SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 134

 

Three Comic Books are going into Pre-Press Production in July for a small print run!

So, I was busy Sunday evening designing and putting together comic book covers for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES. 
I realize that I have enough story material for TWO full 28-page comic books to collect for posterity my past SEA SHANTY FUNNIES web comic strips from the first half of this year in a traditional full four-color print format like I recently self-published a few months ago for SEA SHANTY FUNNIES #1.

Honestly, I pay for these out of pocket and just hope to recoup the cost of printing and mailing at this point. I don't have distribution in comic shops. This is a labor of love and just a small niche thing small press thing not entering the mass market.

I intend to gather up this year's SEA SHANTY FUNNIES webcomics so far up through the "Watching the Detectives" and "SEA SHANTY FUNNIES TV Questionnaire" parody. I will send both comics AT THE SAME TIME to the printer in July.

While I am doing that, I am also collecting one of my creator-owned independent comic strips from the world of THRILL SEEKER COMICS with "Case of the Missing Guitar" featuring my detective character MS. TITTENHURST that I co-created with my wife Jennifer. We ran this as a webcomic a few years ago and I just never got around to collecting it into a printed comic book. So, I'm going to send this to the printer at the same time as SEA SHANTY FUNNIES #2 and #3.

For those with a keen eye, Ms. Tittenhurst (known as 'Dottie') made a cameo "crossover" appearance during the "Watching the Detectives" interviews in SEA SHANTY FUNNIES for fun as an Easter Egg for those loyal THRILL SEEKER COMICS fans who are also reading SEA SHANTY FUNNIES.

I'll post updates when I know more and get further down the road in the process. My goal for 2026 has been to publish three issues of SEA SHANTY FUNNIES in a limited run and it looks like I'll get to do it before the summer is over. One fringe benefit is that printing at the same time will save on shipping costs if I can mail them both together in August or so to those that are wanting them.

Anyway, I thought some of you readers might like a sneak peek as I'm excited about getting these printed and holding them in my own hands. I hope those of you wanting a copy will be excited, too!

SEA SHANTY FUNNIES™ - Episode 133

 

Thanks for waiting for today's Sunday morning comic strip. Apologies for the delay.

Sunday morning's SEA SHANTY FUNNIES comic delayed for later in the day today

GOOD MORNING! It's Sunday morning and about 6:00 a.m. Central Time. Today's Sunday comic strip will be delayed for later in the morning today. I'm not sure what time just yet.

I usually post a BIG Sunday comics strip every Sunday at 7:30 a.m. Central Time. During the weekdays, I aim for Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30 a.m. Central also currently, but things may shake up with the summer now in full swing and things getting a bit chaotic for me. I will need to make some adjustments.

As for TODAY'S SUNDAY COMIC...

However, things got busy for me yesterday and I went to bed early around 9:00 p.m. and got up at about 3:30 a.m. to start today's comic strip later than usual. No worries. I have "biphasic sleep patterns" and sleep in two shifts during the evenings. That's how I roll.

I'm about halfway through illustrating today's comic and see I won't meet my self-imposed deadline of 7:20 a.m. today. Sorry about that. However, I do want to publish this comic strip online and have it go out today so I'm going to keep working on it this morning. I will post it as soon as I finish it. No worries. All is good. Just I'm behind the 8-ball as they say and running behind.

If you missed yesterday's TWO strips, go check them out. They caused quite a stir! 

Check back later today!

Thanks.

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 an early 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.