The sexual revolution... in cartoon form
Seventy-five years before the Spice Girls coined the term girl power, Betty Boop struck a blow for just such a cause. Ever since, cartoons and animations have challenged our traditional perceptions of femininity, says Stephen Garner.
From Betty Boop to Lara Croft - every generation alive today has grown up with subversive animated female characters and comic book heroines.
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Many of these creations, often idealised and oversexed, have challenged stereotypes of how "good girls" should look and behave and have proved an important and useful catalyst effecting change in women's battle for equal rights.
Over the years artists have created strong assertive women that have appealed to both sexes.
 With a figure that stopped traffic, Rabbit won a legion of male fans (PIC: DISNEY) |
Frequently topping the polls as the greatest female cartoon character and celebrating her 20th anniversary this year is Jessica Rabbit, the animated femme fatale of the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, who risks all to help her man. Rabbit was about as sexy as a cartoon character could be, but a look at some of her predecessors and their trademark devices shows that every creation had their own unique appeal.
Betty Boop was the first character in animation history to fully represent a sexual woman. She regularly wore short dresses, high heels and a garter belt and was an object of affection for many men.
 Betty Boop had censors scratching their heads in frustration |
Created by Grim Natwick for the Fleischer Studios, Betty Boop's effortless style, wide-eyed innocence and charm took the world by storm.
But her cartoons were often considered to be risqu
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