Leslie Cabarga.

Many people under the age of 40 who've heard of Betty Boop probably know about her because of Leslie Cabarga. While in his mid-teens, Leslie researched, wrote and designed the definitive book on the Max Fleischer Studios (The Fleischer Story, Perseus Press), which has seen two editions and has been in print for 25 years. The book helped bring about a Betty Boop revival — and a marketing bonanza for the Fleischer heirs and King Features. Leslie proceeded to paint more than 50 Betty Boop greeting cards, design the first Boop ceramics lines and see his Betty Boop art become ubiquitous on various product lines. But there's much more to Leslie Cabarga than Helen Kane's cartoon look-alike, as you'll see.

At the time of our interview, Leslie Cabarga had just returned to the United States from a European tour. Coincidentally, so had I.

* * *

Will Ryan: Haven't I seen you somewhere before?

Leslie Cabarga: Quite possibly you saw me in Munich, Prague, Nice, Cannes, Paris and Edinburgh. I was playing second ukulele with the Hollywood Cartoon Band. I only know three chords but it's enough. I mean, even Mozart never really used more than three chords.

WR: I guess I didn't recognize you without your uke. Say, how was the tour, anyway?

LC: Well, you should know -- you were playing first uke.

WR: Oh yeah, I thought I looked familiar.

LC: They didn't "get" us in Prague, if you know what I mean, but they loved us at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.

WR: You mean, they didn't throw anything?

LC: Nothing you couldn't make a decent fruit salad out of.

WR: Thrifty, those Scots! And speaking of non-sequiturs, a few years ago I was working on the G. I. Joe animated series and met a kid who tried to tell me his name was Rudy Zamora. That ever happen to you?

LC: Yeah, I worked for Rudy too. I did the background paintings for a Froot Loops commercial he was directing in San Francisco. His father, Rudy Zamora Sr., worked for the Fleischers so for me it was like deja vu all over again!