Day #1 of Hiatus

 

On Hiatus temporarily for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES

 

Ahoy there, everyone!

 

All is good, but I need to let everyone know that I’ve made a decision to temporarily hold off on uploading new comics for just a while and put things on HIATUS to "reset" and play some catch up on matters. I'm going to take a brief pause for at least three weeks on posting new comics though I will be working behind the scenes on drawing new comic strips, filling some orders and requests, working on getting some comic books finally to the printer, and revamping everything here to make things better for both YOU and ME.

 

 

If that may be upsetting or a “let down”, I do apologize. Think of this approach just like one of your favorite television series taking a hiatus before delivering a new season of episodes. With obligations in my own life, it is too much of a strain for me at the moment to keep up with the pace that I have been doing this past year. I feel that a “reset” and revamped new approach can benefit myself and the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic strips for you. I am going to transition into a “season approach” with bigger blocks of work presented instead of uploading small tidbit strips here and there where I can. Keep reading if you would like to understand my plans a little more and what brought me to this conclusion.

 

MAJOR UPDATE AND MY THOUGHTS (…and yes, it is another long post. Sorry!!!):

So, I've been out of town over the two previous weekends. This weekend, I took care of some family matters. My son Mitch is moving across the country to New York City this morning, taking the next big steps in his life. I’m proud of him and was able to spend some time with him last night saying goodbye.

 

Regarding things going on in the Popeye-world, I took a trip last weekend to Chester, Illinois – the home of Popeye creator E.C. Segar. I visited fellow Popeye fans and spent some time at the Popeye Fan Club Headquarters and Popeye Museum at Spinach Can Collectibles. This gave me time to pause and reflect on what I'm doing here with SEA SHANTY FUNNIES and these Popeye comics that I create talking to fellow Popeye fans in person, seeing the sites, and looking at everything wonderfully presented in front of me to see. It was nice to get away from my desk at home and gain a new perspective. After seeing several original hand-drawn pieces of comic strip artwork done by Popeye creator E.C. Segar himself firsthand with my own eyes, it really hit me hard to rethink my own creative approach to my own artwork and what I'm doing with all of this things related to SEA SHANTY FUNNIES.

 

Again, all is good but in my time of reflection on matters, I realize things can be improved in my approach.

 

I do have a full-time "day job" and so the work that I do on SEA SHANTY FUNNIES is completed "in my spare time" outside of my work as a graphic designer. I have often mentioned that before here, but I have to remind myself most of all that I can only do what I can do when I find that free time and not interfere with the other aspects of my life, work, family, obligations, health, and personal time for myself.

 

Over the past year, I've been trying to post several comics strips a week along with other tidbits to give constant new content throughout the week to everyone. Someone mentioned to me that I am a "content creator" and it gave me pause. Is that what I yam – I mean ‘am’?

 

I'd rather be a "cartoonist" that concentrates on that first and foremost. I've realized that all the other fussy things and expectations that I had in my head are taking a toll on me trying to do all things where – as we say here in America – I am “stretched thin” and so things suffer just a bit.

 

I've realized that I've been rushing myself on my artwork and I feel it can get a little too sloppy at times trying to meet self-imposed deadlines to constantly have new material. Seeing the work of E.C. Segar firsthand inspired me to take a little more time and care. Plus, I have rethought the "delivery" method of how I want to post my future comics. I have decided to change my approach after trying to collect past comic stories into the small print run of comic books that I am currently trying to have printed. I also feel that my ongoing main storyline is taking too long this summer between the postings due to me only being able to post a panel or two during the week with my schedule. I want the work to have a bigger, better, and stronger punch with the ongoing storyline to “pick up the pace”.

 

So, once I return after this hiatus, I will now begin posting a full page comic page once a week with the artwork formatted into four rows of comic strip panels on a single full comic book-sized page to give "more story" at once each time that I post. I think this will make the "main feature" story flow and move along faster and perhaps it won't feel that it is dragging too long or waiting on me. On each full comic-book sized page released now once a week, there will be a main topper story for “the adventure” tale and then there will also be a bonus secondary bottom supplement separate "side story" going on. Or something else self-contained. I’m also going to slightly alter my approach to the artwork that I think will improve the quality.

 

You will probably better understand what I am saying here once you see the new format in a few weeks. Wait and see.

 

I've decided to halt and no longer post just a single one row "two-or-three panel" short comic here and there "when I can get to it". I've also decided to be proactive for my well-being to work way more in advance to finish a full-page comics to build up the stories in advance and “have it in the can" instead of my usual reactive method of drawing the comic strip either the night before or sometimes the very morning of release as I often do. Again, working in this previous method is taking a toll on my body and the work. I'm also taking too many shortcuts to rush and hurry my artwork to meet a morning deadline. Instead, I want to take more time to work on the quality of the artwork in advance and "bank" some pages ahead of the planned release weekly schedule. I think that will be less stressful on me and I will be happier with the work.

 

I also think that if you understand that you can look forward to a new FREE NEW FULL-PAGE comic EVERY TUESDAY MORNING (U.S. time) once a “new season” begins, it will be something that you can look forward to and expect on a regular basis for ongoing consistency instead of wondering when I will post a new comic.

 

Plus, changing over and doing these already made as a full-size comic page will save me time in the future of trying to put together pages in post-production the work it would need me to take to send files to a printer if I collected the stories in a future souvenir-style printed comic book that you can hold in your hands. Trying to piece all these piecemeal comic strips into issues two and three recently has been time consuming. This will also allow me to more easily place “ready-made” full pages into a "flip-style" digital comic book that will be easier for you, the readers, to access and read online as a comic book in my archives if you are either wanting to go back and re-read or for new readers to catch up of what has been published before.

 

I've also decided that the spin-off comic strips like "KEY MOMENTS" and doing something like the shortened black and white "A QUICK CRACK UP" will now be re-tooled in the future to fit from time-to-time in the weekly full comic page as a supplement in the "bottom" strip. I'm approaching this similarly to what Segar did on his Sunday comics when he had the main THIMBLE THEATRE comic strip and placed what was considered the "topper" that was his spin-off related comic strip called SAPPO (Originally THE FIVE-FIFTEEN) featuring John and Myrtle Sappo with Professor O.G. Wottasnozzle for you Popeye aficionados and diehard fan historians that know what I mean. So while there will be the main Popeye story-related storyline, I can do a side stories with a secondary character or something else for a quick chuckle and laugh in the “bottom” panel event.

 

Another benefit of working in advance to have pages ready by a few weeks instead of the night before is that I hope to also continue offering variant language translations of SEA SHANTY FUNNIES in Italian, Spanish, and Greek on the same day that I post the English language version. We are a global community here at the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES Facebook Group and I want to extend a show of goodwill to those Popeye readers from all over the world.

 

I am already now conferring with our mutual friend Tano Strilla to graciously proof-read the Italian translations of my comics to offer me suggestions with any changes he feels that I need to make in the dialogue to make more authentic for his fellow Italian readers. I hope to find someone else willing to proofread and do something similar with my Greek and Spanish translations who are native speakers and willing do the same things as Tano.

 

On a next phase if this works out, I hope then to begin offering translations of SEA SHANTY FUNNIES in French, German, and Arabic next if the need or desire is there. If you are reading this and qualify and are willing to help proofread my comics in your own languages that you want to see made available to your fellow readers, I can then begin offering SEA SHANTY FUNNIES in an accessible way for readers from around the world in your native languages. If there is another language out I haven’t mentioned that you would like to read SEA SHANTY FUNNIES in, please let me know what language and if you can help.

 

NEXT ON MY LIST... I have a few commissioned drawings to do for about three people I'm aware of and I also have some more comic book orders to mail out this week. I haven't forgotten you and will send you a private message later. A few of you, I need to know what character you want me to draw for you in my pen and ink drawings.

 

AND THEN THIS IS THE BIGGIE UPDATE.... SEA SHANTY FUNNIES #2 and #3 have been a bit delayed over the past month with things that popped up in my personal life but production is back on track. Over these next few weeks, I want to finish up the "pre-press production" work that took longer than expected and get the files sent to the printer as soon as possible. I will update everyone once they are off to the printer. At that same time as I send those off to the printer, I will then post online all three comic books so far with the archived stories from earlier in a new collected online comic book format that you can "flip through" and read the past stories like a digital virtual comic book giving you the "feel and experience" of turning the comic pages on your screen. I think this will be easier for everyone to catch up and read the previous material instead of hunting it down here on Facebook or trying to read webpages where you keep clicking.

 

My volume of past material is getting unruly, and I want to streamline and make it easier. Again, you will see in a few weeks. So, hang in there for me.

 

With ALL THAT, this is why I need to pause on posting for two or three weeks to do these renovations, improvements, and to catch up. All is good, but I have decided I need to do this in the short term for long-term sustainability and to make good on my promises. And to so some improvements where I see fit.

 

I do all of this as a labor of love for the enjoyment and entertainment that Popeye has given me in my own life. And I know that he has given many of you as we move closer to his 100th birthday in 2029.

Working on these comics also scratches that creative itch that I’ve had since childhood that inspired me to be a cartoonist (at least in my spare time) where I now get to write and draw a public domain-based Popeye and his friends in my SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic stories thanks to your support, enthusiasm, and encouragement that keeps me going and making more.

 

Writing and drawing these comics in my spare time is more than just a hobby for me. Yet this isn’t an official (or even unofficial) paying gig either. I realized last weekend in Chester that Popeye is truly once again a big part of my life again like he was in my childhood and I must be responsible in my handling of these characters that I love and respect.

 

Anyway, enough of my long rambling. If you are still reading this, you've got my additional thanks for taking the time to allow me to share my thoughts.

 

While I won’t be posting much these next few weeks as I work on all of this, I will still be around on the Discussion Group, but it may seem I’m a little disengaged as I prepare for the “new season”. Just know I’m around but I’m taking care of things quietly behind the scenes outside my "day job". I will make updates when I can or have something relevant to say.

 

If you got questions, let me know here and I will try to answer things as we “reset” over the next few weeks. I don’t want to place a hard-deadline on myself or the return for new comics, but I’m aiming for mid-October return after this hiatus. It may take a little longer, but I want to send the two books to the printer and have minimally four full-sized pages completely finished before I relaunch. My plan is to post once a week this new ongoing full comic page every Tuesday morning and then assess things early in the new year with how all of this is working out.

 

HOLD FAST for me. Thanks!

Scott

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 11 In italiano

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 11 En español.

 En español. Este es mi primer intento de ofrecer una traducción. ¡Avísame si ha funcionado!

 

 

 

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 11

 

Happy National Cheeseburger Day!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 10

 

Hold Fast! Be right back.

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 157

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 156

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - KEY MOMENT Episode 14

 

[Not as long as I usually write, but here is some commentary you don't have to read unless you want to dig deeper into my thoughts about The Sea Hag.]...

 

Some say that The Sea Hag is Popeye's greatest enemy. Even his arch-enemy. In various comics, she has been portrayed as scary and ultimately an evil force. In others, a buffoon for comedy effect. She's been portrayed with pale skin with a red scarf. In later cartoons she had green hued skin just like the Wicked Witch of the West. She's been portrayed with a hook nose and a single chin by Segar. In later years when Bud Sagendorf took over the comics, he gave her the double-jutting chin that looks exactly the same as Popeye's chin. She's been portray with boils. She's been portrayed as an old maid. She's been a shape shifter. She can use her magic and become a beauty.

 

With all that said, visually, I always liked the way E.C. Segar illustrated her with the nose and single pointed chin. And ominous when inked like something out of a Goya etching. However, as a kid, I watched the cartoons and to me she was always the silly cackling green sea witch with the purple scarf hood. When I finally got around to reading both Segar's and Sagendorf's comics when I was older, I remember scratching my head at how she was drawn and colored visually different than the later cartoons.

 

You may have your own favorite version of her. Maybe not the best analogy, but when I think about writing and drawing the Sea Hag, do I play her more like Bond's threatening arch-enemy Ernst Stavro Blofeld or more like Austin Power's arch-enemy Dr. Evil for comedy effect? How do I draw her... well... easy, she's a shapeshifter and changes her appearance as she's been shown to do in comics from Segar, Zaboly, and Sagendorf. For me, my instinct is to draw her like Segar but color her like the cartoons making her green with the purple neckerchief and head scarf bandana doodad thingy.

 

For characterization? Popeye is steeped in comedy and humor geared towards laughs, yet there are times in Popeye's comics by Segar where there could be darker humor and you can have some real menace from time-to-time. And that's how I think I want to portray The Sea Hah in my "Alternate Retro Universe" that she can cause real problems for Popeye and his friends while still making us chuckle.

 

I'm still keeping my cards close to my chest about the back story of my version of The Sea Hag which I will reveal in future comic stories.

 

The Sea Hag will return in SEA SHANTY FUNNIES. Soon.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 155

 

A Message

 

My weekend did not go as planned. True technical difficulties. Sorry about that. I'm working on a new comic strip tonight. Be back soon.

I'll be back soon

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - KEY MOMENT Episode 13

 

 

Wait a minute. That's not the Whaler Joe you may know in the current official POPEYE comic strips if you're reading Randy Milholland's work.

 

And you would be correct. Mine is a different interpretation done out of both respect and not to trespass on his interpretation of this public domain character.

 

[Here's another long commentary you don't have to read unless you want to dig deeper "behind the story"]... 

 

"WHALER JOE" was an obscure character from the Popeye mythos that was created by E.C. Segar for a newspaper promotional piece in newspapers in the Spring of 1931 referenced in a series of prose-only written short stories with spot illustrations about the childhood of the still recently new character Popeye that had moved up and become the new star lead feature after his introduction in the THIMBLE THEATRE newspaper comic strip just two years earlier. The series was alternatively named "The Private Life of Popeye" or "Popeye's Life Story". This was also a time before Popeye became an animated cartoon and about five years before the introduction of his long lost missing father Poopdeck Pappy.

 

The notable point here is the character Whaler Joe was not visually depicted in these prose pieces by E.C. Segar about Popeye's origin and early childhood days before he lost his eye to a bloodthirsty cook onboard the ship "Josie Lee" who went by the nickname "The Ape". Just an obscure and nearly forgotten mention.

 

And here is where I give credit due. Current official POPEYE cartoonist Randy Milholland has reintroduced Whaler Joe into his comic strips of these past few years visually depicting him as a black man with a daughter that was a foster father for whom Popeye affectionately calls "Dad". You can read about the character over on comicskingdom.com where Randy's POPEYE comics are published online weekly. 

 

Randy has made Whaler Joe a fine character reinserted into the Popeye mythos and I do enjoy his portrayal of the character. He has uniquely stamped his re-imagining of this obscure character and uniquely made it his own. With that said, while I also want to reintroduce Whaler Joe into SEA SHANTY FUNNIES myself, I do not think it is ethically or legally proper for me to do Randy's version of Whaler Joe he reimagined with all of his characterizations and back story. 

 

Since my SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic series has been since Day One an "Alternate Retro Timeline", I have established repeatedly that my stories are not official canon and thus I have the creative liberties to take and make my own versions separate from the various official Popeye stories and characterizations as well as differentiate my work from my fellow brothers and sisters doing their own "unofficial" versions of Popeye that entered the public domain.

 

I am reimagining the vague E.C. Segar written work by Segar to depict the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES version of Popeye's surrogate foster father Whaler Joe as being a Maori (the native people of New Zealand) mariner and whaler in the same vein of the fictional character Queequeg from MOBY DICK. The SEA SHANTY FUNNIES version of Whaler Joe is more mentor and guardian rather than the step/foster dad that Randy portrays him in his comics. Again this helps differentiate my work from the official version.

 

If Whaler Joe was a knight of the realm, then Popeye and Barnacle Bill were his squires in that sort of relationship. They served together on various working ships at sea and my version of the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES Popeye never had a land-based home to retreat to in his early life.

 

My "Whaler Joe" is named "Hona Kaumoana". The Maori name "Hona" is a translation of the name "Jonah".  Yes, as in the Biblical Jonah and The Whale. As in "Joe" is short for "Jonah". Along the ways in his life, Hona/Jonah was nicknamed "Whaler Joe" by his shipmates. This Maori "Hēramana" (sailor)'s last name is "Kaumoana" which roughly translates to someone who "journeys through the waters of the ocean".

Years ago, I did research on the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman who was the first European to sail his crew to New Zealand and make first contact with the Maori people in what became known as "Murderer's Bay". I have TWO unrelated and unpublished comic stories about this true story. At one point, I was hired to write a biography about Tasman for an Indian comic company called Campfire that was unpublished. So, I did alot of research on the Maori. Also, "Hona Kaumoana" is a rhythmic name I think.

 

Other influences into my version of Whaler Joe include some of the following: 

 

Then film STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES came out and the amazing Maori actor Temuera Morrision depicted Jango Fett and his clones. And later Boba Fett. I love this actor. Twenty years ago I had the fortune to meet Temura Morrison in person down in Florida with my son. I love how in the BOOK OF BOBA FETT Dinsey+ series, he injected Maori culture into Boba Fett's character as a Mandalorian who lived among the Tusken Raiders. I'm digressing. I just have a respectful love of the Maori culture and I hope my use of Whaler Joe will continue to give a respectful nod as well.

 

For my Whaler Joe character, I am taking inspiration then from MOBY DICK's Queequeg character, from Temuera Morrison's portrayals of both Jango and Boba Fett as well as the Mandalorian concept of taking in "foundlings" to raise and train as part of your own tribe.

 

Not to mention, I am taking a wee bit of inspiration from of all things, the film A KNIGHT'S TALE starring the late Heath Ledger with the brother-like relationship of the "Squire" characters William and Roland and imprinting that bit onto the earliest boyhood days of Popeye and Barnacle Bill (aka "Salty" Bill Barnacle) in my stories who were apprenticed to Whaler Joe. In my story, Popeye had already been with Whaler Joe when a slightly older William Barnacle became a shipmate and also took some tutelage under Whaler Joe. I'll leave it at that for now.

 

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, there was a Popeye cartoon from 1945 called "Pop-Pie a la Mode". Even 40+ some-odd years ago, it was being taken off the air in re-runs for it's blatant racist depictions of "dark savages" depicted as cannibals. The leader of the tribe, a hotel owner trying to trick Popeye, wanted to eat him. The tribe were cannibals. And the leader villain orchestrating all of this wearing a top hat with a bone... his name was also "Joe".

 

So to borrow from U2 who did a cover of the song "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles and said in the intro, "Charles Manson stole this song from The Beatles and We're Stealing it Back"... well, I'm trying to do something similar with a nod to that part of Popeye's history by turning it on it's head. Slight Easter Island Egg in my comic for today in the visual representation that takes it's nod from that creepy cartoon. Hey, it was a different time. What can I say.

 

So, for me to use Whaler Joe in SEA SHANTY FUNNIES, I am respectfully staying away from Randy Milholland's version of Whaler Joe not as a rebuke of his character and depiction, but to do my own take for both legal and ethical reasons. If that makes any sense.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 154

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 153

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - KEY MOMENT Episode 12

 

 

In our current storyline, it appears that Boola the Giant had kidnapped Bernice the Whiffle Hen in which Popeye is setting sail to rescue her. However, Popeye has encountered Boola before earlier in his life "before the War" where the two-headed giant was an enslaved henchman for Sindbad the Sailor. And appears to still be at this point in our storyline. We will catch up with Boola, Sindbad, and the Sea Hag soon.

 

In the meantime, here is a "flashback" to a KEY MOMENT in Popeye's history where we see a snapshot of Boola and Popeye about to engage in a fight. This classic cartoon by the Fleischer Studios from 1936 is one of my favorites. If not a favorite with most fans of Popeye's cartoons. The character Boola has made some guest appearances in the comic strips in cameos but was a creation of Fleischer Studios. The cartoon "POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS SINDBAD THE SAILOR" is in the public domain and can be found easily if you want to do a search on YouTube to watch it.

 

Boola is one of my favorite characters from the Popeye universe that comes to us from the cartoons and I knew that when I began writing and drawing SEA SHANTY FUNNIES, I wanted to include him.

In my SEA SHANTY FUNNIES "alternate retro timeline", this story pretty much happened "as is" in my version of Popeye's back story before "the War" earlier in his life. Olive and Wimpy accompanied him to the Isle of Sindbad where he fought the Bluto lookalike swashbuckling mariner. 

 

Where I feel that I can, I merge the stories, characters, and elements of the newspaper comic strips, cartoons, comic books, and even elements of the movie all together into this singular alternate retro history. It all just blends into the pot together for me as one big tale. It did when I was 10 year's old. It does for me now at 55 year's old.

 

More will be revealed in the storylines, so don't ask me to clarify at this point. Just go with the flow and watch the storyline unfold.

 

This drawing is my "re-interpretation" of that famous cartoon scene.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - File Card: KING BLOZO THE THIRD

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - File Card: KING BLOZO THE THIRD

"What? Me Worry?" (Sorry, quote from wrong character).

 

========================

 

Remember that the characters, background information, and situations described in these SEA SHANTY FUNNIES File Cards may take inspiration or content from established in Popeye history from comics and cartoons (and in some cases blend separate continuities together), but in many cases, I have also injected in some twists and added my own new content and interpretation on things.

These are MY spins on the characters that pertains to my "alternate retro timeline" in SEA SHANTY FUNNIES that may NOT be true in official comics or cartoons continuity or canon of KFS.

 

I do take some creative liberties, extrapolate ideas where I see possible links to established canon, and also pull some completely new ideas out of thin air if I have a new angle or story that I want to tell on my own that adds to the mythos. Again, this is unofficial and an alternate take of my own. Thanks and enjoy!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 9 (A "Vintage '29" Taste)

An homage to E.C. Segar. My apologies.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 152

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 7

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - KEY MOMENT Episode 11

 

While writing the current ongoing adventure comic strip for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES, I had already written the parts with Peepeye receiving a copy of the Herman Melville book MOBY DICK from his father "Salty" Bill Barnacle who the denizens that populate my alternate retro timeline more commonly call him "Barnacle Bill". (Side note: the book has some strange whispers coming from it... hmmm??? I wonder what it is and why ??!?!? ) 

 

Then a surprise happened to me... As I was drawing the SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic strip for last Sunday, I received an eBay purchased package in the mail of some POPEYE comics from the 1970's that I was missing in my collection. One was issue #104 that I had never read before.

 

(I'm down now to missing issues 68, 70, 90, 105, 109, 110, 116, 158, 159, and 168 to complete the full run. I digress but let me know if you have a duplicate you are willing to part with. I'm interested in buying those)

 

So, as I was reading my new comic while taking a break, call it synchronicity or kismet, but one of the stories inside I was not expecting to find was of Poopdeck Pappy recounting to Swee'Pea a tale of himself from his youth serving with Captain Ahab hunting Moby Dick. So, I just had to add this little nod to my own story from a 1970 comic book by George Wildman. It wonderfully ties into some things going on now and something coming up in the future. This happenstance now seems more relevant and almost fated for me to find as this especially connects for something for Poopdeck Pappy and what we will learn.

 

So, today's KEY MOMENT presented itself even to me this past week to learn and discover!!! Enjoy the recap based on story and art by the late great Popeye comic book cartoonist George Wildman (with my appreciation and apologies for re-interpreting some of his work for the this special piece.)

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - File Card: ALICE THE GOON

 

(I didn't had time to draw a new comic strip last night. Sorry. So, here's a new file card in lieu of that.)

"Go ask Alice"...

========================

Remember that the characters, background information, and situations described in these SEA SHANTY FUNNIES File Cards may take inspiration or content from established in Popeye history from comics and cartoons (and in some cases blend separate continuities together), but in many cases, I have also injected in some twists and added my own new content and interpretation on things.

These are MY spins on the characters that pertains to my "alternate retro timeline" in SEA SHANTY FUNNIES that may NOT be true in official comics or cartoons continuity or canon of KFS.

I do take some creative liberties, extrapolate ideas where I see possible links to established canon, and also pull some completely new ideas out of thin air if I have a new angle or story that I want to tell on my own that adds to the mythos. Again, this is unofficial and an alternate take of my own. Thanks and enjoy!

========================

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 6

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - File Card: COLE OYL

 

Here is a New Bonus Feature I want to try out for those days when I am unable to take the time to draw a comic strip but I can still take 30 minutes to crank out one of these faster using some of my "stock" character pin ups I've previously drawn if I keep it this small and succinct. I figure this might be fun and also helpful to put out some abbreviated mini-biographical reference cards to characters running around in these SEA SHANTY FUNNIES stories of mine based on established characters as well as new character creations of my own. 

 

These file cards are inspired by case files from Dick Tracy comic strips and... um... yes... even the back of carded G.I. Joe action figures with those file cards. 

 

Remember that the characters, background information, and situations described in these bios and artwork may take inspiration or content from established Thimble Theatre and Popeye history, but in many cases, I have also injected in some twists and added new content that pertains to my "alternate retro timeline" in SEA SHANTY FUNNIES that may NOT be true in official comics or cartoons continuity or canon. These are MY spin on the characters.

 

Also, there are other creators doing their unofficial own takes on Popeye and I know for a fact that in many instances my takes and backgrounds on the characters DO NOT line up with their takes. And that is totally fine because this is like a multiverse where we each can do our own versions.

I do take some creative liberties, extrapolate ideas where I see possible links to established canon, and also pull some completely new ideas out of thin air if I have a new angle or story that I want to tell on my own that adds to the mythos. Again, this is unofficial and an alternate take of my own. Thanks and enjoy!

 

Oh, and by the way, Olive did have distinctive nephews in some of the earliest Segar Pre-Popeye comic strips in 1920 that were not the children of Castor Oyl that are all now but forgotten. but you can read about soon in these nifty new archived collections of THIMBLE THEATRE dailies that are starting to come out. I digress.

 

Have a great day!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 151

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 5

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 150

 

 

Apologies for the technical difficulties and delays. A continuation of the current summer storyline. Another episode is next planned for Sunday morning