Dynamite Entertainment has just announced that the iconic pinup queen Bettie Page is returning to comic book form! Over 60 years ago, Page lit the pop culture world on fire, now she’s bringing the heat this summer in Bettie Page #1. Leading the series is writer David Avallone (Doc Savage: The Ring of Fire) and artist Colton Worely (Project Superpowers: Blackcross).
In this latest retelling, Page is out-vamping Vampirella, while remaining sweeter than Honey West. She puts the mod in model, and the bangs in bang-bang. The world will finally know the truth: her classified adventures as an undercover operative back in 1951 Hollywood have officially been declassified.
“Like a lot of people my age, I ‘discovered’ Bettie Page through comics, when Dave Stevens used her to inspire the ingénue starlet of The Rocketeer. She’s such a compelling, iconic figure, with such a fascinating life story, that I was thrilled when Dynamite Senior Editor Joe Rybandt asked me if I could build a comic book miniseries around her. After a lot of research into the life and times of Bettie, I chose to put her in Hollywood at the start of the ’50s and the beginning of her modeling career. It’s all fictional, of course, but it’s built on some corners of her real biography, and the real history of the time. I hope I’ve made my fictional Bettie as funny, as sweet, as sharp, as tough, and as delightful as the real one,” said Avallone.
“It’s just a fun, kooky story. Fun characters, a crazy story, and oh, hey, it stars Bettie Page. What's not to like?” added Worely.
“Creating a compelling narrative for Bettie Page was a bit of a challenge; we wanted to embrace the setting, the time, and add something extra to it, but weren't quite sure what. Enter David Avallone who nailed the tone, spirit, and overall adventure we wanted, and which Bettie truly deserves,” Dynamite Entertainment Executive Editor Joseph Rybandt said.
Ever since her debut in the 1980s – when Dave Stevens based the Rocketeer’s girlfriend, Betty, on the iconic leading lady – Page has been a staple in the comic world. Previously, Page has been seen in the anthology series from Black Cat Comics, a limited pinup series, and in Dark Horse’s Bettie Page Comics written and illustrated by Jim Silke.
The debut issue of Bettie Page features a wide selection of cover variants. The cover artwork features the talents of Terry Dodson (Wonder Woman), interior artist Worley, Joseph Michael Linsner (Harley Quinn), and Scott Chantler (Two Generals). Limited variant editions in black and white and virgin art formats are also available as retailer incentives for comic shops. There will also be a limited edition black bag edition, reminiscent of the pinup star’s era.
Bettie Page #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ May 2017 PREVIEWS catalog, slated for release in July. Bettie Page will also be available for individual customer purchase through Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.
