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JayFosgitt β€” Popeye Tribute

Published: 2006-06-24 12:59:23 +0000 UTC; Views: 12435; Favourites: 141; Downloads: 2326
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Description Moreso than any other established cartoon character, I love Popeye and the world he inhabits. I'm well steeped in Popeye history, from the original comics to the animated cartoons (amongst which, only the Fleischer Bros. work is worth mentioning), and I LOVE the 1980 live action film starring Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall. So drawing this particular tribute was a natural choice. But this is far from the first time I've drawn the characters. Just about once a year I find myself paying homage to Popeye's greatness through my cartooning, just because. In fact, it's long been a dream of mine to write and draw a Popeye graphic novel, a dream that I became even more determined to make a reality after the abyssmal one-shot comic book from the late 90's where Popeye and Olive Oyl get married. The artwork was horrible (they tried to draw everyone REALISTIC, for cryin' out loud! What the hell's up with that??), and even the normally great writing of comics scribe Peter David couldn't save this doomed concept. So hopefully one day I'll get my shot at doing the characters right.

Here, I've drawn Popeye being manhandled by a goon (Alice the goon before she was domesticated) who is being controlled by Popeye's female arch nemesis, The Sea Hag.

And my apologies for the length of this description. Hey, I'm just passionate about Popeye.
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Comments: 68

Towers-of-Obscure [2019-06-18 17:45:03 +0000 UTC]

Why wasn't the sea hag in any of his cartoons?

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ArToonStudios [2015-06-02 23:29:22 +0000 UTC]

I like how the Sea Hag is like "Hooray."

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DevastationBob [2014-12-28 07:01:01 +0000 UTC]

"I bet one legend that keeps recurring throughout history, in every culture, is the story of Popeye." - Jack Handey

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ardashir [2013-01-08 04:45:50 +0000 UTC]

This is a wonderful homage to classic Segar Popeye, the Sea Hag, and Alice the Goon. Heh, maybe Popeye could get rid of Alice by introducing her to his buddy Tor the Caveman.

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JayFosgitt In reply to ardashir [2013-01-08 14:16:53 +0000 UTC]

Good idea!

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ardashir In reply to JayFosgitt [2013-01-08 19:35:51 +0000 UTC]

Hey, little Goons have to come from somewhere. And I forget if Segar ever showed any Goons other than Alice and her kid in the comics proper.

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ragingspacebull [2012-08-27 23:27:48 +0000 UTC]

"That's it, that's it! Now finish him off!"
"Where's me spinach when I needs it?"

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CapnDeek373 [2010-02-03 01:46:16 +0000 UTC]

We'd love to have this featured over at

Just go to the Gallery, select the Featured gallery the click on "submit to this gallery"

You might also have a message somewheres in your message center regarding this. You can approve it from there, if the message is still there.

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the-Jeb-D [2009-12-10 00:29:37 +0000 UTC]

awesome, totally retro!

old school cartoons are the real cartoons!!!

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JayFosgitt In reply to the-Jeb-D [2009-12-10 08:39:48 +0000 UTC]

Amen, my friend!

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M-SEIJIN [2009-10-17 06:10:51 +0000 UTC]

WHO's the most remarkable extra ordinary fellow!?

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JayFosgitt In reply to M-SEIJIN [2009-10-17 11:38:36 +0000 UTC]

Sinbad the sailor!

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M-SEIJIN In reply to JayFosgitt [2009-10-17 17:25:19 +0000 UTC]

Who's the most phenominal extra special kind of fellow!?

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TherealRNO In reply to M-SEIJIN [2010-04-17 19:08:28 +0000 UTC]

Sindbad The Sailor.


But who's strong to the finish, 'cause he eats his spinach? Popeye the Sailor Man (Toot! Toot!)

Popeye Theme: [link]

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M-SEIJIN In reply to TherealRNO [2010-04-18 23:48:10 +0000 UTC]

I'm afraid of
nobody under the sun
All I say is BOO and my enemies run

Who's the most remarkable extra special kind of fellow-
Popeye the sailerman! *toot*

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TherealRNO In reply to M-SEIJIN [2010-04-19 00:46:31 +0000 UTC]

"Come on, Wimpy. We gosta save Olive Oyl! Here we go, into the brink."

*heads to Sindbad Isle*

Popeye: Isle of Sindbad. Enter not. Whosoever pass-eth in, pass-eth out.

*Wimpy chases a duck, trying to make duck-burgers*

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CapnDeek373 [2009-02-01 15:34:45 +0000 UTC]

To this day I still consider the Popeye movie the best casting job ever!

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JayFosgitt In reply to CapnDeek373 [2009-02-01 17:43:41 +0000 UTC]

I totally agree! Did you know they almost cast Dustin Hoffman as Popeye and Gilda Radner as Olive Oyl? Now, Gilda, she would have been a good backup after Shelly Duvall, but Dustin "Rainman" Hoffman as Popeye?! Not in my lifetime!

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CapnDeek373 In reply to JayFosgitt [2009-02-01 18:00:20 +0000 UTC]

I shuddered at the thought of Hoffman in the roll.
And Shelly Duval is still Olive even when not playing Olive!

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rubixspoly [2009-01-22 04:00:07 +0000 UTC]

she looks like a vulture and always going around saying I love popeye I love popeye by the way great drawing

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KingFridayJoe [2009-01-19 19:42:21 +0000 UTC]

The goon used to scare the bejeeezus outta me when I was little.

Like, I had raw, instinctual visceral reactions when it came on screen, fuelled by the cold malice radiating from those black eyes.

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sideshowjane [2008-11-16 21:31:43 +0000 UTC]

Holy shit!!! The sea hag looks like my mom! Or is that the other way around?
Great job, as usual, Jay!
And I agree, Thimble Theater rocks!

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JayFosgitt In reply to sideshowjane [2008-11-17 13:15:01 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! Even though that's an older piece of mine, I've really had a hankerin' to do some more Popeye tributes.

So, given your icon, how do you feel now that Berke Breathed is retiring Opus for the bazillionth time, this time seemingly the last? I've always respected the guy, but not I just don't get his thought process. He's retired and resurrected more than The Who and The Rolling Stones combined!

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sideshowjane In reply to JayFosgitt [2008-11-18 20:01:43 +0000 UTC]

Berke Breathed retired Opus again? The only reason I bought the Sunday paper in the first place?! To quote from Peanuts, ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!
I have got to get online more!

But seriously, it's his creation and he can do what he wants with it. I'll miss it like the dickens, but what are ya' gonna do? Breathed will always be the reason I got into cartooning in the first place. He will always be a legendary cartoonist.

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silentrunner9 [2008-03-05 21:57:47 +0000 UTC]

I love the design and linework especially on Alice the Goon. The gestures and expressions are so lively and your style is just fun to look at.

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Rusty-Knight-X [2008-01-07 17:03:47 +0000 UTC]

Wow man that is kicking rad.

See that's cool stuff because I was toying with the idea of some day making a Popeye game.

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Goblinthegreat [2007-10-01 06:09:04 +0000 UTC]

I LOVED the live-action Popeye, too. I watched that movie all the time as a kid, and I bought the DVD a few weeks ago XD I'd do anything to get the Fleischer cartoon DVD collection they came out with and one of the Fantagraphics collections; that'd be sweet

As far as spinach goes, I've tasted a REALLY great spinach dip from Bi-Lo one time. I'm not sure if I would ever be bold enough to eat it raw from a can like Popeye XD

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jhames34 [2007-08-03 01:59:30 +0000 UTC]

Segarriffic

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TheMightyGorga [2007-06-01 04:21:04 +0000 UTC]

Popeye was always my favorite show growing up... I have collections from the original newspaper comics of the 1930's, as well as many dvd's & vids... Heck, I even do passable impressions of the spinach munchin' ol' bastich.. much to my wife's chagrin.

For those who ain't seen it... I thought I'd share popeye's first appearance in 1929...
[link] opeyfirst.gif

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bitwize [2007-05-27 14:11:37 +0000 UTC]

The Seahag's teeth are awesome. Great and funny work.

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CapnDeek373 [2007-03-21 17:12:19 +0000 UTC]

Hair today. Goon tomorrah!

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Sugarballs [2006-10-05 08:08:26 +0000 UTC]

Cool you drew the Seahag...

I heard that the story behind the seahags hatred towards Popeye and crew was because Popeye
rejected her love....WTF?

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netrat13 [2006-06-26 20:21:33 +0000 UTC]

I remember the movie fondly. Robin Williams was so in character, that I often forget that it's him when I'm watching the movie.

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Hitlersbrain [2006-06-26 14:58:29 +0000 UTC]

There was actually a full series of those comics.. but yeah, they sucked. The only Popeye thing in the last so many years that I liked was Bobby London's stuff. But then they fired him!

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JayFosgitt In reply to Hitlersbrain [2006-06-26 17:06:20 +0000 UTC]

Dude, you just hit the nail on the head! Bobby London's run on Popeye was, like ALL his work, simply brilliant! He's the only writer who's been willing to be edgy with the characters since EC Segar created Thimble Theatre! I've spoken to him a few times, and sadly, he still seems bitter about it. Can't really blame him, though.

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HelixScape [2006-06-25 20:29:01 +0000 UTC]

I'm a huge fan of Fleischer's work, and Popeye is certainly no exception. Fleischer practically pioneered the rubber-hose style animation back in the 30's, and his inimitable style remains to date on of my favourites from the era. To choose Popeye as a character to pay tribute to is almost to tribute the great work the Fleischer Bros. did as a whole. They moulded and shaped a huge nichΓ© in the industry, where Disney and his seemingly 'unoriginal' style couldn't find themselves. Characters who have flaws, who are aggressive and have realistic human-traits (jealousy, violence, bitterness etc.) were practically a stablemate of their early 30's work - and that made the characters have almost limitless appeal.

The fact that you've made such a good effort - both on the time you've spent on this peice, and by the obvious careful attention to the Popeye history - it's readily apparent that you both hold their work in high esteem, and in great respect. Such appreciation in this classic work is rarely seen, for which I am so pleased to see you taking under your wing.

Your homage is wonderfull put together, and nothing short of an outstanding tribute to those who helped shape cartoons and animation in ways that people could only ever dream.

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JayFosgitt In reply to HelixScape [2006-06-25 20:48:29 +0000 UTC]

Man, I tell ya, if ever I do manage to get the rights from King Features to do a Popeye graphic novel, I gotta have you write the introduction! Thanks so much for your compliments, and it's a real thrill for me to meet someone so insightful about the Fleischers! For my birthday this past October, my fiancee got me two books on the Fleischer studio's history: The Fleischer Story by Leslie Cabarga (which paints Max Fleischer in a not so favorable light) and Out of the Inkwell, by Max's son Richard. Both books are very detailed, but the one by Carbarga has more great old photos and illustrations. I think you'd like them if you haven't already read them! Thanks again for your detailed comments! And keep checking my page out for more Popeye tributes! I've got a wealth of material to draw inspiration from!

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HelixScape In reply to JayFosgitt [2006-06-25 21:39:24 +0000 UTC]

You're most welcome!

And yes, i've been meaning to pick up Out of the Inkwell for some time now - but time hasn't been on my side recently! Yes, I've spent a good deal of time learning about the original masters. The Fleischers are truly inspirational artists, and where their business practices may have caused problems in more than one occasion, the fact still remains that they were visionary cartoonists - and the world could do with learning more than a few lessons from their collective genius. As I said, it's so refreshing to see someone paying tribute to Popeye not just out of respect for the humour of Popeye's universe, but also for the respect of where he came from, and who gave birth to such a wonderfull endearing character. Popeye is a true classic, and I offer my sincerest hopes that you are able to obtain the rights to develop a graphic novel. I know you'd do it great justice - and i'd be first in line to get my signed copy!

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JayFosgitt In reply to HelixScape [2006-06-25 22:31:24 +0000 UTC]

You shall forevermore be my brother of the spinach can! And man, would I LOVE to make a Popeye graphic novel happen! I actually had a really good plot for one over ten years ago, and I think it would still be a viable starting point for the book. But we'll see....

And if I hadn't mentioned it earlier, your observations about Disney were spot on! I swear, as soon as the old Fleischer artists left the east coast for the west coast, they got waaaayyyy too pretentious! It makes me sick that so many people really believe the fairy tale the Disney single handedly inviented animation! It's bad enough uncle Walt stole the rotoscoping process from Max!

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HelixScape In reply to JayFosgitt [2006-06-26 06:08:37 +0000 UTC]

*chuckles* - ahh yes, the infamous rotoscoping scandal. It's little nuggets of knowledge like this that show your appreciation for *real* animation, rather than the somewhat watered-down and clinical Disney stylisations of the era. If I had three thumbs, they'd all be up now!

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jpmorgan [2006-06-25 18:18:52 +0000 UTC]

Great! This piece rocks! Popeye is an old favorite of mine... I heartily recommend reading the original Segar strips (as in the complete collection Fantagraphics put out), too.

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JayFosgitt In reply to jpmorgan [2006-06-25 18:37:25 +0000 UTC]

I know, I've been trying to get my hands on those Fantagraphics collections for years now, but I guess they're out of print and hard as hell to find! If you have any leads as to where I could find them, I'm listening!

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jpmorgan In reply to JayFosgitt [2006-06-26 02:01:06 +0000 UTC]

Hmm -- I was lucky enough to get the Fantagraphics volumes when they were in print (no, don't wanna sell 'em ). There are interesting Popeye items at eBay, but no "collection" books when I looked just now... a search at Amazon under "books" show some, but they seem to want plenty$$$ for them. Geez, I dunno, only thing I can suggest is to keep looking on eBay for a good price! Wish I had more advice...

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Succubus-Angel [2006-06-25 17:44:43 +0000 UTC]

^O^ The thing that's holding Popeye used to scare me as a kid ^_^; I don't know what it was, maybe it was the nose or the eyes, lol. At any rate, you've done an excellent job in capturing Popeye. Always wonderful work, hon! Keep it up!

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JayFosgitt In reply to Succubus-Angel [2006-06-25 18:35:40 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! And as a bit o' trivia, when they first introduced the goon back in the early 30's, newspapers nationwide got complaints from parents saying the goon scared their kids to death and gave them nightmares. That's why they eventually put the goon in a dress, made it a her, named her Alice and made her a good guy, as well as Swee' Pea's nanny of sorts!

Man, I'm such a nerd for knowing that...

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Succubus-Angel In reply to JayFosgitt [2006-06-26 03:40:06 +0000 UTC]

^O^ I guess I wasn't the only one then, lol! It's got such trivia about it, that it's an awesome show. BTW, I LOOOOOVE Spinach...I don't think it's related to Popeye and his massive consumption of it...I just like the taste of it...especially when it's canned, lol.

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EmperorNortonII [2006-06-25 07:48:57 +0000 UTC]

I like that you've gone old-school with this piece!

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CaptainOscillator [2006-06-25 06:44:19 +0000 UTC]

heh heh, she looks like the cranky old lady version of olive oyl. I like how you've managed to carry the same colours across popeye and sea hag, but it make alice look out of place.

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CaptainOscillator In reply to CaptainOscillator [2006-06-25 23:27:44 +0000 UTC]

is there really a situation where a hulking semi-naked pink skinned ogre doesn't look out of place though?

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JayFosgitt In reply to CaptainOscillator [2006-06-25 12:12:04 +0000 UTC]

I can see that. But hey, when two people clothed in black are standing next to a hulking semi-naked pink skinned ogre, somethings bound to look outta place!

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