The Forgotten Man Responsible for Betty Boop Riches

I was so pleased to read in the Oct. 26 Business section (“The Boop-Meister Is Still Booming”) that Betty Boop continues to glean large commercialization profits for King Features Syndicate. What a pity King Features never felt compelled to share just a crumb of the wealth with Betty’s creator, Myron (Grim) Natwick.

Grim created Betty Boop as a contract artist for Fleischer Studios. He animated most of her earliest films and was the key creative force in making her a globally known character.

Betty Boop kept the Fleischer Studio financially stable during the worst years of the Great Depression and made the Fleischer family wealthy. Throughout her 63 years of existence, nearly everyone who has ever handled the character has made money, except the artist who created her. To this very moment, King Features Syndicate continues to reap the harvest of Grim Natwick’s talent in the commercialization of Betty Boop.

Two years ago, Grim Natwick died at age 100. He was living in a small, one-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica provided by an old admirer.

As the article stated, some things never go out of fashion. Betty Boop is one of them. Corporate vampirism on great talents such as Grim Natwick is another.

JOHN PROVINCE

Spring Valley, Calif.