930

Betty Boop made her first appearance in Dizzy Dishes, August 9, 1930. She was created by at Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures.  Between 1930 and 1939, she was featured in 90 cartoons. Mae Questel provided the voice of Betty from 1931 on and she recreated the voice for Betty Boop in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

In 2002, she was ranked #17 in TV Guide's 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time

Celebrating Black History Month: "Baby" Esther Jones, the real Betty Boop

Esther Jones, stage name "Baby Esther" was an African-American singer/entertainer in the late 1920s, performing at places such as the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York. She is credited for being the inspiration for Betty Boop.  Jones was known for her 'baby' style of singing.

.In August 1930, animator Max Fleischer introduced Betty Boop in a cartoon Dizzy Dishes. Initially, singer Helen Kane (who is white) sued, claiming that Fleischer Studios had stolen her act to create Betty Boop.  The results of the suit found that Kane had actually stolen her act from Baby Esther.