furie
03-16-2012, 11:11 AM
Josie DeCarlo, the inspiration behind Josie McCoy of the 1970s rock band cartoon series 'Josie and the Pussycats,' is dead. Although her age is unknown, DeCarlo died in her sleep earlier this week, according to comic historian Mark Evanier (via by Big Cartoon News).
Born Josie Dumont, the wife of comic book illustrator Dan DeCarlo became the idea behind the character during a vacation. "We went on a Caribbean cruise, and I had a costume for the cruise, that's the way it started," she told the New York Times following her husband's death in 2001. "The hairdo came after. One day, I came in with a new hairdo with a little bow in my hair and he said, 'That's it!'"
Originally set to be featured in the comic strip 'Here's Josie,' DeCarlo received no syndication offers. In 1963, Richard Goldwater, president and publisher of Archie Comics, accepted the strip, later asking DeCarlo to add "a theme element" to the comic book. That led to the rock group -- using the popularity of the band the Archies at the time -- styled in the same manner as his wife dressed on their Caribbean cruise. (http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/16/josie-decarlo-dead-josie-and-the-pussycats/)
Born Josie Dumont, the wife of comic book illustrator Dan DeCarlo became the idea behind the character during a vacation. "We went on a Caribbean cruise, and I had a costume for the cruise, that's the way it started," she told the New York Times following her husband's death in 2001. "The hairdo came after. One day, I came in with a new hairdo with a little bow in my hair and he said, 'That's it!'"
Originally set to be featured in the comic strip 'Here's Josie,' DeCarlo received no syndication offers. In 1963, Richard Goldwater, president and publisher of Archie Comics, accepted the strip, later asking DeCarlo to add "a theme element" to the comic book. That led to the rock group -- using the popularity of the band the Archies at the time -- styled in the same manner as his wife dressed on their Caribbean cruise. (http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/16/josie-decarlo-dead-josie-and-the-pussycats/)