Detective Popeye?
(Sorry, this might be one of the more obscure referenced jokes for the old fogies around here like me that fondly remember the 1971 action film starring Gene Hackman. I knew there was always a Popeye-related joke somewhere in there, but my wife let me know that not everyone will get this one if they've never seen or heard of this film. I guess when you have to explain a joke, maybe it wasn't a good joke to begin with. Hit and miss. But whoop, there it is!)
As previously mentioned, Popeye made his animated debut in a risqué Betty Boop cartoon back in 1933 in a 'back door pilot' episode where she was wearing just a Hawaiian flowery Lei to cover herself. In that cartoon, they flashed the front page of a newspaper that read, "Popeye A Star!". The manifested destiny prediction came true soon enough afterwards as he began to star in his own series of cartoons with Fleischer Studios.
This drawing is my re-interpretation of a key scene depicted in the cartoon that is one of the more memorable moments as Popeye joined Betty on stage to do a hula dance. Yes, I admit that I took some artistic liberties in this particular drawing to draw Betty's head a bit smaller more in proportion to how I would slightly re-envision her in my own comic stories if I continued to draw her on a more consistent basis. Which, I do not foresee happening in any immediate future tales with my comics.
Again, this is more just a one-off history lesson and coincides with today's other SEA SHANTY FUNNIES parody comic strip (where I did draw a more traditional Betty Boop in that one with that big noggin of hers.) Though Betty Boop is in the public domain, there are still some entanglements. So, this is a fair use educational lesson in the one before you that you are now looking at. 'Nuff said.
We love you, Betty Boop.
Enjoy!
My wife Jennifer and I took a mini-vacation on Monday to St. Louis to see a baseball game that night and then we did a day trip to Chester, Illinois to see the hometown of Popeye creator E.C. Segar today on Tuesday.
We had a wonderful time. We drove around town to see the statues and spent some time getting to know Debbie and Mike at Spinach Can Collectibles at the Popeye Museum. They were so very friendly.
We're back home in Springfield, Illinois this evening. It is late and I'm about to go to bed, but I thought I'd post a few photos.
Just for fun. A little weekday surprise for you outside the main ongoing storyline. These will be quick and easy for me to draw up quickly and do like this. I hope you will get a chuckle.
