SEA SHANTY FUNNIES #1 printed comic books have arrived

 

A couple of cases of the first issue of my new comic book collection SEA SHANTY FUNNIES featuring my take on the public domain-based Popeye arrived Saturday afternoon from the printer. I had 100 books printed up. This collects the first 41 episodes of the web comic (with bonus extended scenes) as well as collects the complete STRANDED: Pooky Jones mini-episodes.

I will let you know how you can get a copy with instructions on Wednesday. I'm making this part of a SEA SHANTY FUNNIES FAN CLUB offering that will include a few other things.

In the meantime, feel free to email me at scott@scottmccullar.com if you want me to personally reserve a copy for you. I will also make this available for international shipping outside the U.S.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 103 "A Quick Study in Pink" (My apologies for today's delay and your wait)

 

My apologies for today's delay and if anyone has been waiting. Here is this week' "Sunday Fun Day" comic. This story continues here in long format next Sunday. I will strive to have it finish in time next week for a morning release.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 102 "Happy Superman Day!"

 

Today is Superman Day. It was officially moved recently from June to today by DC Comics to commemorate The Man of Steel's first appearance in Action Comics. I offer my own homage to celebrate.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ A Key Moment - Mini-Episode #1

 

 

It was 95 Years ago today...

(Drawing based after E.C. Segar's original comic strip.) 

 

Done for fun.

 

...and by the way, everything in E.C. Segar's original newspaper comic strip series is "in continuity" as part of my SEA SHANTY FUNNIES web comic series. It is all a part of the 'Earth 24-C' Alternate Universe that traces back to this. That's all for now. Just a general thought of mine on the creative process that I wanted to share with behind the scenes. It is the backbone from which all is built from and proceeded. 

Come Back Saturday at Midday for the Next SEA SHANTY FUNNIES

Sorry. There will be no new SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic strip today (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday).

However, I'm working on two BRAND NEW FULL LENGTH PAGES  for both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday's will be a special edition "BANDITO ENTERTAINMENT™ SATURDAY MATINÉE COMIC" and Sunday's comic will continue the story of the missing Whiffle Hen.

Thanks,

Yer pal, Scott 

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 101

 

A short gag feature. (Through the weekdays, I will post these shorter comic strips that are published for a quick laugh)

The ongoing longform storylines are now featured on Sunday Mornings in a larger and longer format.

Also, please check back on Saturday mid-day for a Special Comic Strip you don't want to miss.

SHOW-AND-TELL: 1939 Thimble Theater Popeye Newspaper Comic Strips

This came in the mail today. These are original Popeye Thimble Theater newspaper comic strips from the Spring of 1939 written by Tom Sims and illustrated by Doc Winner. 109 comic strips that I will archive into a portfolio for preservation and to read. This is the conclusion of the Spinach Juice Springs storyline with Susie the Sea Nymph which I revisited recently in my own SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic strip.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - MILEMARKER Episode #100

 

 

 Thank you for helping and encouraging me to get to this point!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 99

 

Check back Sunday morning for Episode #100.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 98

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES Web Comic Publishing Update for this week..

Just a quick note about online web comic publishing plans for this week for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES.

I will publish online a regular SEA SHANTY FUNNIES weekly web comic tomorrow (Wednesday, April 7th) for Episode #98 that's already finished and loaded in the cue to automatically publish. I will then post Episode #99 this Friday, April 9th that I'm finishing up tonight with the artwork on.

THEN.... I will then have what I consider my first special oversized "Sunday Fun Day Morning Comic" this upcoming Sunday morning on April 12th. It will be our 100th Episode mile marker web comic for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES. It will be the same size as traditional Sunday newspaper comics that the big boys publish. That's all I want to say right now. So, check back on Sunday, too.

I am aiming for publishing automatically at 7:30 a.m. Central Time on social media sites and blogs. I will manually upload and publish the webcomics earlier at 6:00 a.m. Central Time on my own personal website at www.scottmccullar.com for those eager beavers.

After that, I will post an update about a new publishing schedule for the remainder of this Spring (April and May) for continued weekly SEA SHANTY FUNNIES web comics as I adjust things to release a new THRILL SEEKER COMICS web comic series (my creator-owned indie comic series) coming this June that will also be ongoing and run on just Saturdays afternoons as a "Saturday Matinée" web comic series that rotates the cast of heroes around with brand new ongoing storylines about every 8 to 12 weeks. I will be drawing these pulp action and adventure comics in a more animated style.

So, that's the tease for now. More later next week with more detailed plans. 

And don't worry, SEA SHANTY FUNNIES is continuing forward into the next phase.

Thanks again for all the support. I hope you are enjoying and being entertained.

More news and updates next week. 

(And by the way, the printer is shipping me 100 issues of the newly printed SEA SHANTY FUNNIES #1 comic books by the end of next week. Details on how to get a copy next week also.)

Scott

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 97

 

PHILATELY: Carving Out Time for my Stamp Collection

 

It’s been a while since I’ve carved out time to work on my stamp collection. I’ve been so busy lately. However, I’m taking some tonight and I’m going to try to make Sunday evenings my own time to do this on a more regular basis. And doing so while spinning vinyl records while I do it.

A Drawing of Daredevil (in Yellow) by Scott McCullar

 

A drawing that I put together of DAREDEVIL to share. He is my favorite Marvel Character. Frank Miller's take on it blew my mind as a kid. I also always loved the original unique look of the"Yellow Daredevil" and Wally Wood's Silver Age take on the character. I thought I'd let this be my ode to Mr. Wood.

I look forward to sitting down and watching Season Two of the DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN series on Disney+. 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 96

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 95

 

♫ Treat me like a Fool...

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 94

 

THRILL SEEKER COMICS ANTHOLOGY™ #2 is available for purchase on my new secured online store

 

My self-published indie comics THRILL SEEKER COMICS ANTHOLOGY #2 is now available. It is 40 pages. Printed copies are on hand here in my studio at home and being mailed out right now. 

 If you're interested in picking up a printed copy of the comic, I'm selling on both eBay (if you do a search) and own my personal website's online store. Digital copies aren't available just yet. You can purchase from my website through my online store where PayPal is accepted at https://scottmccullar.com/store/

 

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ Update: Psst.... a Sneak Peek

 

 

 

Guess what I'm working on to send to the printer at this very moment? 

 

Yep. The answer is SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ #1 (collecting past Episodes #1 - 41 plus the STRANDED featuring Pooky Jones mini-episodes). The artwork is cleaned up. Includes a few new comic strips added in that extends the New Year's Eve story.

 

This is going to be a SEA SHANTY FUNNIES Fan Club souvenir book. The first issue is a full four-color traditional comic clocking in at 28 pages plus the inside and back cover has something special too. In my mind 30 pages. You'll be able to have one to keep for posterity and enjoy traditionally reading the comic in your own hands.

 

I should have a case of 100 comic books back from the printer the second week of April. Details are forthcoming on how you can get a copy with an affordable fan club membership that I'll set up here soon that'll have some extras also. Mainly to cover costs for me doing all this that'll include printing and shipping. I'm doing this public domain-based POPEYE comic series out of love and not trying to earn a second income out of this. 

 

But I'd thought you'd like to know that things are in progress with the first book headed to the printer.

 

 

 

Quick Note. New comic strip tomorrow

The next SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic strip is completed and I decided with delays I had this morning, I will go ahead and instead release it tomorrow (Tuesday) morning at the usual time (7:30 a.m. Central Time) because it is already so late in the day today. I'm also working on Wednesday's special comic strip for April Fool's Day. See you in the funny pages soon.

New Website for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES and ScottMcCullar.com

So, on Saturday evening I was able to update my new website at www.scottmccullar.com .

For those reading my SEA SHANTY FUNNIES public domain-based Popeye comics, I have created a landing page for the web  comic series at www.seashantyfunnies.com that has the archive of all of the previous episodes all now posted for those readers that want to re-read or for those that are new and want to catch up. 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 93

 

Back to the Ongoing Storyline...

Hot off the digital press finished mere second ago. Sorry for the delay. We're getting back to our current ongoing storyline... 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 92

 

Happy National Spinach Day!

Here is a special comic strip just for today's significant event in Popeye's life.

New SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic strip tomorrow...

Things are getting a little better and more manageable for me on the home-front. I'm ready to get back to the digital drawing board this evening.

Come back tomorrow as I will be posting a new SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic strip tomorrow featuring our pal Popeye. Barring any unforeseen disasters. All is good!

Thanks!

Scott 

 

Update - I'm still in the process of migrating to a new website plus when it rains it pours

 

It has been a heck of a few weeks. Like I mentioned before, I had some unexpected hurdles thrown at me all at once in my personal life. For those readers of my SEA SHANTY FUNNIES web comic strip featuring the public domain-based POPEYE, I apologize that we've had to take an unplanned break.

Life happens.

First, we got hit by storms. A giant tree fell in my yard due to tornado like weather that took out power lines and my Internet connection. And part of my backyard fence. We went from winter, to spring like storms, tornado weather, then blizzard weather, then near 90 degree summer weather all here in Central Illinois in the span of 10 days.

 

Well, the 80 ft. giant tree is still laying in my yard at the moment, but AT&T fixed the lines that got my Internet back up.

 

Then my puppy Lulu got accidentally poisoned a week ago and I had to rush her to ER Vet hospital. Thankfully, she is doing fine a week later. She accidentally ate half an Acetaminophen tablet instead of a Benedryl tablet that looked the same. Which is deadly to dogs. Thankfully the dose wasn't fatal. There was an unexpected $700 bill to help save her life... but you'll do anything to save those pups.

And then, as many of you know who come to this website (especially to read SEA SHANTY FUNNIES), my website was having problems with the registrar and not loading correctly. Giving an "unsecure site" notice. And just down at times. Well, I decided heck with it all here with Blogger and just went ahead and spent the money to launch my own new official website at www.scottmccullar.com that will no longer be here on Blogger.

I spent part of the weekend (while nursing Lulu) re-designing a new website. I had problems getting it to populate correctly and was on a service call last night (Monday) with Network Solutions who is hosting my website and they got me up and running. You can see the new site live right now... however... it isn't fully ready yet. 

However, I did launch an online store to sell two of my comics here domestically in the U.S. I need to check on international shipping prices to see what that sells for...but the priority mail was something like $52 which is outrageous. I need to see if there is a lesser cost that I can plug in.

There is a "basic" blog at the new site. However, there isn't much functionality that I can see. I don't see hash tagging or archiving. And there isn't a place for people to respond.  I still like Blogger for just blogging.

Both SEA SHANTY FUNNIES and THRILL SEEKER COMICS are just "pages" within my personal website.  I've got a carousel slider with some of the comic strips from the past month loading in with a third party app, but I'm not happy with it. I'm going to find a new solution this week and hopefully have brand new website for both SEA SHANTY FUNNIES and THRILL SEEKER COMICS to stand alone on their own by this time next week. I'm also trying to find a new solution for having all of the web comics easily accessible to sort through and read. So please stay tuned and hang in there with me.

I intend to have a new comic strip out for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES on Thursday. I will do some drawing on it tonight and tomorrow (Wednesday). Right now, that might be it for this week. I need to get myself back together and refocus on a few things. I also have a bunch of packages to mail out... so if I owe you something... hang tight.

Thanks,

Scott 

We'll be back Next Week. Technical Difficulties.

 

 

Sorry, I'm dealing with multiple technical difficulties on top of also being behind the 8-Ball with other unforeseen events that hit me this week that are preventing me from working on the comic strip that was to be released today. 

 

For those of you having problems coming to this website, I apologize. I'm trying to work with the webhosting site as I get things fixed here. For some reason, they turned off the forwarding to Blogger where I host my site and I'm having problems. 

 

I'll be back when I can be back. It should be hopefully Monday if I can get all these fires put out over the weekend. I do have what was going to be today's comic strip half drawn at the moment before I got hit with all of these multiple things that I'm dealing with. 

 

A bright note, I do have the hand drawn sketches inked and drawn for those winners that won in the free contest and told me what they wanted for me to draw. They've been sitting on my desk for the past few days. Sorry. I think just one person was still needing to get back to me. I just need to package them up and mail them out on Saturday morning with the help of Mrs. McCullar. 

 

I'll give an update as soon as I can after I put out all these fires on the homefront. Thank you for understanding.

Website Troubles

I woke up Thursday morning to find my website was offline and the URL forwards were not working correctly making it look like this was an unsecured site. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I do believe that it has to do with my registrar of where I host my domain names that I own and how I have forwarding go to this address where my website is hosted on Blogger. Or maybe something else. I don't know.

I am investigating what is happening. I'm trying to create some workarounds with direct links here on Blogger. I need to figure out some things and I apologize for broken links and troubles.

I'll post more once I know what happened and how to fix this.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 91

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 90

 

A surprise extra bonus comic strip for today. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

We will return to our current storyline tomorrow, but I thought we'd check in with some of our other friends on this special day.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 89

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Character Spotlight: Poopdeck Pappy

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 88

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 87

 

Update on SEA SHANTY FUNNIES and THRILL SEEKER COMICS Publishing Schedule

 

I just wanted to give an update.

 

First, I’m having tons of fun and I plan on continuing to do the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES web comic over the next year barring any unforeseen issues.

 

I’m also noticing here on my personal website at www.scottmccullar.com (which the URL for seashantyfunnies.com also directs itself to) is now getting an average of 1,200 traffic site visits a day and growing. I believe that is due to many of you reading this here on my website are perhaps non-Facebook Popeye fans and not doing so my Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/seashantyfunnies.

 

That, again, was unexpected and blows my mind.

 

However, it is now time and has become necessary that I begin implementing some changes for the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES publication schedule as I take next steps in the things that I want to do. 

 

I need to adjust things with SEA SHANTY FUNNIES going on as I prepare to also relaunch my creator-owned comic project THRILL SEEKER COMICS into its “new era” iteration while continuing to work on SEA SHANTY FUNNIES that I love to do.

 

Working on SEA SHANTY FUNNIES has been totally fun and a fantastic creative experiment. I am getting alot of joy out of this. I am still fine-tuning what I'm doing and learning from this experience.

 

I want to continue making more Popeye comics and have big plans, but I also want to give my independent creator-owned comic series THRILL SEEKER COMICS a renewed fresh breath of life that I think working on SEA SHANTY FUNNIES these last four months has taught me some lessons to take over there to my other comic series.

 

Beginning today, it is necessary that SEA SHANTY FUNNIES publication schedule for the foreseeable future is moving to a “three days a week” release schedule only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. However, the size of the comic strip will be “doubled” with two rows and will be the extended size JUST LIKE the length of today’s "two-panel row" comic strip. I really don’t think you’re getting “less” content per week. It is just that the frequency will be three and not five days a week and in a longer format. I will also continue to post a “Spotlight” on a character in the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES UNIVERSE every Satruday over the next year.

 

Behind the scenes, I’m working on wrapping up production on several actual print comic books for this year (including some SEA SHANTY FUNNIES collections thus far and a surprise or two). I’m knee-deep in pre-production for sending FOUR books to the printer over the next 8 weeks. And I’m dealing with some distribution things for both print and online comics.

 

I also have one really big new sumthin’ something coming up that I will be sharing in about a month once some details get hammered out. That’s called a teaser.

 

If I can juggle all that I am hoping to juggle and not drop any chainsaws in the air --- and this works out -- I hope that I will be able to publish the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES web comic online on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while I also relaunch THRILL SEEKER COMICS as a web comic drawn in the new “animated” style to be released pretty much on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning later this summer. I'm working toward that goal. 

 

I just need to finish up some comic book projects and get them to the printer. And I need to set up some other structural things to put in place that will allow me to continue to work on web comics in my free time more efficiently.

 

Of course, as always as I say, my comic work is always done in my personal spare time outside of my day job. I will need to take breaks here and there for vacations, rest, to catch on things, and other various personal reasons both pre-planned and having to adjust on the fly when life throws me unexpected curveballs from time-to-time making me readjust and when it is necessary for me to take a break. I am trying to maintain a balanced life. Believe it or not!

 

But at least I have a plan in place that I am now implementing that I both feel good about and believe will make things run smoother for me.

 

I hope you will continue to enjoy and stay on board for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES in the future – no matter what course we set. I am making course corrections as I type.

 

See you in the funny pages...

 

Hold Fast!

 

Thanks,

Scott

p.s. I would love it if one of you 1,200 people visiting each day would just simply say "hello" here on my Blog and let me know you're reading this as I've had NO interaction with readers on this website. Are you a figment of my imagination or are you real?

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 86

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Character Spotlight: Swee'Pea

Sorry, had a delay this morning. I'm, having a busy Friday and Saturday and came down with a cold yesterday that I'm still fighting -- so this will probably be the only offering I can get around to doing for the weekend. I'm off to get some rest.

Remember, today's spotlight is for "this version" of Swee'Pea in my own "SEA SHANTY FUNNIES" alternate universe. His background, look, and story may not align with other 'official canon' comics, cartoons, or comic strips. I do merge various histories and create some of my own new spins while still trying to stay true to the original characters yet allowing them to age just a bit, find new challenges in a new direction, and add my own spins to them.

 

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 85

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 84

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 83

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 82

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 81

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 80

 My apologies for this morning's delay, but this one is hot off the digital drawing board finished about 60 seconds ago...

 

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Sunday morning update. Slight delay this morning. Hang tight.

Today's Sunday morning comic strip has a slight delay as I was busy yesterday working around the house and didn't get a chance to draw. I'm relaxed drawing it right now this morning. Stay tuned and I should have it a little later by mid-morning because I want to wrap up this "trekking" part of the quest this week as Popeye searches for a cure for this alternate reality shaping virus. I'm ready to move Popeye on to the next phase getting him back home to where he once belonged and back into his sailor duds real soon here. So hold tight. We have a slam-bang fest coming over the next few days. You're 'Gorn'a' love it, hopefully...

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Character Spotlight: Boola the Two-Headed Giant

I thought I'd post a spotlight on of the more obscure supporting characters that originated in one Fleischer Studios cartoon back in the 1930's. One of my favorites and one of the support characters that I've updated in the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES universe by beginning to give him some distinct separate personalities. BOOLA THE TWO HEADED GIANT.

 

COMICS - Old WIZARD WORLD MAGAZINE Article about that time I worked with Kevin Smith on GREEN ARROW

Thanks to my old pal Nathan Donovan for pointing this out to me today on Instagram. A trip down memory lane from almost 25 years ago when I helped Kevin Smith on GREEN ARROW for DC Comics. This was a page from WIZARD MAGAZINE all those years ago. (I wish I could back in time and talk to that kid full of dreams and hopes.)

And, by the way, I returned to Instagram today and reactivated my account at https://www.instagram.com/ryanscottmccullar/ 

 

 

ART: Pinup Drawing of our Favorite Sailor Man

A little drawing I did before work on Wednesday morning that I forgot to post here on my website but share instead over on Facebook.

 

 

Check Out King Features weekly Thursday strip OLIVE & POPEYE by Milholland and Emi Burdge

 

I'm enjoying Randy Milholland and Emi Burdge's weekly Thursday comic strip OLIVE & POPEYE that King Features syndicates online. Swee'Pea is in his own alternate universe travels at the moment visiting his (sort of) "alternate universe brother" Popeye, Jr. from the POPEYE AND SON cartoon series. 

 I recommend you check it out on https://comicskingdom.com/olive-popeye .

 

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 79

 Slight delay for today's comic strip, but here she be...

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 78

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 77

 

INNER RAMBLIN' THOUGHTS SHARED - Today is my Birthday!

 

Looking back in ten year increments here on my birthday.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 76