Bettie Page

Rest in Peace Bettie Page 1923-2008

White Christmas?

Charlie Brown and Pigpen

Just Alice

Countdown to Christmas

From now until Christmas I'm going to post some Holiday themed cartoons featuring my favorite Characters. I hope they're yours too.

It's Goon Day!

It was on this date 75 years ago, that a weird, tall, nude, hulking character appeared on a ship chartered by Popeye and his old pal, Bill Barnacle. The odd creature, a slave of the Sea Hag, was there to kidnap Prof. Cringly, because he was one of only a few people to know the secret location of Plunder Island.

Today is the 75th Anniversary of the first appearance of Alice the Goon. Out of all the characters that Elzie Segar created, besides Popeye, Alice has to be my favorite. Why? I can say for sure but there is something about the appearance of the Goon that is simple, yet complex - silly, though frightening.

When Alice first appeared it had been reported that children at the time were frightened of the Goon and parents would threaten their kids if they misbehaved by saying, "The Goon will get you if you don't watch out!"

Alice, being a slave of the evil Hag, fought Popeye in a terrific climatic battle only to stop fighting when Alice's young baby shows up. Realizing that Alice is a female and mother of her odd race, apologizes to the Goon for fighting a female (something he has sworn against). When the Sea Hag orders the Goon to "finish the job", Olive Oyl shuts the old witch up by laying a right cross across her chin.

After a couple of years, Alice once again reappears, this time in a dress and hat. Once again a slave to the Hag, the Witch orders Alice to kidnap Popeye's adopted son Swee'pea, so she can use the baby to manipulate Popeye into doing her evil wishes. When Alice sees the young "infink" (as Popeye calls him) she immeadiatly falls in love with the baby. She feeds him, changes him, and craddles him to sleep. When the Sea Hag tries to take the baby out of Alice's arms, the angry Goon pops the witch on her chin and sends her fleeing for safety.

As Alice is craddling Swee'pea, who has fallen in love with the Goon as well, Popeye arrives home and is shocked at what he sees. He tries to throw the Goon out, but can't do it due to Swee'pea's protests. So Alice becomes Swee'pea's official "baby-sitter".

It is because of Alice and Segar that I came up with a name for her child (now an adult) and named him Alex. And how I got my internet alter-ego.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALICE!!!

It's Back - Huckleberry Hero Hump-Day

The Fly

Aquaman

This week Huck returns as the the insect based hero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby for Archie Comics.
And second he portrays DC Comics' King of the Seven Seas.

Fire Safety

This is the time of the year when there seems to be a lot of house fires due to people using electric and kerosene heaters. Please be sure to check the directions that come with these heaters and make sure the area that you are placing them is clear and clean.

To paraphrase Smokey the Bear, "Only you can prevent fires in your home".

Elzie Crisler Segar

He has given us Popeye the Sailor, Olive Oyl, J. Wellington Wimpy, Swee'pea, Bluto, and the Sea Hag.


He's created such great fantasy characters as Bernice the Whiffle Hen, Eugene the Jeep and Alice the Goon.

He came up with the phrases:
"Well Blow Me Down!"

"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a Hamburger today."

"Let's You and Him Fight!"

"I'm one of the Jones Boys."

"I Yam What I Yam an' Tha's All I Yam!"

He made eating Spinach popular for kids. And Thanks to him, the words "Goon" and Jeep" have been added to the Dictionary.

Elzie Crisler Segar was one of the greatest comic strip creators who ever put pen and ink to paper. He created characters that were as three dimensional as you and I.

His works and characters have been compared to those of Charles Dickens, but Dickens never had Segar's sense of comedic timing.

His art was simple, yet cleverly detailed. His imagination unequaled.

With Popeye, Segar created a character that will live forever. Segar's Sailor has conquered animated films, comic books, and television. His image has adorned everything from dolls to lunch boxes and coloring books to t-shirts.

As I mentioned above, a character that will live forever. The irony is that E.C. Segar died at the all too young age of 43 of Leukemia, nine years after he introduced our One-Eyed Hero into his comic strip "Thimble Theatre".

Through Popeye, Elzie Segar will also live forever.

Today, December 8, is Elzie Crisler Segar's Birthday, born in 1894.

Take time to remember the man who has created some of comics most iconic characters.

Sorry

Hello Everyone. I just wanted to make a quick post to apologize for no posts this week. For the past few weeks I've been having problems with my computer and had to wait for a very busy friend to find a free moment to help reboot my computer. Hopefully everything is back to normal and I'll be back to the usual craziness this week.
Stay tooned

Experimenting with the Classics lll

This time it's my favorite sailor (and all-around favorite character) Popeye. Above is a drawing done by Popeye's creator, Elzie Segar. This is from the height of Segar's creativity with the character before his untimely diagnosis of leukemia which lead to his death at the all too young age of 44.

Above is one of many sketches I've done of the One-Eyed Sailor as a real person. Given the exaggerated features of Popeye's face, it isn't easy to come up with normal looking features and still make it look like our spinach eating Hero.

This sketch is actually only about two inches in diameter, done with a mechanical pen. I was doodling on some tracing paper and came up with this sketch. As any Art Teacher will tell you, it's always important to experiment with and practice with any and all types of art supplies and mediums.

And like above, you might come up with something cool.