Kaaty Keene papaer dolls, illustrations, and archival interviews courtesy Bill Woggon Archive. Katy Keene is published by Archie Comics.
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Kaaty Keene papaer dolls, illustrations, and archival interviews courtesy Bill Woggon Archive. Katy Keene is published by Archie Comics.
Katy Keene
America's Pin Up Queen
first debuted in Archie comic books in 1945.
She was created by Bill Woggon
"Katy meant a way out of the
ordinary, everyday, humdrum activity
we knew as teens in the '50s.
We were known as the silent generation. Sending ideas and
designs to Bill Woggon was one way of saying something in an artistic
way that everyone could relate to."
Therese P. Crowley in Soho Weekly News, December 7, 1978
Woggon created Keene and based her
on real-life pin ups. She "moved"
to Hollywood in 1948 (when Woggon moved his family to California).
"What went over really good was when I let anyone who wanted a Katy pin up send in for a free Katy pin up.
Archie publications got a ton of mail . . . I drew a pin up, and every letter was answered . . . My daughter and wife helped open the mail. My son helped me with the inking on Katy Keene. It was one big family affiar."
Bill Woggon in Media Sight, Summer 1983
Paper dolls have always been a section of art both in design, printing, and the creativity of playing with them. Which brings me to Katy Keene. When you cared about your paper dolls and cared for them, you recognized any artist that produced the dolls with a similar care for beauty, style, and clothes that fitted. KK had fashions done by readers, sometimes given a special flair in Bill's re-drawing, but always either the kind we drew or wished we were able to draw for our paper dolls: creative, imitative of fashion and films and current events, far out and imaginative before either concept
was generally popular.
Lorraine Burdick, "A Paper Doll Fan Looks at Katy Keene"