IDW's Popeye!

[Angilas-Man]

The first Roger Langridge written issue of Popeye came out today. It was quite wonderful, totally in the spirit of the original Segar comic strip in both art and characterization. For an old-timey kind of feel the even went for a different paper texture, matte, even for the cover. It made the comic stand out in a tactile sense.

The only bad thing: it's only a four issue mini. If there's a licensed character deserving of an ongoing comic it's Popeye!

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Love it! LOVE IT! and it definitely hearkens back to the old thimble theaters but then again, this is done by the amazing Roger Langridge.

[Chad]

Really impressive first issue that complemented Segar's perfectly. Though faster paced than the original strips due to the differences between comicbook and newspaper formatting, it was clear that a lot of meticulous care went into this issue. I'm really looking forward to the next issue.

[Captain Jim]

This was a real treat. The artwork, lettering, dialogue and spirit of this book are spot on for the Popeye of old.

And I couldn't believe all the characters who show up in this story: Castor Oyl, Olive Oyl, Mom & Pop Oyl, Eugene the Jeep, Popeye, Wimpy, Roughhouse, Bluto, Glurk (didn't recognize him; is he a pre-existing character?), Sea Hag, Swee'Pea and Alice the Goon!

I enjoyed this a lot.

[Angilas-Man]

Loved seeing Rough House - if only for two panels. Hope he gets to do more in an upcoming issue.

I'd say the real star of this issue was Wimpy.

[md62]

This was perfect for long term fans. However I don't see new readers picking this up.

[Angilas-Man]

Well, even though fans of Segar's originals may be few everyone's familiar with the characters through cartoons. I'd say a good percentage of people could be classified as long term (as in "since they were four year old") fans.

[Gryphon]

According to Bleeding cool, in their article and Landrige quitting marvel. This is now going to be an ongoing from Boom studios.

[Gryphon]

Bleeding cool has corrected the article and its an ongoing from IDW.

[Angilas-Man]

Only one word:

YES!

[MichaelPaytonMZ]

i just can't see myself enjoying this since I hate the Popeye cartoons. It's like wasting talent on Woody Woodpecker Comics. Create something new and I might care.

[Angilas-Man]

^Popeye is the greatest fictional character ever created.

(only slight exaggeration)
:wink:

[Captain Jim]

i just can't see myself enjoying this since I hate the Popeye cartoons. It's like wasting talent on Woody Woodpecker Comics. Create something new and I might care.

That's kind of like saying I won't try Superman comics because I don't like Superman cartoons.

Seriously, the comic strip character has a lot more depth than the cartoon character.

[Angilas-Man]

Popeye #1 has sold out and is going into another printing.

Because it turns out people are more awesome than I thought.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/09/thirteen-thousand-copies-of-popeye-sell-out-well-whaddaya/

:cool:

[Mister Intensity]

I read Popeye #1 yesterday and man was that a good and satisfying comic. I'm mostly familiar with Popeye through the cartoons but I liked the more adventure oriented approach influenced by the comic strips. I was especially taken by Castor Oyl, a character whose inclusion in the cartoons was very minimal but was basically the lead of this story. I also enjoyed Wimpy's antics and that last page with him and Bluto was golden. I really felt for Bluto at that moment. I also liked that each page was basically a complete one page comic strip that was complete in itself but added to the overall story. As long as this book maintains this level of quality I'm on board.

A satisfying read for my $3.99.

[Piratelion]

I also bought and enjoyed Popeye #1, and I am very happy with the care IDW apply to this issue. The feel and tone of the book was really classic strips, makes me wished for a King Features anthology book in this style with Haggar the terrible, Beattle Baily, etc. Def will be back for issue 2.

[Angilas-Man]

Popeye isn't just becoming an ongoing - IDW is adding a second Popeye monthly! Classic Popeye will reprint Bud Sagendorf's Popeye comics from the '40s and '50s!



http://www.midtowncomics.com/store/dp.asp?PRID=CLASSIC+POPEYE+ONGOING+%231_1211829 (http://www.midtowncomics.com/store/dp.asp?PRID=CLASSIC+POPEYE+ONGOING+%231_1211829)

[Angilas-Man]

Tom Neely talks about his work in upcoming Popeye issues (including the return of Sappo!), the influence of Popeye on his work, and other stuff.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/22/tom-neely-popeye-danzig-and-the-devil/

[Angilas-Man]

Issue #2 came out this week. It had a 15 page Popeye story and a 7 page Sappo back-up.


Sappo!

[Piratelion]

I also got issue #2, I enjoyed the Popeye story better than issue 1 (at least the gags).

[Maidman]

Does this have different stories from that big oversized volumes that came out over the last few years? The ones I am thinking of are those volumes that spell out POPEYE a letter a time on the spine of each volume.

[Angilas-Man]

^Those are collections of the original E.C. Segar Popeye comic strips from '28 (Popeye's first story) to '38 (death of Segar).

This series is brand new stuff in the vein of the Segar strip.

[needler420]

Bleeding cool has corrected the article and its an ongoing from IDW.

I thought it was a four part mini series.

[Angilas-Man]

^After the first issue sold out they changed it into an ongoing. It was only a 4 issue mini at first in case it didn't sell; they'd at least committed to doing four issues.

[lonestar9]

Issue #2 came out this week. It had a 15 page Popeye story and a 7 page Sappo back-up.


Sappo!

I was so suprised I enjoyed Popeye #1 as much as I did. I do have #2 as well, but it's on my to read pile, that magically seems to go up even when I do read from it. :cool:
I'll get to it as soon as I can though.

[Gary Scott Beatty]

Thanks for the reminder to order this book!

I usually don't like other people writing classic strips I enjoy, but talked to Ken Wheaton at a convention and he convinced me it's not the goofy stuff that came in after Segar. Interesting Captain Jim mentioned the lettering, Ken said he based the lettering on Segar's.

If you know the cartoon, as entertaining as they are (gotta love Fleischer), they don't come close the the cleverness of Segar's strips.

Not all that knocked out with the Bud Sagendorf strips.

(Full disclosure, I colored Peter David's The Wedding of Popeye and Olive for Ocean Comics in the late '90s.)

http://www.garyscottbeatty.com/comics/images/weddingofpopeyeandolive_gallery.jpg

[Captain Jim]

I remember that! I bought that too. :smile:

[Sean@CharitablePress]

Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention.....I picked up the second issue and loved it. I'll have to track down the 1st one now.

[Zach J.]

I was a big fan of Langridge's Thor: The Mighty Avenger and am interested in reading more of his work. Would you recommend this series to someone who is only marginally familiar with Popeye? I remember watching some of the cartoons as a kid, but that's it.

[Angilas-Man]

^This comic is more like the original Popeye comic strip then the cartoons, either way, it should be easy to get into. The first issue is as good an intro to Popeye's world as any, and every issue is a self-contained story.

[Zach J.]

Cool, that's good to know.

[AdamYJ]

i just can't see myself enjoying this since I hate the Popeye cartoons. It's like wasting talent on Woody Woodpecker Comics. Create something new and I might care.

Except Popeye cartoons are awesome. It's not like they're putting out something dumb like a Tom and Jerry comic (Oops. Shouldn't have said that. Now I'll get hit by a frying pan or something).

Anyway, there are almost always differences between the comic incarnations and cartoon incarnations of certain famous characters. Walt Disney's Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse cartoons aren't much like the Carl Barks Donald Duck comics and the Floyd Gottfredson Mickey Mouse comics. The old Looney Tunes comics from Western Publishing aren't much like the Looney Tunes cartoons, and many of those were written by the same people. It's the same with Popeye. The difference here is that the comic strip actually came first.

[Chad]

Preview of issue 3:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=12855

Preview of issue 2:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=12598

Preview of issue 1:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=12159

[Angilas-Man]

Issue #3 was just incredible. Best so far. So many laughs and Neely was just born to draw Popeye. He's already said being a regular artist isn't feasible, but I hope he can contribute every once and a while.

[Angilas-Man]

Here's a heads-up about the recently released Classic Popeye #1: it's an almost exact reproduction of the 1948 comic, so no ads, and the back cover and inside cover one-pagers are there! This is 48 pages of nothing but comics for the same price as your modern 22 pager!

[Angilas-Man]

Popeye's first IDW crossover: Mars Attacks Popeye!

http://comics.gearlive.com/comix411/article/q308-mars-attacks-popeye/


also: really loved the artist for issue #4 (Vince Musacchia), and Langridge writes and illustrates #7!

[Dr.J.]

I was not going to pick up this series,after the first issue.Will give it at least a 10 issue try, through issue 5 didnt grab me as much. The classic is great! These are reprinted from books that cost a fortune today, even 20 years ago they cost a pretty penny.And, what is a VERY rare thing the past 25 or so years,is that they put the upc code, on the back cover!!For the classic popeye, I will hope that they are able to reprint every one of them.

[Angilas-Man]

^The classic series is a great value - especially considering how they'll be collected: the upcoming vol. 1 of Classic Popeye is a hardcover containing #1-4 at a cost of $25!

Both Popeye books premiered just as I was trying to get away from adding anything to my pull-list and trade waiting on further series, but I'm glad I didn't here. The printing and design of these floppies are so great and they're just a joy to hold in your hands.

You know what? Comics are fun.

[Angilas-Man]

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/comics/popeye-comics-get-cool-74745.html

Apparently, Roger Langridge's Popeye is ending at issue 12 - being labeled a '12 issue miniseries' despite being called an ongoing. I'm a bit disappointed, but we still have several months plus Classic Popeye, and it's really not surprising if you consider IDW's typical schedule of starting, ending, and relaunching titles. I hope we get more Popeye 'miniseries' in the future.

[Scott M Davis]

I enjoy the Classics way more then the Mini, but both are enjoyable. I hope Classics keeps running after the Ongoing/Mini ends.

[Captain Jim]

I think what happened was, when it first started appearing (as a mini), it sold much better than expected. Then, when we suddenly had two ongoing titles, the sales dropped huge. Personally, as much as I enjoyed the first issue of the mini/ongoing, I couldn't rationalize spending the money on a continuing basis, considering the dollars I already have committed elsewhere.

[Angilas-Man]

^Very possible. Classic Popeye is certainly more cost effective to produce, but I hope new material will be a semi-regular thing. Maybe getting indie creators to turn in their own minis every once and a while?

[Kid Montana]

I think what happened was, when it first started appearing (as a mini), it sold much better than expected. Then, when we suddenly had two ongoing titles, the sales dropped huge. Personally, as much as I enjoyed the first issue of the mini/ongoing, I couldn't rationalize spending the money on a continuing basis, considering the dollars I already have committed elsewhere.

I think they are both great and wont miss an issue of either one. I too hope we continue to get at least 1 book, maybe the classic with some new content added would seem to be a win/win.

[Angilas-Man]

Three issues left, and the penultimate two (the final team-up with Barney Google issue being drawn by Langridge himself) are drawn by Vince Musacchia. I glad, as he's been my favorite artist on this series. There have been several terrific artists - heck - all of 'em have been pretty good, but Musacchia's loose and cartoony while not being too loose and cartoony style has been so perfect for Popeye.

[matt levin]

while I much prefer the Classic to the contemporary, I have to say I started with Popeye at all this time round (have a BIG book of Segar strips, and various other Popeye comics from years ago) in large part because the first several issues were 48 (or so?) pages for the same over-the-top price ($4) as the far-too-many 32- and 22-(!) page comics now on sale. And I can't help but wonder if the drop off in sales came sometime after IDW dropped the page count back to 32 pages for $4. I know I stopped pre-ordering it when that happened, although I began to miss it, and am back to buying it reg'larly now.

[B. Kuwanger]

I...didn't know it was ending. But I'm not too beat up since I didn't imagine it lasting all that long (they certainly jumped the gun on making it an ongoing), and it's at least going out with a bang by having Langridge draw.

[Angilas-Man]

^I'm also looking forward to the fact that it's a team-up with Barney Google. I got the Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics last year and really enjoyed the Barney Google strips they included.

[Captain Jim]

I...didn't know it was ending. But I'm not too beat up since I didn't imagine it lasting all that long (they certainly jumped the gun on making it an ongoing), and it's at least going out with a bang by having Langridge draw.

It was originally supposed to be a mini-series, but when the first issue sold so well, they decided to make it an ongoing. Then sales started dropping and they decided to retroactively make it a twelve issue limited series. :wink:

[Angilas-Man]

Well, the finale issue of Langridge's Popeye just came out. Haven't actually read it or #11 yet, but I have to say that it was great while it lasted.

...but, to tell the truth, I've digging Classic so much I think I like it a little bit more. Sagendorf is that man.