Button 009: Famous Cartoonist Leslie Cabarga (Betty Boop)

Famous Cartoonist Button 09

Leslie Cabarga. Cabarga's varied art career has taken him from underground comix (Comix Book, Snarf, Dope Comix) to record albums and magazine illustration. He has also created and marketed many distinctive type fonts. But he is probably best known as being the contemporary interpreter of Betty Boop. Cabarga has produced the definitive images for several Betty Boop signs, the Paper Moon greeting cards, and numerous other Boop products. He also authored and designed The Fleischer Story, a history of the studio that created the classic 30s and 40s Betty Boop, Popeye and Superman animated cartoons, Cabarga has authored numerous other books on vintage letterheads, typography, and classic design. His father was Will Eisner's art director during Eisner's publishing career.

Pinback Jack issued this "Famous Cartoonist Series" of self-portrait buttons back in 1975. All of the participating cartoonists were alive and created self-portraits specifically for this button set. With very few exceptions, the images have not appeared elsewhere in print. The buttons were distributed by Krupp Comic Works and Phil Seuling. This set was originally announced as 52 buttons, and the alphabetical numbering reflects that. However, two artists (Neal Adams and Rick Meyerowitz) turned in their self-portraits late, after the first 52 had already been designed. They were included in the set, but numbered 53 and 54 respectively, out of alphabetical sequence. Steve Krupp's Curio Shoppe is now the exclusive source of the remaining limited inventory.

All the color buttons in this set are metal with clear celluloid covers, are 2.25 inches in diameter, and have "safety" pinbacks. This button is listed for sale as an individual, but we do offer the complete set as well.