Betty Boop Metal Sign

For fans attracted to the more nostalgic and vintage side of Betty Boop, this collector metal sign is a treat. It's by Desperate Enterprises, Inc. and is supposed to be a duplication of an original from way back when (though I'm not sure how far back), with its damage and flaws recreated. It definitely captures Betty's chipper spirit and is something I'd expect to see in a '50s style diner. I didn't notice at first, but the background contains Betty comic strips, which are from a series of full color Sunday newspaper comic strips, drawn by Bud Counihan, produced and printed from November 25th, 1934 to November 27th, 1937.

What struck me when I first saw this metal sign is that I had never seen this Betty artwork before. There's a lot of stock artwork of Betty, but this image of her in what appears to be a giddy mood is quite unique and reminds me of the classic Betty cartoon Ha! Ha! Ha! (1934), where Betty and Koko the Clown (sadly his last appearance), as well as various inanimate objects and people on the streets, get hopped-up on laughing gas. This particular episode was supposedly banned at one point in time for its depiction of drug use.

From Ha! Ha! Ha! (1934)