“I’m so happy to have this. I’d rather read about these cartoons then to ever have to watch them again. Fred has rewatched them all so I (or any of you) never have to!” – Jerry Beck, Cartoon Research.
When one normally writes a book on a film property hopefully the reader is enticed to take another look at the subject matter. Although the reviews of my publication, Popeye the 1960’s TV Cartoons by Bear Manor Media, have been received generally good they echo Jerry Beck’s sentiment.
Many episodes were not animated on a shoe string budget but torn laces! It is these cartoons which has given this series of 220 episodes such a bad reputation. Yet, there are still many good entries with fine animation and entertaining stories.
In order to get the reader to take another look at the cartoons I have added a ‘Best of’ section to future printings of the book. This type of addition is usually controversial. These are episodes which stood out in my mind even as a child. The animation, in each, is more than satisfactory, and many have interesting roots coming from Popeye’s creator, E.C. Segar.
Paramount Cartoon Studios, was one of six places chosen by producer Al Brodax, to crank out more color Popeye episodes to be syndicated by King Features. King also syndicated the Thimble Theatre comic strip featuring the spinach-eating sailor, Olive Oyl, Wimpy, Swee’pea and The Sea Hag. Seymour Kneitel served as both director and writer on Paramount’s contribution to the series. These episodes are generally considered to be the best of the lot.
In the additional section of my book, it is pointed out Kneitel took long storylines from Thimble Theatre daily strips, turning each into entertaining adventures running a little over five minutes. Kneitel’s Me Quest for Poopdeck Pappy and Myskery Melody, for example, utilized the same dialogue and plots taken from daily strips written by E.C. Segar. Sunday page gags, by Segar, were also turned into complete cartoons as in the case of It Only Hurts When They Laugh and Poppa Popeye.
However, Kneitel also utilized material from the Sunday strip, written by Segar’s successor, Tom Sims. The cartoon, Wimpy the Moocher, is based upon two Sunday pages from 1939. In one Wimpy tricks Rough House into thinking he has found a pearl in an oyster and tries the same trick with chef, Geezil. Geezil made his only animated appearance in this episode.
One of the highlights of this series, as opposed to the theatricals, was seeing more characters used from the comic strip.
Additionally, personnel who worked on particular cartoons are highlighted.
I hope Popeye fans will take a look at the episodes chosen in this updated edition and see how wrong or right I was in their selection. Considering their financial success and longevity they are worth another look.
