Betty Boop is an iconic figure that will endure through the decades. Recognizable from cartoons and film shorts, she can be found adorning almost everything from motorcycle merchandise to household items and clothing. Just about anything you can think of, her sexy little figure can be seen on it. But few people know the voice that helped make her into the icon she is.Mae Questel was an American actress and vocal artist who put the boop in the boop boop a doop. It was because of Mae Questel that Betty Boop has a characteristic voice heard and remembered by millions. Historian James D. Taylor provides a look into the life of a wonderful woman and the contributions she made to American pop culture. She was dedicated to her work and remained active until the last ten years of her long life.Woody Allen, Lou Hirsch, Doris Roberts and Bob Newhart shared their accounts of Mae Questel with the author, and he listened to hundreds of hours of old audio recordings and viewed many hours of film to accumulate material for this biography. With every hour, he says, his respect grew for this admirable and talented woman who entertained millions of people.

Max Fleischer (1883–1972) was for years considered Walt Disney’s only real rival in the world of cartoon animation. The man behind the creation of such legendary characters as Betty Boop and the animation of Popeye the Sailor and Superman, Fleischer asserted himself as a major player in the development of Hollywood entertainment. Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution is a vivid portrait of the life and world of a man who shaped the look of cartoon animation. Also interested in technical innovation, Fleischer invented the rotoscope—a device that helped track live action and allowed his cartoons to revolutionize the way animated characters appeared and moved on-screen. In the 1920s, Fleischer created a series of “Out of the Inkwell” films, which led to a deal with Paramount. Their character KoKo the Clown introduced new animation effects by growing out of Fleischer’s pen on-screen. As the sound revolution hit film, the studio produced shorts featuring the characters interacting with songs and with the now-famous bouncing ball that dances across lyrics projected on the screen. Max Fleischer’s story is also one of a creative genius struggling to fit in with the changing culture of golden age cinema. Out of the Inkwell captures the twists and turns, the triumphs and disappointments, and most of all the breathless energy of a life vibrantly lived in the world of animation magic.

The Fleischer brothers, Max and Dave, were animation pioneers. Creators of Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, and the Bouncing Ball, they also brought Popeye the Sailor Man to the screen and produced the first feature-length animated cartoon—on the theory of relativity! Max invented the Rotoscope and for a while the brothers kept pace with Disney in performance and profit. But after 1942 the studio closed and their films vanished. What happened and how they developed are examined for the first time in this work—for many years out of print and a collector's item. It is here, updated and enlarged with hundreds of sketches and storyboard layouts where these classic cartoons can once again receive the attention and adulation they deserve.

The semi-autobiographical, riotous account of stage-struck young David Kolowitz, originated on Broadway by Alan Arkin, working as a delivery boy in a sewing machine factory. Denying his parent's wishes for a druggist in the family, he leaves their dreams and his devoted girlfriend Wanda behind and is soon enlisted (and paying for) a slot as the "leading man" in a third-rate theatrical company while being vamped by the resident less-than leading lady, the daughter of the hammy "artistic director.

Award-winning voice actress Cheryl Chase gives life to the globally popular animated character, Angelica Pickles on Rugrats. Her debut children's picture book, That's Coola, Talulah is as adorable as it is mischievous. This whimsical, wee tale of true friendship comes to dazzling life in Giulia Iacopini's enchanting illustrations. Ever wonder what your favorite lovey would do if you let them be in charge of playtime? Imagine being the fairiest of fairy princesses, the unicorniest unicorns, or tea party hostesses with the mostesses. Seeing is believing in this carefree romp of freedom and fun, featuring Stella Bella and her lively doll, Tallulah. They are inseparable playmates who get into all sorts of mischief. In the middle of the pair's high jinks, though, Stella Bella's conscience always leads her the right way-until its tea time and the cookie jar gets broken. When Mommy discovers the mess, uh oh, the two are separated. Will Stella Bella and Tallulah ever be able to play together again?

The history of animated cartoons has for decades been dominated by the accomplishments of Walt Disney, giving the impression that he invented the medium. In reality, it was the work of several pioneers. Max Fleischer--inventor of the Rotoscope technique of tracing animation frame by frame over live-action footage--was one of the most prominent. By the 1930s, Fleischer and Disney were the leading producers of animated films but took opposite approaches. Where Disney reflected a Midwestern sentimentality, Fleischer presented a sophisticated urban attitude with elements of German Expressionism and organic progression. In contrast to Disney's naturalistic animation, Fleischer's violated physical laws, supporting his maxim: "If it can be done in real life, it isn't animation." As a result, Fleischer's cartoons were rough rather than refined, commercial rather than consciously artistic--yet attained a distinctive artistry through Fleischer's innovations. This book covers his life and work and the history of the studio that bore his name, with previously unpublished artwork and photographs.