Uncle John's Crazy Town: Bimbo Playing Cards

Friday, May 2, 2008

Bimbo Playing Cards

What always used to drive me crazy was what exactly was on the face of the Betty Boop/Bimbo playing cards which were licensed by the Fleischer Studios in the 30's. Basically no ebay seller ever shows the faces (two of diamonds, ace of spades etc.) when they come up for auction. So here I solve the mystery: they are just ordinary playing cards except for the image on the back. I have posted the back and front of the joker which is about as (not too) interesting as it gets.

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"During the span of years from 1914, I have made efforts to retain the "cartoony" effect. That is, I did not welcome the trend of the industry to go "arty". It was, and still is, my opinion that a cartoon should represent, in simple form, the cartoonist's mental expression. In other words the "animated oil painting" has taken the place of the flashiness and delightfulness of the simple cartoon.

In my opinion, the industry must pull back. Pull away from the tendencies toward realism. It must stay in it's own backyard of "The Cartoonist's Cartoon." The cartoon must be a portrayal of the expression of the true cartoonist, in simple, unhampered cartoon style. The true cartoon is a great art in it's own right. It does not need the assistance or support of "Artiness." In fact, it is actually hampered by it." - Max Fleischer