Betty by Gary Delainey and Gerry Rasmussen

Gary Delainey writes and Gerry Rasmussen draws, and together this cartooning duo from Alberta, Canada creates Betty, a smart, savvy comic character who is unapologetically ordinary, happy and female.

Delainey and Rasmussen first met as senior high school students in a local art competition, and their paths crossed again the following fall, when they each enrolled in the Fine Arts program at the University of Alberta. Though they studied painting, they quickly found doing comics for the campus paper more to their taste. They collaborated on their first comic strip, "Bub Slug," in 1976. "That was our real education," says Rasmussen, "doing work, seeing it in print and getting feedback right away." Betty was born during this time, making her first appearance holding a dead parrot. Betty reappeared in print in 1985, when the collaborators approached the Edmonton Journal with a full-page weekly comic version of "Bub Slug." The feature ran for four and a half years in the Journal, developing a huge following. Delainey and Rasmussen began creating Betty in 1991.

Rasmussen lives with his wife, their son and their dog. Delainey lives with his wife, their daughter and their cat. When they're not collaborating on Betty, Delainey and Rasmussen enjoy competing on the racquetball court, running, following professional sports, and spending time with their families.

Gary Delainey writes and Gerry Rasmussen draws, and together this cartooning duo from Alberta, Canada creates Betty, a smart, savvy comic character who is unapologetically ordinary, happy and female. <br><br>Delainey and Rasmussen first met as senior high school students in a local art competition, and their paths crossed again the following fall, when they each enrolled in the Fine Arts program at the University of Alberta. Though they studied painting, they quickly found doing comics for the campus paper more to their taste. They collaborated on their first comic strip, "Bub Slug," in 1976. "That was our real education," says Rasmussen, "doing work, seeing it in print and getting feedback right away." Betty was born during this time, making her first appearance holding a dead parrot. Betty reappeared in print in 1985, when the collaborators approached the Edmonton Journal with a full-page weekly comic version of "Bub Slug." The feature ran for four and a half years in the Journal, developing a huge following. Delainey and Rasmussen began creating Betty in 1991. <br><br>Rasmussen lives with his wife, their son and their dog. Delainey lives with his wife, their daughter and their cat. When they're not collaborating on Betty, Delainey and Rasmussen enjoy competing on the racquetball court, running, following professional sports, and spending time with their families.<br>
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