Congrats to ADDTF for one solid year of reading comics naked.

Also, welcome back ADD and In Sequence.

Did I miss anyone?

 
Happy #%&*@! Anniversary, Popeye!


posted by Steven at 12:39 PM

 
Well Blow Me Down



The Empire State Building is lit up spinach green from dusk to dawn all this weekend in celebration of Popeye's 75th anniversary. If you don't live in New York City but would like to take a peek, you can take a gander at this webcam.
posted by Steven at 10:02 PM

 
I'll Lay Ya Among The Swee'Peas



The Quarter Bin was one of the best places to go for long-form online comics criticism back in the day. It's archives are still available, and there you will find quite possibly the most informed appreciation of Popeye to be seen on the internet. Not only that, but it reprints my absolute favourite Olive Oyl moment. The fine folks at Quarter Bin also set their sights on Poopeye, the Mad parody of the sailor man with equally interesting results.

That doesn't quite end the Quarter Bin's love affair with Popeye, though their third look at the character is directed at the DC Comics version, Captain Strong. If the previous essays references to Aristotle in relation to Popeye don't make you sit up and take notice, maybe a comparison of Captain Strong to Watchmen will. Captain Strong guest-starred or had cameo appearances in numerous Superman titles through to the Crisis on Infinite Earths, though it is rumoured that he appeared in one Post-Crisis comic, starring Superman's buddy Bibbo. Even more info on the sauncha-gobbling Captain Strong can be found at the indispensible Oddball Comics.
posted by Steven at 11:29 PM

 
I Socks 'Em Where I Sees 'Em An I Leaves 'Em Where I Socks 'Em



""They were pretty puddles, but you couldn't read them." - E.C. Segar

The Toonopedia entry I linked to yesterday was wrong in at least one account. There aren't two Popeye statues. There are at least six according to this Roadside America page, three of them in Arkansas alone. One of them was placed in Crystal City, Texas during the Depression. Due to Popeye's popularity, this Spinach capital of the world saw an increase in revenue. It could be said that Popeye saved the town from financial ruin, once again attesting to the influence of the one-eyed sailor. Here's some more information on the statues in Segar's hometown of Chester, Illinois, the one in Springdale, Arkansas and also another in Crystal City, Texas.

The City of Chester has a page devoted to their most famous son, with plenty of biographical detail. This page also draws comparisons between Chesterites and the cast of Thimble Theater, naming apparent or supposed inspirations for Olive Oyl, Wimpy, Swee'pea and Popeye himself. Further descriptions of Segar's cartoonish neighbours can be found here, with pictures.

In fact, the statues aren't the only monuments to Popeye. The inspiration for Popeye, a Frank "Rocky" Fiegel, was given a headstone for his unmarked grave which explained his part in the creation of Popeye on the 50th anniversary of his death. Dora Paskel, Olive Oyl's counterpart, was also given a similar marker. Even Segar himself has the word "Popeye" engraved on his tombstone.

My absolute favourite Popeye story is quite possibly not at all true, and even if it was, I'm reciting it from memory so it definitely won't be true in the retelling. And that's the way it should be. Frank "Rocky" Fiegel used to sweep floors at the local tavern in Chester, Illinois. In-between sweeping duties, he'd sit out on the front porch and smoke his pipe. One day, a gang of young toughs, having heard of Fiegel's fighting prowess, sauntered up to the tavern and asked Fiegel if he'd like to accompany them out in the woods to see something interesting. Everyone but Fiegel seemed to have figured out that these punks wanted to take a shot at him, but still Fiegel followed them into the woods. Not long afterwards, Fiegel came sauntering out of the woods, alone. He took his seat in his favourite chair, lit his pipe, and didn't say a word. Not a scratch on him.

This Rose City boy salutes you, Frank "Rocky" Fiegel. You mess with the Rose, you get the thorns.
posted by Steven at 11:18 PM

 
A Chin I Loves To Touch

"Popeye's life has been a sad one and I claim that pathos is the best background for humor. Tragedy and comedy are so closely related that it is only a step from one to the other." - E.C. Segar

Despite primarily being about the Popeye cartoon and collectibles, the Thimble Theater Homepage is the best resource on Popeye to be found outside of the library. It's especially nice to see someone search further afield on the subject. For example, the page on creator E.C. Segar reprints a short autobiography by Segar as well as a well-stocked pictorial biography by the site's author. The section on the comic strip itself has an amusing encounter between the character and his creator from the pages of a 1934 issue of Modern Mechanix, among other things.



The ever-reliable Toonopedia has its own concise history of Popeye, and this site relates a few facts about Popeye's origins, in-between claims to the character's Texan's roots. Patrick McDonnell, cartoonist behind the Mutts newspaper strip, has his own tribute to Segar (and one for Herriman as well, worth checking out for the sombrero alone). While short on actual commentary, it does provide a few more sample strips, as well as further proof of Segar's influence on today's comics.
posted by Steven at 11:59 PM

 
Arf! Arf!

"Popeye’s past is forever creeping up on him. When he mutters his half-mad asides, is he speaking to those who would bring him down, or is he speaking to me?"

For his many projects, my pal Kev browses dozens, if not hundreds, of sites daily. Anytime he stumbles across something comic-related, he gives me a shout. A few days ago, he sent me a story, entitled The Previous Adventures of Popeye the Sailor by Jim Ruland, which he found on Boing Boing. Most of Ruland's inspiration seems to come from the cartoon and muddled childhood nostalgia rather than the original comic strip itself, but the story is still a fun, brisk read.

Popeye, and especially Wimpy, are among my favourite comic characters of all time. If you aren't familiar with E.C. Segar's classic Thimble Theater strip, from which Popeye originated, may I suggest a gander at these online samples? And if you like what you see, take advantage of the discounts Fantagraphics has on its few remaining Popeye collections (scroll down). They're well worth it at any price.
posted by Steven at 11:37 PM

 
Vandals

I've been making regular trips to the library to gather reference for my big animation project. Along the way I almost always pick up a few comic selections. This time around was a real treat, with Seth's Vernacular Drawings (inlcuding a portrait of the Welland junction, from my home town), The Comics Journal Library edition dedicated to Jack Kirby, one of many Usagi Yojimbo volumes they had available, and Sidekicks by J. Torres and Takeshi Miyazawa.

I first encountered J. Torres (and artist Tim Levins) in his mini-comic Copybook Tales, which was continued in a regular series by Slave Labor, and a collected edition available from Oni. Less known, Miyazawa's mini-comic work, MIB and Shift, was an absolute treat to read back in the day. I was really looking forward to checking up on this kinetic artist who I thought had vanished from the face of the earth. It was going to be like strolling into Dragon Lady Comics on Queen West all over again. A pure shot of nostalgia.

I realize that the odds of anyone from Ottawa reading this are pretty low, and the odds of one particular person in that area reading this are even lower. But in the event that the person who ripped multiple pages out of the Sidekicks trade is reading this, know that by rendering it useless you've made it less likely that the library will spend their limited time or resources pursuing the kind of work that we all can enjoy.

Also, in the incredibly unlikely event that I should ever bump into you, make sure you have a paper bag to carry your teeth home in.
posted by Steven at 10:06 PM