Katy Keene

Kate Keene, the Archie comic creation of Bill Woggon, was born into the comic world in the 1945. I didn't discover her until the 1980's when she made a short lived comeback. I remember buying her comic books at Doug and Mary's Red Owl and reading them all right at the rack while my mom shopped for groceries. I've been trying to find info online about this fashion comic that I loved so much but it's a bit sparse. Here's a page from the 50's.

For those of you who never knew Katy, she was a fashion model and lived an exciting glamorous life. There were other characters too. of course. At the end of every comic book there was a page of paper dolls and as I've read wise people didn't CUT theirs out. I wasn't so wise. As a ten year old I didn't have the eye of a collector hoping to cash in one day. Instead I actually played with these. And I still have them today stored in envelopes and labeled with the themes. If I remember correctly people sent in designs and they printed them in the comic as paper dolls. It's a bit like Project Runway only on paper.

Check out these great 80s looks!

Now I understand that Archie Comics is reviving Katy once again and giving her a new look (a bit like our poor little Strawberry Shortcake... only Katy can look modern and get away with it, I think) Here's the new look.




And just because I found these online I have to share them too. There is a charm to this comic book fashion stuff that appeals to the 10 year old bit of me that is still alive somewhere inside and even the me of today. Sure, I'm not about to play with paper dolls (too much work, if you ask me), but I do find pleasure in the nostalgia of something that I once loved so much.