Bettie Page Returns To Comics With New Murder Mystery Series
by James Ferguson
After traveling through dimensions and battling Lovecraftian monsters, Bettie Page is looking for a break. Dynamite has announced a new series starring the pin-up in an alternate history tale that makes her a suspect for murder. Written by Karla Pacheco, illustrated by Vincenzo Federici, colored by Rebecca Nalty, and lettered by Becca Carey, the new comic kicks off in June 2020.
Writer Karla Pacheco says:
Bettie Page has always been a huge idol for me. Not just for her iconic style, but the way she brought such a sense of joy and delight to her performances and sensuality. We’re taking Bettie Page’s amazing spirit, and imagining a timeline where she was finally given the chance to reach her full potential as a star – even though it’s far from smooth sailing! We’ve got twists, turns, secrets and lies – the whole shebang! Plus we have Vincenzo, Rebecca and Becca all coming together to create a drop-dead gorgeous, colorful dream of a book! It’s brassy, bold, (frequently criminal) fun, and I think it’s going to be a really exciting adventure for both readers and “our” Bettie.
The comic picks up with Bettie moving from New York to Hollywood around 1954. She’s moved to more minor acting work with theater success and bit parts in B-movies. While she navigates the swamp of producers, perps, pumps, and pushers in La La Land, she has to wonder if she finds trouble or if trouble finds her. After signing on for a supporting role in a “tastefully sensual” fantasy film set on a tropical island, she finds herself in a new environment and a colorful cast of characters…until someone is murdered and a massive storm hits.
Artist Vincenzo Federici added
Being on this book is simply… incredible! When I was a teen, I totally fell in love with Bettie as an icon. Now I have the opportunity to work on her stories and with Karla, one of the coolest writers in the industry! I know it will be a challenge because we have a lot of characters and maybe a lot of elephants (Karla says!), but I’m taking inspiration from my idol Alan Davis, a master in stories full of characters. It’s super fun – guaranteed!
Bettie Page #1 will feature an array of variant covers including work from Junggeun Yoon, Kano, Joseph Michael Linsner, and Stephen Mooney. It will also feature Riki Le Cotey in a cospay cover and Bettie herself in two photo cover variants (one nice and one naughty).
Colorist Rebecca Nalty says:
I’m extremely excited to join on this new adventure with Bettie. She’s had a major influence on pop culture for decades, but it’s in both her image of pure, confident sexuality and the reality of her real life personal struggles where I think the world found our love for this woman who broke all the rules to be herself.
Bettie Page pulls inspiration from Hammett and Chandler novels, vintage Look magazines, classic episodes of Murder She Wrote, old Hollywood gossip rags, and even Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke’s Catwoman.
Editor Nate Cosby added:
Who doesn’t love a whodunnit? The team has concocted a killer conceit and is knocking it out of the park. If you loved Knives Out, you’re gonna adore this!
Bettie Page #1 is set for release in June 2020.
