Arf! Arf!

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ A Key Moment - Mini-Episode #7

 

A few artistic liberties were taken on today's special "Key Moment" comic strip to reinterpret this scene from a cartoon featuring Popeye's rambunctious nephews in their debut appearance in the public domain cartoon "Me Musical Nephews" by Famous Studio in 1942.

 

As a kid, I loved each time they popped up in the vintage Popeye cartoons. 

 

I hope you will trust me that I have some specific plans for them that I don't want to spoil. So don't dismiss them. 'Nuff said. 

Unboxing Video of SEA SHANTY FUNNIES Fan Club Membership

 

 

I missed this video when it was originally posted. I just stumbled upon it by accident when surfing YouTube this evening while I'm drawing a new "Key Moment" comic strip for tomorrow morning at this minute. I didn't realize this was posted and missed it earlier. 

Thank you to Mathew Rhys for the "unboxing video" of the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES Fan Club package. I got a kick out of watching it. I thought others here might like to see. 

I still have these available if anyone else wants to join the Fan Club and also get the first issue of the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic book that collects last year's comic strips

We will return with new comics shortly after this brief interruption.

 

Check out YouTube Video Replay - Live Chat Discussing POPEYE movie starring Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall

Last night, I was invited to participate in a streamlined online video chat on the YouTube channel "Monitor Duty" to discuss the 1980 musical comedy film POPEYE starring Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall and directed by Robert Altman. I joined comic fans Mathew D. Rhys, Ryan M. Maxwell, Michael Hutchison, and YouTuber "Cartoonicus". It clocks in at about two hours.

Paramount recently announced that POPEYE is scheduled for a 4K Blu-Ray release on August 18th.

Sure, the film has its quirks with those that love it or hate it. Yes, there are a few things I am critical about the film, but it is one of my favorite films of my childhood. I am one of those who absolutely loves the film. I originally saw it during its first run at the movie theater back in 1980 when I was nine years' old when my parents took me to see it. I had been a Popeye fan since I was about three years' old.

I was especially excited to be joined last night in the chat by the "go to" expert on the POPEYE movie - my friend Ryan M. Maxwell. He is an authority on the film in my book.

You can re-watch the streamed chat on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/live/GuKUZuslsxg?si=mv930Oc_p5AuKbp3

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 132

 

...and we're back today after that short break.

Back from my trip for Father's Day

Over the long weekend, I drove up to Minnesota to see my parents and brother. My father recently had a stroke and is dealing with some other issues. He was in a rehab facility and just went home today.

I got to spend several hours each day with him and spent Father's Day with him. He has some memory problems, but we were able to reminisce about some old times and have a laugh.

It was so very good to see all of them. It has been about a year since we last got together. I'm now back home and itching to draw and take care of some things around the house now. 

Happy Father's Day!

 

Taking a small break....

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 131

Two "Wild and Crazy Guys"!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 130

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 129

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ A Key Moment - Mini-Episode #6

 

Popeye Cartoonist Bud Sagendorf introduced Hardtack in a Sunday funnies comic strip on April 23, 1967. (Believe it or not, I have "TWO" copies of this newspaper comic strip clipping in my 1967 portfolio collection!)

 

Swee'Pea's new rival Hardtack appeared in some other newspaper comics strips and also appeared in a few comic books later in 1967. My first exposure to the character was in a back issue that I found in the comic book POPEYE #86 (June 1967) ... which is the Summer of Love and the same month that The Beatles released their classic SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND album... to give the timeline context. Most of the Popeye comic books of those eras did not have their copyrights renewed and are in the public domain over at Gold Key, King Comics, Whitman, and Charlton Comics (i.e. The Blue Beetle, The Question, etc.) for those that research these type of things. It least that is what my research has found reading some articles by others and looking things up and such for myself.

 

On the aforementioned comic book cover on issue #86, Hardtack is portrayed trapped inside a birdcage being carried for transportation. (I guess that makes him a cage fighter?). That particular comical child endangerment comic book cover always caught my attention.

 

I'm still going through old comic strips and comic books of that era that I have purchased and collected, but other than a recent official modern quick appearance not too long ago by the current cartoonist working on the official POPEYE comic strip, it seems to me in my own research (so far) that Hardtack as a character and concept was abandoned by Sagendorf after his use mainly in 1967. Perhaps he was thrown out because he didn't catch on or whatever. Perhaps he was a guest "throwaway" character for a few one and done tales and Sagendorf did all he wanted to do with the character. I dunno. There were also many other "guest characters" that would have a spotlight for a small period of time in Sagendorf's comic strips for a brief stint of about a month or so and then just disappear completely after their initial use back in the Sixties and then would just never come back. I have ideas for a few of these other characters to re-introduce them as I can in future parody humor tales.

 

Personally, I love the character Hardtack and I think he gives Swee'Pea his own "Brutus-like" young frienemy rival like "Butch" (a la 'Our Gang/Little Rascals') or (to a lesser extent) "Scutt Farkas (a la 'A Christmas Story') as an archetypal adversary. But I think if you've been reading my comic strips lately, you probably figured that out!

 

I dig the character to play off of Swee'Pea

If you come here to regularly read my blog, please let me know

So, you found my blog here.

Do you stop by mainly just to read my public domain-based Popeye comic strip called SEA SHANTY FUNNIES?

Do you do so on a regular basis?

Or did you come here for other reasons?

PLEASE LET ME KNOW by leaving a message here on the blog or email me at scott@scottmccullar.com to tell me whether or not you are enjoying the comics.

I see from my statistics that I'm getting a few thousand readers every week, YET I RECEIVE NO FEEDBACK here on my blog.

Let me know if you are a regular reader.

Let me know if you are enjoying the comic strip.

Let me know if you are out there.

I need someone. Anyone. Just one person to let me know that they're there.

I don't do these comics for the money. I do them to entertain. I thrive on feedback to continue making them and posting them here.

So please, somebody out there....

REPLY to this post with even the simplest "Hello."

Thanks,

Scott

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 128

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 127

 

There will be a new comic strip tomorrow on Wednesday

 

I'll be back tomorrow on Wednesday with a new comic strip as we wrap up the questionnaire interview this week. 

 

Life got hectic for me on Monday night, but I got out more SEA SHANTY FUNNIES membership packages ready to go out this morning with copies of issue one. 

 

See you in the funny pages.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 126

 

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!) 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 125

 

 

The Summer's Adventure Storyline Begins... 

 

Quick note: Happy June! With the summer upon us, I realize that I have some travel plans over the next three months that will make it difficult for me to keep up with my cartooning schedule in putting together a full SUNDAY FUN DAY COMIC. I've decided to suspend the oversize format for the summer as I will be using this shorter (and hopefully more semi-frequent) format to explore Popeye's newest adventure to rescue Bernice the Whiffle Hen with his companion crew. It is easier for me to break it up in these paced chunks where I can knock it out easier as I do put more details in the artwork with these than the "quicky" black & white noir format.

 

This week, however, I will finish up the black & white noir SEA SHANTY FUNNIES QUESTIONNAIRE during the weekdays this week. I have a few more to do. Then Part Two of this new storyline "BRING HOME THE BIRDY" should continue right on along after that (I am aiming for this next upcoming Sunday). I will keep the story title banner in the righthand corner to help keep track for continuity's sale. Then the storyline will continue during some staggered weekdays throughout the summer as I can get to working on them around my summer schedule.

 

Thanks!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 124

 

The Return of the Luau Shoirt.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ A Key Moment - Mini-Episode #5

 

A BONUS 'KEY MOMENT' COMIC STRIP TO COINCIDE WITH TODAY'S OTHER PARODY COMIC STRIP:

 

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!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 123

 

Boop-Oop-a-Doop!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 122

 

Wimpy!

I visited Chester, Illinois for the first time today

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 121

 

They write themselves...

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 120

 

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.

PHILATELY: Continuing to work with the Machin Stamps

Sunday Afternoon Leisure Time - Working on my stamp collection. This time sorting through Great Britain Machin stamps of QE2. These are always a little tougher to sort through with the variations.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 119

 

Purchase SEA SHANTY FUNNIES #1 and receive bonus SKETCH CARD with an original ink drawing by me.

 

 

For those that are still wanting to buy just the comic book, it comes to $14 shipped (U.S. Customer). I will also throw in an extra SKETCH CARD with an original quick ink drawing of a character by me as a bonus.

 

Here is a link (U.S. Customers) to the secure store (PAYPAL Payment):

 

https://scottmccullar.com/store/SEA-SHANTY-FUNNIES--1-Comic-Book-Only---NO-Fan-Club-Membership-or-Perks----U-S--Shipping--p2963575

 

Here is a link for International customers, shipping is more expensive I'm afraid. $28 (International). I will also throw in an extra SKETCH CARD with an original quick ink drawing of a character by me as a bonus.

 

https://scottmccullar.com/store/SEA-SHANTY-FUNNIES--1-Comic-Book-Only---NO-Fan-Club-Membership-or-Perks----International--p2963551

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 118

 

Your Friday Funny.

Last Night's Interview with Me is Now Available to Watch on YouTube

I'd like to thank Mathew D. Rhys and Michael Hutchison for inviting me to "Monitor Duty" podcast video chat for an interview about my work on my Public Domain-based POPEYE comic strip SEA SHANTY FUNNIES last night. The interview and chat is available to watch now over on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMrEATcl5ok

I'd also like to thank the other guests in the chat and those that stopped by in the audience like Popeye expert Ryan M. Maxwell and all-around good guy, comic writer, and pal John Morgan 'Bat' Neal. Also, to those with the screen names "Cartoonicus" and "Twitless" who came into the conversation to ask me questions.

If I missed anyone last night, it is because I sometimes have difficulties with keeping track of online screen nicknames and who they are connected to with real people names. . . so sorry if I missed recognizing you if you were there. Plus, it was a flurry for me that I couldn't read all the chat on the side screen at the time.

Also thanks to my wife Jennifer McCullar who also makes a few on screen cameo appearances in the video chat with our puppy Lulu to talk about the original comic character Caldonia Kindheart that was introduced into the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic strip as Wimpy's new girlfriend in the current storyline.

The interview goes pretty in-depth about my creative processes and choices, public domain and legal hurdle issues, and other Popeye and comic stuff that goes into making SEA SHANTY FUNNIES. If you wanted to get a little "inside baseball" behind the scenes, there were a few other golden nugget tidbits there in the chat last night.

Fair warning, this chat runs about 2 HOURS. I re-watched it and enjoyed the replay from a third person perspective. It is kind of strange watching yourself be interviewed. I tend to ramble in my thoughts. I just realized that if I ever do another video chat for a video podcast like this again in the future, I need to lift my head up and look more into the camera next time while making eye contact. Arf! Arf!

I'm tend to fall into deep thought a lot trying to formulate my words as I wrestle with my stutter. And as my wife points out, I tend to ramble and be verbose at times. So apologies in advance.

However, I hope you'll enjoy watching the chat.

Thanks again for those that turned out last night

p.s. I also gave some brief shout outs during the chat to my pals Troy Vilayhong and Joshua Garrett in the course of discussion.

I also recognized Chuck Dixon for encouraging me to write more of these Popeye stories that led me to continuing on with SEA SHANTY FUNNIES where I've now written and illustrated over 100 episodic comic strips at this point. I had stopped at 4 "test" comic strips in February 2025 thinking this wasn't going to work and then started back up in November 2025 making more. Here I am still doing it.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ A Key Moment - Mini-Episode #4

 

From the Archive Journals... Popeye Joins the U.S. Navy

After POPEYE creator E.C. Segar passed away in 1938, the THIMBLE THEATER newspaper comic strip would continue under writer Tom Sims and artists Doc Winner (for a short stint) and then for a long stretch with Bela Zaboly. During the Second World War, Popeye enlisted in the U.S. Navy to help the war effort in a storyline that ran in the newspaper comic strips from December 13, 1943 to April 15, 1944 entitled "Popeye in the Navy".

 

But before joining the military in those newspaper comic strips, Max Fleischer Studios already had Popeye join the U.S. Navy in a cartoon released on November 14, 1941 (just three weeks before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor that officially entered the U.S. into World War Two) where for the first time he wore his classic all-white Navy "Crackerjacks" uniform with "Dixie Cup" sailor hat and knotted tie with the outfit that he would continue to wear in the Famous Studios cartoons for the next few decades as his legacy uniform.

 

Interestingly, the "enemy" in this cartoon was not portrayed with a national identity and the "enemy" sailors were not shown. Just their ships and airplanes. There is even a moment in the cartoon where a generic flag was shown with the words, "Enemy (Name Your Own)" was shown on screen. After the U.S. officially entered the war, the real world enemy was named. The Japanese were negatively portrayed in typical racial stereotypes of that era (i.e. "You're a Sap, Mr. Jap"). Later cartoons also took their swipe at the Germans, too... including one with Adolf himself (i.e. "Seein’ Red, White, ‘n’ Blue" from 1943).

 

In the THIMBLE THEATER newspaper comic strips circa June 1942 in the storyline "The Seagoosk", Popeye also entered the battlefield to fight "The blastid Yaps" with a "Y".

 

The scene in today's KEY MOMENT SPECIAL comic strip that I have illustrated is inspired by that first cartoon with him in the U.S. Navy and is taken from the animated short "The Mighty Navy". Popeye would continue serving in the Navy afterwards in follow up animated cartoon features during the Second World War. Popeye was used to help influence and inspire a positive portrayal of the navy to help the war effort and recruitment at that time.

 

(*Sidenote: Before the war, Popeye also served in the U.S. Coast Guard in the 1930s cartoons and was shown as a stationed Coast Guardsman (along with a sailor uniformed Wimpy) in the 1937 animated short "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves" where they were "out hunting bandits".)

For those that care about "Behind the Scenes" stuff for my independent self-published comic series that you are reading here:

 

For continuity's sake in my "Alternate Retro Universe" that is SEA SHANTY FUNNIES, both these newspaper and cartoon stories from the Second World War era - for the most part in some way that makes sense to my head canon - happened in this timeline inside my own stories in my unofficial alternate universe take. I am absorbing them into the continuity. They mesh together if you can be flexible open to the idea that timelines merge. We're trying to keep this a retro timeline timeless in feel without pinning down actual real dates and thus I'm just generically referring to this time period in Popeye's life as "The War" where he is a war veteran that served in the Pacific. I'm also inserting into my timeline that he served in the U.S. Coast Guard for a brief stint (with Wimpy!) before "The War". I've already portrayed Wimpy once in his classic blue coast guardsman outfit in one previous comic strip earlier this year and think of him perhaps as in the Coast Guard Reserves.

 

Don't overthink it all. Maybe I'm overthinking myself and overwriting here an explanation, but you get to witness my ramblin' mind work in how I am "world building" Popeye's past history into my unofficial take in what I call "Earth-24C".

 

In my timeline for this unofficial Popeye comic strip that I am writing, Popeye is now in the U.S. Navy Reserves holding the rank of Chief Petty Officer currently where he could be called up if needed in the future. Popeye is a Master Diver with legendary Deep Sea Diver experience (partially thanks to his Uncle Davy Jones). 

 

But this scene portrayed comes from a pivotal moment in one of by Max Fleischer Studios from 1941. Enjoy!

Tune in tonight for a LIVE INTERVIEW with me on YouTube about SEA SHANTY FUNNIES

REMINDER: Feel free to join in and watch and post questions or thoughts. I've been invited to participate in an interview on YouTube tonight on the "Monitor Duty" YouTube Chanel to discuss my public domain-based POPEYE comic strip SEA SHANTY FUNNIES and perhaps some other comic book related topics by video podcaster (and Popeye fan) Mathew D. Rhys on his weekly show.

The show should go live 6 pm Pacific / 7pm Mountain / 8pm Central / 9pm Eastern this Wednesday night on May 27th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMrEATcl5ok

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 117½

 

Popeye would like a word...

I'd be interested in your thoughts, too.

 

Here on my blog, I can get up to 2,000 visits a day from people reading my SEA SHANTY FUNNIES webcomics. YET, NOBODY HAS EVER ONCE RESPONDED WITH A SINGLE REPLY TO ANY OF THESE POSTS WITH MY WEB COMICS ON MY BLOG.

 

Why? I'm glad you're there and hoping you're enjoying, but a brother here would love some feedback and perhaps some evidence of acknowledgment that you're reading and perhaps even enjoying? 

 

Will SOMEONE out there just hit reply and respond? Pretty please? 

 

Hello, is there anybody out there?

 

First person that responds on this blog... I'll mail you a personalized Popeye sketch. Offer valid through June 1st. 

 

THIS WEEK for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES (New comics and a live stream interview)

 First, I will have new web comic strips this Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. So please check back.

 Also, something special...

Tune in to YouTube for LIVE Streaming Interview Chat with Me this Wednesday Night

I've been invited to participate in an interview on YouTube this Wednesday evening to discuss my public domain-based POPEYE comic strip SEA SHANTY FUNNIES and perhaps some other comic book related topics by video podcaster (and Popeye fan) Mathew D. Rhys on his weekly show.

 

His streaming YouTube channel is at https://www.youtube.com/@MathewDRhys/streams

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 117

 

And we're back!

Happy Sunday Fun Day. Thanks for the continued support!

I'll have more updates soon. I hope you enjoy today's comic strip.

Quick Publishing Schedule Update

This week, a New Episode of SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ will be released on Sunday morning, May 24th. It'll be the full Sunday Fun Day main storyline comic strip.

As many of you know if you're following, I had to take a bit of a breather the past two days at my wife Jennifer McCullar's request. I took last Saturday night off and also took all-day Sunday off to spend with Jennifer doing stuff. We went downtown to an art fair and I ended up with all those BEETLE BAILEY books by happenstance as we were browsing a nearby old bookstore.

I'm rested up and all is good. I'm ready to get back to drawing.

At this time, there are no new comic strip episodes planned for the weekdays this week (sorry about that) as I play a little catch up on drawing the big comic strip for Sunday. I'm also finishing up a few side related projects (including SEA SHANTY FUNNIES fan club stuff).

Thank you for understanding.

This week, I plan to resume and finish up the big Sunday Fun Day comic strip (Episode 117) as "Detective Week" reaches its conclusion (more as an epilogue and a launch to the rescue mission). I plan over the next three weeks to probably focus on just the main Sunday storyline to get that Sunday publishing schedule back on track. After I finish everything and if I have "spare time", then I may squeeze a few weekday short gag comic strips as I can.

I am also planning on finishing up the printing of the remainder of the trading cards and stickers for those that purchased the fan club package that have held me up. I plan on getting everything packaged up and out in the mail by the weekend. I had to make a few substitutions on paper cardstock being used for the cards which delayed things.

More updates when I can.

Here is Teaser #1: Next week, I've been asked to do a livestream video chat interview about Popeye, SEA SHANTY FUNNIES, perhaps my work on GREEN ARROW over at DC Comics or my other indie comic book series THRILL SEEKER COMICS, plus my love of comics in general, on Wednesday evening, May 21st. Details are forthcoming in a separate post we'll make.

And Teaser #2: Sometime coming up very soon in June... Jennifer and I are planning a trip to Chester, Illinois to pay our respects to the hometown of E.C. Segar and see the Popeye Museum and see each of the Thimble Theater related statues of Popeye and friends (& foes!) that are sprinkled throughout the riverport town.

We plan on taking some videos, photos, and seeing the sites. It will be my first time ever trip to Chester. We live driving distance (I'm in Springfield, Illinois). I'm really looking forward to the pilgrimage journey and seeing the Popeye sites.

Just letting you know where things stand in my plans for this week if all goes as planned... that is.

Scott

SEASHANTY FUNNIES delay...

 

My wife Jennifer's post and directive from FACEBOOK last night...

Apologies. Today's Sunday Fun Day comic strip has been put on hold and it will need to be rescheduled. I got a late start and began drawing it last night and my wife Jennifer asked that I put a hold on it. She said that she felt I needed to take a break from working in my studio. I guess I bit off more than I can chew this past week with all things and I needed to take care of myself and some matters on the home front. I do appreciate her looking out for me when I sometimes get a little blindsided with things that I lose track and need to take care of myself and others. I appreciate your understanding. 

We'll be back after this break. (But here is a sneak peek of one of the panels of the next comic strip...)

 

Please check back later for an update.

 

Thanks,

Scott and Jennifer 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 116

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 115

 

And that is that... NEXT: The Weekend and Conclusion of Detective Week.