The PopCult Bookshelf Extra

Greg Theakston is one of the world’s foremost authorities on iconic pin-up queen, Bettie Page. Aside from tht, he’s had a very successful career as an illustrator and painter who’s worked with Jack Kirby, Bob Kane and Neal Adams, among many others.  Beginning in the late 1980s Theakston made a name for himself as the publisher and editor of The Betty Pages, a magazine devoted to Bettie Page.

Now, twenty years after he last wrote about her, Theakston is preparing Bettie Page: Lost and Found, which should be the definitive word on one of the most beautiful women of the twentieth century. An IndieGogo campaign is underway to raise the funds for Theakston to finish and publish this book.

From the campaign page, Theakston elaborates on the book:

“In 1987, I began my search for the missing Pin-up Queen. For the next seven years I tracked down the people who knew her and eventually Bettie herself. The culmination was an extensive Page interview in “The Betty Pages Annual V.2” and there didn’t seem to be anything more to tell on the subject, so I discontinued the title. Bettie’s legend continued to grow and her fame reached all corners of the Earth. Even though I stopped writing about her, our relationship continued and we spoke often. Almost all of our conversations were recorded (with her permission) and I have hours of her observations about life and her new-found fame. I also stayed in touch with most of the major players in the story and continued to discover details I’d missed the first time around. Almost thirty years after I started, I’m satisfied that the research is complete and I am about to write my final book on the Queen of Curves. With the death of Harry Lear, her last husband, nothing I write can hurt Bettie and her friends: they have all passed. There are stories that I had discovered while I was publishing “The Betty Pages” that I refused to tell and stories I’ve learned since then that are eye-opening. Since nobody can be hurt, I’m ready to tell the full story.”

There’s just under three weeks left in the campaign, and a long way to go, but Theakston promises that all contributors will get a copy of the book. If he falls short of his goal, it may take longer, but if he raises enough money the book should be ready next June.

The true, full story of Bettie Page remains one of the great untold tales of pop culture. A pin-up model, ubiquitous in the 1950s, who suddenly, seemingly fell off the face of the Earth only to be thrust in the spotlight three decades later thanks to her image resurfacing due to loyal fans, retro-cultists and her image being used in comic books. Theakston’s book promises to reveal everything there is to know about one of the most mysterious and alluring women in the world.

You can support this project and secure a copy of Bettie Page: Lost and Found by contributing at the link in the widget below. You can visit the book’s Facebook page for more information.

Claification note: Throughout her career, Ms. Page was billed as either “Betty” or “Bettie.” Either use is acceptable.