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Popeye: The Optimus Prime of Early Animation

Started by tomwatson · 11 months ago

D’oh? No. The Shamus has a tip for you: Forget that big-screen version of The Simpsons. A genuine comic marvel hits the DVD shelves on Tuesday: Popeye The Sailor: 1933-1938, Vol. 1.
For anybody remotely interested in animation and film history, this is news of the highest o ... Continue reading »

10 comments

  • Kevin Wolf

    1 year ago

    I'd heard that this set was coming out. I look forward to seeing them.

    And thanks for mentioning Segar, whose original Thimble Theater and Popeye strips are works of genius. Fantagraphics has begun publishing >a href="http://www.amazon.com/Popeye-Vol-I-Yam-What/dp/1560977795/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-4044537-8731106?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185798494&sr=1-1">the complete Popeye and I encourage fans to read them.

    BTW, it's my understanding that the backgrounds in these Fleischer cartoons often were, in fact, "real" three dimensional settings. They were rotated on a turntable to create the illusion of movement while the animation cels - depicting, say, Popeye walking - were propped up before the background on glass.
    reply
  • OutOfContext

    1 year ago

    I heard that about the backdrops too, Kevin, and it's easy to believe, although hard to understand technically.
    The early Popeye's have no peer in my book and I was excited to see they were coming out on DVD. When Popeye stopped muttering, he lost his character.
    I agree about the Depression era black and white, but I do remember a couple of early color cartoons (one with a Sinbad theme) that were pretty fantastic as well.
    I also enjoyed (as did my kids) Altman's Popeye and it puzzles me why it is usually marked among his worst. It was done very much in the spirit of the early Popeyes.
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  • The Shamus

    1 year ago

    Kevin: Thanks for the info on the backgrounds. To OutOfContext: The Sinbad color short is in this box set, as well. Another reason it's a keeper.
    reply
  • Dan Leo

    1 year ago

    Oh, boy, I am so looking forward to this.
    I'm old enough to have watched these on afternoon after-school TV (Sally Starr's cowgirl show in Philly), and I loved this stuff. Now I just need a Curly-era Three Stooges box set.
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  • Viscount LaCarte

    1 year ago

    Oh, boy, I am so looking forward to this.

    You and me both, Dan. Those cartoons are amazing and hilarious. Much better than the new ones they made in the (I think) 50s were Bluto became Brutus
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  • Dan Leo

    1 year ago

    Dig it, Viscount. Even me and my fellow snotnosed nine-year-old punk friends knew that Brutus was bogus.
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  • David Halsted

    1 year ago

    Funny what kids focus on.

    Your daughter may enjoy the Out of the Inkwell cartoons, too.
    reply
  • Thrasyvoulos

    1 year ago

    Nice!
    reply
  • Kalinikos

    1 year ago

    Sorry :(
    reply
  • Athanasios

    1 year ago

    Nice!
    reply
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