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

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 4

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 3

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - KEY MOMENT Episode 10

 

==========

[PLEASE NOTE: What I wrote here is long. SO PLEASE FEEL FREE JUST TO SKIP ALL THIS TEXT AND JUST READ THE COMIC. The COMMENTARY and HISTORY LESSON is supplemental for those that want to dig deeper and also see how this impacts this comic strip. I'm, just rambling. Think of this as something similar to DVD Commentary]

===========

 

To the average modern Popeye fan, they know the main cast of supporting characters such as Olive, Wimpy, Swee'Pea, Poopdeck Pappy and (though this is still confusing for many) Popeye's foe Bluto and/or is it Brutus? (I won't get into that latter subject at this particular moment in time.)

Many new readers may be even less familiar with Alice the Goon, Sea Hag, Eugene the Jeep, etc. But if you're here, you probably know them.

 

However, unless you are perhaps a diehard dedicated Popeye fan yourself steeped in understanding the complex history of the character, you probably never heard of Sir Pomeroy.

Don't worry about that if you've never heard of him. I don't expect many have. He is kind of a deep cut obscure character to this modern audience, but he was actually a regularly featured comic character in Popeye daily comics back in the 1950's.

 

You see, there was this time back in the mid-to-late 1950's for Popeye in the newspapers (NOT the cartoons or on the Sunday newspaper strip) that this support character took center stage as a regular "cast member" right next to Popeye himself in his daily comics strip for just over four years there. If I'm doing the math correctly. They were a duo.

 

This British expeditionary explorer is/was named Sir Pomeroy Vauxhall. Popeye affectionately nicknamed him "Pommy" right from the start when he met him after being referred by the local bartender to seek out the knowledgeable explorer so that he could help Popeye on his quest to track this bigfooted creature.

 

After their first adventure together where he helped out on the "Case of the Abdominal Snowman" (yes, 'abdominal') who (spoiler alert) turned out to be a giant alien from "South Mars" they tracked down who breathed "the fizzy bubbles of sarsaparilla soda-pop" through a CPAP looking device and spoke backwards, Sir Pomeroy unexpectedly stuck around and hung out with Popeye in the daily comics for almost five years!!!

 

Um. Yeah. Talk about overstaying your welcome. There are far more knowledgeable Popeye historians than myself, but when Stein came in, he brought in his own ideas and ditched Olive, Wimpy, and spinach amongst other things where he wanted to spotlight and shoehorn in his own creation. I still enjoy them, but they are eclectic. Kind of like I can only eat certain foods maybe once or twice a year. I enjoy them, but not in my dietary rotation all the time.

 

However, Ralph Stein did give us Bluto's brother Burlo. And he also gave Poopdeck Pappy a gold-digging, shotgun-totting, high-heel shoe wearing young girlfriend named Lulu in his last storyline centered around an abducted horse named Nonny the Equine Genius. Which I loved. So Kudos.

Don't get me wrong, my fellow diehard fans. I enjoyed some of these comics and I am an absolute fan of artist Bela Zaboly, but I found it strange to read these old comic strips to see that "Pommy" became Popeye's right hand man. This series went in a different direction and that was for sure with writer Ralph Stein.

 

If you ever watched reruns of the 1960's television series HOGAN'S HEROES, BEWITCHED, or early episodes of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, the Popeye character "Pommy" quite reminded me of British Welsh actor Bernard Fox who was a reoccurring guest star on all of those shows as either P.O.W. British Air Force misfit Col. Crittendon, witch debunker Dr. Bombay, or the always proper pleasing visiting butler manservant Malcolm Merriweather who rode into town on his bicycle. Respectfully. Always playing this certain British stiff upper lip stereotype. Jolly good. Pip pip. 

 

Bernard Fox of course starred in other films such as TITANIC and THE MUMMY and various other guest roles on television. Cartoon fans might remember his voice in two of the Disney RESCUERS films. I digress.

 

Maybe it is just me that sees it, but when I read these Ralph Stein and Bela Zaboly comics strips from the second half of the 1950's with Sir Pomeroy, I hear Bernard Fox's voice and mannerisms.

But back to Popeye history... after E.C. Segar died in 1938, writer Tom Sims would write the Popeye comics strips until leaving the weekday dailies in 1954. However, Sims stayed on with the Sunday comic strip until 1958 and those were more traditional to the Popeye we know with Olive, Wimpy, etc.. Sims worked with brilliant Popeye artist Bela Zaboly. When Sim left the dailies, writer Ralph Stein took over and continued with artist Zaboly until Popeye comic book artist Bud Sagendorf took over both writing and art chores for the daily and Sunday strips with his first daily comic strip published on August 10, 1959. Remember all that because there is a pop quiz.

 

The daily strip is the long adventure. The Sunday strip was more of a one-and-done gag strip. For the most part.

 

The world had entered the space age. This was post-World War Two and pre-JFK 60's era. We're in the Eisenhower Presidential era. 1950's Sci-Fi was entering the culture more. As I mentioned, in the daily newspaper comics, believe it or not, Stein wrote Olive Oyl out of the picture for almost five years. She and Swee'Pea made some rare appearances here and there, but for the most part, Stein decided to partner up Popeye with his creation Sir Pomeroy. As I mentioned in today's comic strip, the two characters would bumble into misadventures around the globe (and outerspace!).

 

I'm not trying to make this a critique of Stein's work and creation Sir Pomeroy that he had added to the Popeye mythos. There is harsh criticism out there indeed. Especially with removing Olive and Wimpy to shoehorn this character in. But there are some storylines in this era that are fun to read and I enjoy. There are some others that are not. Enough said.

 

After Sagendorf took over in 1958/59, he brought back Olive Oyl and put Swee'Pea back in his onesie. He ditched Sir Pomeroy. Stein and Zaboly were able to finish their storyline sending him off into the sunset. Years later, some other Popeye cartoonists would include him from time to time for guest appearances. One of those brushed the dust off "Pommy" and used him once again for a stint was cartoonist Bobby London who brought him back for guest appearances in the late 1980's daily comic strips of that era. Hard to believe even that was nearly 40 years ago!

 

For me with SEA SHANTY FUNNIES and in my mind with the stories from my own "alternate retro" timeline, my continuity includes ONLY SOME OF THESE (BUT NOT ALL) of the globetrotting adventures that Popeye did with "Pommy" back in the day. Some may have not happened. Some may have played out differently. It really doesn't matter. It is vague and unknown for even for me.

I will just "cherrypick" or perhaps reference certain things of what I felt were the better elements or tales that I liked or can make work from this era of newspaper comic strip of Stein and Zaboly into my own backstories if that ever becomes necessary. 

 

For the hardcore diehard Popeye fans who are over-analyzers like myself, just don't overthink it with what I'm doing with my own comic strip. Please. I just want to acknowledge here the character and that he does exists in my continuity, too. I don't necessarily try to make everything fit, I just pack in what I can make fit to give nods and respect to all of Popeye's past. And, like I'm doing with the dreaded Nephews, I will sometimes add my own spin or retcons. 

 

I will even say that I liked Sir "Pommy" -- this annoying character somewhat more than perhaps others did -- but I think that is because I graft on and transfer my memories and love of the aforementioned comedian actor Bernard Fox's essence and personality onto "Pommy"'s character in my own mind. If I was to write Pommy myself down the road for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES, I would write the character with Bernard Fox's voice and mannerisms in my head and do my own spin while trying to retain respect the work before.

 

From the beginning, E.C. Segar set up his comic strip as "theater". THIMBLE THEATRE that is. It included a cast of characters that come and go. Even the leads like Ham Gravy exited so that Popeye could take center stage. One of the things about Popeye is that the cast of characters... whether the major players.... the minor support characters... and even what should be insignificant background characters somehow bring this imaginary world together in all of their oddballness. 

 

Wait. Is "oddballness" a word?

 

Well, Sir Pomeroy is an oddball character for sure and part of the history. I do have two upcoming things in mind to use him, but he has to wait in the cue with others in line before I can get to him at the moment. Again, I'm rambling in my usual hyperlinked thoughts.

 

I use these "KEY MOMENTS" to offer my own sort of "DVD-like Commentary" and why I choose to showcase a part of Popeye's history that I feel is important not only for my own comic strip's back story, but to perhaps give a history lesson or two that new readers unfamiliar with Popeye can learn something new

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 149

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 148

 

 

Picking up with our ongoing adventure storyline...

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 2

 

Lots of Easter Eggs, Deep Cuts, Borrows, Crossovers, and Homages here in this little one panel parody. With apologies and acknowledgments. IYKYK.

 

Also, I ask for forgiveness to any Popeye fan triggered by my inclusion of Shorty in the parody. But whoop, there he is!

 

Oh, and hello, ALFRED. Welcome to SEA SHANTY FUNNIES you beautiful, obscure, and mainly forgotten public domain comic strip character who speaks volumes in total silence

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ "A QUICK CRACK UP↑" - Episode 1

 

 

Trying out something new with a simple gag strip to do here and there as the muse hits me.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 147

 

We're back with the ongoing storyline after this past week's intermission while I took care of some things. Thank you for you holding.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - KEY MOMENT Episode 9

 

So, in recent weeks, I've started to explore Popeye's publishing history over in Italy where there are thousands of pages of Popeye stories that have never been printed over here in America. Stories I never knew about or read.

 

Our fellow Popeye fan and friend Tano Strilla recently sent me a book called "Il Meglio di Braccio di Ferro" (The Best of Popeye) which are original Italian stories of Popeye by Pier Luigi Sangalli and Sandro Dossi that I am reading for the first time. One of the tales is of "Georgie the Giant" (named "Grissino" in Italy which means 'Breadstick'). This is a character first introduced by Bud Sagendorf at the beginning of 1960 in the POPEYE #51 and #52 comic books published by Dell Comics. 

 

Today's KEY MOMENT is a snapshot from the second issue. In the previous issue that he first appeared in, "Georgie the Giant" was Popeye's foe whom he knocked out. Spoiler alert. But Georgie was a Gentle Giant and as King Blozo states to Popeye, "Because you defeated him he says he is your slave and has to stay with you."

 

The next issue, he comes over for a weekend visit and causes all sorts of problems for Popeye's hometown due to his size.

 

"Grissino" would later spin off as the lead character into his own back up features in many of the "Braccio di Ferro" Popeye comics over in Italy where he appeared over 130 times in his own stories. He even spun off into his own comic book in Italy. He was also popular in the French version comic "Cap'tain Présente Popeye". The Comic Book Grand Database says that Georgie the Giant (called "Georges" in French) had appeared in French comics over 150 times. (I only own one French comic and intend to explore their publishing history soon, also). 

 

Over here in the U.S., "Georgie the Giant" was but one of many footnote minor characters that came and went with a few minor appearances, but for Italian and French readers, he was literally "a BIG DEAL". I'm no expert on Georgie the Giant, but he is a character of interest that I'm now appreciating and wanting to read more of his exploits in these non-American Popeye comics.

 

I have a whole new love and appreciation of Georgie "Grissino" the Giant. I just received my second Italian Popeye book yesterday with Grissino and I look forward to reading many more Italian comics featuring Popeye (Braccio di Ferro) as a fan (and possibly for research). 

 

As I've mentioned previously, I'm starting to learn a bit of Italian at the moment due to my interest in Braccio di Ferro and private correspondence that I've had lately with Tano. To me, it is funny, because I first learned to read English as a child at age five due to my father giving me comic books to read. Some of those comics were Popeye comics. Now, here I am at fifty-five years of age and I'm learning to read Italian ... thanks to... um... comics once again.

 

As they say, "I've gone full circle".

 

Over the past month, we've had a great influx of new readers. Many are from all over the world and I have come to realize that Popeye's popularity is global and unifying. We all love Popeye, don't we? This just isn't an "American thing". It is a "world thing". This has inspired me with all of you new readers to really look at exploring offering my comics translated into other languages if the interest is there.

 

For my readers from around the world where English is difficult for you to read: I know many of you are reading translations of these posts, however the text in the artwork is not always accessible for you to read.

 

Please  let me know what languages you would like to see SEA SHANTY FUNNIES translated in. First up, I intend to begin doing some translation in Spanish and Italian. What other languages would you like to see my comics translated in for you to read?

 

I want to do so because of my love for these characters. I would love to be able to provide entertainment and fun for you to read new Popeye tales. Thanks!

UPDATE: SEA SHANTY FUNNIES Returns on Sunday

Sorry, I've been tied up with both personal and work matters this past week and wasn't able to work on comic strips these past several evenings. Things are now returning to normal.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES will return on Sunday with a new full page comic strip.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 146

 

A drawing of the Literary James Bond

 

Somewhat how I envision the 1950's Literary Version of James Bond in my mind's eye when reading an Ian Fleming novel with the "comma of hair" and three inch scar on his right cheek. A quick rough drawing tonight for fun.

 

I tried to merge Sean Connery, Hoagy Carmichael, and a bit of George Lazenby. When I read the Bond novels, it is actually Lazenby's "voice" that I "hear" in my head when reading 007's dialogue. 

 

I hope to one day go and visit Fleming's home GoldenEye in Jamaica where he wrote his Bond novels. Wouldn't that be something?

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 145

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 144

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 143

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 142

 

An Ode to Beetle Bailey

 

 

While most folks know that I love Popeye and I'm doing my own public domain-based comic strip called SEA SHANTY FUNNIES, I am also a BIG fan of BEETLE BAILEY by Mort and Greg Walker. Just for fun, I put together this simple fan-inspired tribute as a test and chance for me to draw these characters that I love. THIS IS ONE TIME ONLY and is not meant as any sort of infringement. I thought I'd share. With all respect and love to the comic strip and creators. Thank you for making me chuckle all these years!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 141

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - SORRY FOLKS, TODAY'S COMIC STRIP IS A RE-RUN. . .

 

 

SORRY FOLKS, TODAY'S COMIC STRIP IS A RE-RUN. . . 

 

I needed (and still need) to take care of some things on the home-front and for my work at my "day job". I plan on returning with a new SEA SHANTY FUNNIES web comic strip (and continue our current storyline) this upcoming Sunday -- the Almighty willing. It should be a longer comic strip this next go round is my current plan. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

 

So, HOLD FAST!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - ♪ "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother..."♬

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 140

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES: Just enjoying the summer!

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 139

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 138

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ A Key Moment - Mini-Episode #8

 

I admit that it feels sort of sacrilegious for me to even to attempt to do today's flashback to a "Key Moment" from Popeye's life that is such an iconic big part of Popeye's history originally created and portrayed by creator E.C. Segar in a THIMBLE THEATRE comic strip that ran on Saturday, October 24, 1936. 

 

So with apologies... this is "after Segar".

 

This is the moment that Popeye finally confronted his father Poopdeck Pappy for the first time. For those that don't know, Popeye was abandoned decades earlier when he was a young child and had been on the lookout for his Poppa ever since. 

 

Popeye had journeyed with his friends and found his father due to the magical abilities of Eugene the Jeep who knew how to locate Popeye's father and pointed the way. On the remote island, Popeye found Poopdeck Pappy joined by his shipmate pal Pooky Jones who had just exited the scene just before this to "go trim his beard".

 

I did take some creative liberties to insert a few elements that were "off screen" that had appeared in previous panels leading up to this pivotal scene. This is another re-imagined "key moment" one-panel comic that I do my own reinterpretation of sorts.

 

For SEA SHANTY FUNNIES continuity in my comic strips and stories, I build off all of E.C. Segar's work that came before. I view it pretty much all as canon to Popeye's backstory though there are few things in my alternate universe I choose to throw out. I digress.

 

While I build off the foundation of Segar's work, I also inject modified stories from the Flesicher cartoons and other material into the back story of SEA SHANTY FUNNIES where I try to fit certain elements or "retcon" things the best I can to bring it all together in a melded mishmash.

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES is absolutely an "alternate retro universe" so some things that happened officially in comics or cartoons doesn't necessarily all fit within my unofficial alternate universe's history, back stories, or timeline. I state this for all the hardcore Popeye fans who may comb over details in my work to relax and rest easy knowing that this "alternate universe" is doing it's own thing and playing out. I'm just doing some storytelling in my own sandbox.

 

SPOILER ALERT...

 

And to tease something for a future segment of the current storyline from this summer in my SEA SHANTY FUNNIES "alternate retro timeline"... the "OTHER first meeting reunions" between Popeye and Poopdeck Pappy portrayed differently in the cartoons of Fleischer Studions "Goonland" (1938), "Popeye's Pappy" (1952) by Famous Studios, and "Me Quest for Poopdeck Pappy" (1960) from A.A.P. also all took place (in some altered manner) in my timeline's history if you will suspend your disbelief. Not to mention another version or two elsewhere seen in Popeye's various lore. At least in my mind and story.

 

I will explain the paradox and how and why it happened in an upcoming comic strip. But just know that over in SEA SHANTY FUNNIES, this "first reunion" portrayed by E.C. Segar happened first and was the most significant.

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 137

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Bully!

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES Facebook Group

 

If you're finding SEA SHANTY FUNNIES out here on my Blog, please know that I also have a Facebook Group for this comic strip and Popeye fan community that you can join for free over at https://www.facebook.com/groups/seashantyfunnies

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 136

 

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 135

 

See their response, tomorrow. . .