Back In The Random Saddle

The PopCulteer
January 27, 2012

Brain Stew

Last week your PopCulteer was missing in action for the first time in nearly three years. Circumstances beyond our control, including a computer virus and a real-world illness, conspired to knock yours truly out of commission. We are feeling better this week, and the PC problems are just about resolved, so we're going to tenatively climb back on the blogging pony and bring you a column of random images, news items and odd bits of information..

Popeye Returns

In April IDW Publishing launches a new comic book based on Popeye The Sailor, one of my personal favorites, and not just because of the spinach.

Beginning in April fan-favorite, Roger Langridge will write the company’s all-new POPEYE comic series. King Features and IDW are expanding their partnership  to include new material, IDW’s POPEYE comics will offer all-new adventures with the famous “Sailor Man” and his friends, including Olive Oyl, Bluto, Wimpy and Swee’ Pea. Joining Langridge to bring Popeye back to comics is rising-star artist Bruce Ozella. The monthly POPEYE series will be co-edited by IDW’s co-founder and chief executive officer, Ted Adams and renowned comics Zen master Craig Yoe.

We go to the press release for more...

“I grew up reading Segar’s Popeye and we’ll be bringing his sensibility to our new series,” said Adams. “Especially now with our all-star creative team, I’m really looking forward to launching this series in April.”

"Throughout his more than twenty years in the comics industry, Langridge has garnered critical and fan acclaim for his work on an impressive list of projects, including the Harvey Award-winning Muppet Show Comic Book (Boom! Studios) and Thor: The Mighty Avenger (Marvel Comics).

“Ever since I was a kid, the two cartoonists who have had the biggest influence on me have been Carl Barks and E.C. Segar, so getting a chance to write Popeye is quite a thrill,” said Langridge. “I’m especially pleased that IDW have decided to go with a Segar-flavored interpretation. As much as I like some of the later versions of the character, for me, it’s those early strips where the magic really happened. Just as well Segar drew everybody with big feet, because Bruce and I have some enormous shoes to fill!”

You can bet that I'm going to be all over this comic when it comes out. Can't get enough of Popeye. Check out this sample page...



Spartacus Returns and Self-horn-tootery




Spartacus: Vengeance returns tonight on Starz (it's already available On Demand). Even with Liam McIntyre stepping into the role of Spartacus fter the death of Andy Whitfield, the show still works.  This is sort of season two, or three, if you count "Gods Of The Arena," the prequel, as a second season. I wrote about Rittenhouse Archives trading cards in the latest issue of Non Sport Update, seen above, on newsstands now.

Not Monday Morning Art #1




Above you see a piece of art I was playing around with after reinstalling my graphics programs following the mid-January virus. Not much to it, ehe?

RIP Epstein




Another sign of how quickly time is passing us by is the news of the death of Robert Hegyes, who played Juan Epstein, one of The Sweathogs, on "Welcome Back Kotter." Mark Evanier, who was a story editor on the show, has a nice obit here.

More Popeye, Please



Ice Cream Break!



Not Monday Morning Art #2



Above is an alternate version of last Monday's art. I sorta like this one, too.

I Thought This Was A Better Movie Than "Meloncholia"

Captain Action Is Coming!



Snack Break



I miss these compressed potato-flake processed foodish items

More Popeye, Please



Not Monday Morning Art #3




Above you see a digital painting of a little Manga due who mutated out of a Sudoku puzzle I was playing with. I may have used a version of this in PopCult before. I can't really recall.

That's it for this week. With any luck we'll be back to normal next week.