In the golden era of early animation, few characters captured the public’s imagination quite like Betty Boop, the flapper icon known for her signature “boop-a-doop” catchphrase and playful antics. This 1932 newspaper article from the Brownsville Herald offers a charming behind-the-scenes glimpse into the voices and talents that brought Betty to life, highlighting the unsung performers who lent their skills to Max Fleischer’s groundbreaking cartoons. Written by Gilbert Swan, it reveals the human elements behind the ink and celluloid, from voice actress Mae Questel to sound effects wizard Cookie Barrows.
https://humblymybrain.substack.com/p/behind-the-boop-the-unsung-voices
When the Charms Candy Company teetered on the brink of bankruptcy after a massive sugar market crash, it was the rebellious flappers—with their bold style and unstoppable craving for lollipops—who unexpectedly saved the day and preserved an iconic candy legacy. Discover how these trailblazing women turned a simple treat into a business lifesaver, paving the way for future favorites like the Blow Pop. If you love hidden history, vintage vibes, and feel-good underdog tales, this episode is pure sugar-coated fun!
Substack article link: https://humblymybrain.substack.com/p/the-flappers-love-for-lollipops-saved
In the mid-19th century, American newspapers often featured colorful anecdotes from police courts, blending humor, social commentary, and cautionary tales about everyday life. This piece from the Sunday Dispatch, published in New York in 1852, exemplifies the era’s satirical take on romance and marriage. Drawing from a supposed real-life account, it warns against hasty unions driven by idealized notions of love, highlighting the perils of mismatched expectations in a time when economic stability often trumped affection.
https://humblymybrain.substack.com/p/marry-for-love-a-hilarious-1852-cautionary
In the late 19th century, tales of maritime disasters often blended the harsh realities of seafaring life with elements of the supernatural, capturing the imaginations of readers in an era when ships were the lifelines of global trade. The story of the Alfred D. Snow, a majestic clipper ship lost to the treacherous Irish coast in 1887, stands out not just for its tragic end but for the eerie premonitions and ghostly apparitions that reportedly haunted its final voyage. Drawing from a contemporary newspaper account, this historic article recounts a chilling sequence of events involving a prophetic dream, a suicide, and spectral sightings that seemed to foretell the vessel’s doom.
https://humblymybrain.substack.com/p/the-haunting-voyage-of-the-alfred
