Happy Birthday, Elzie Crisler Segar! Born in Chester, Illinois on this day in 1894. Which is why, when you use Google today, you'll see the above image of his creation, POPEYE.
Segar took the W.L. Evans correspondence course in cartooning. Spent $100 for it! Mark Anderson has some links to the Evans course, as well as this promo letter:
"A cartoonist is a power. His audience is the boundless public. He is talked about. His work is admired in society. He meets the most prominent people, and becomes personally acquainted with them."
I was in back in Brooklyn a while back, at the home of a cartoonist friend, and we were talking about POPEYE and Segar. We love those new Fantagraphics POPEYE oversized reprint books, full of the crazy story telling, the mad sequential art adventures of the Sunday strips, etc. Yeah, here it is in the 21st century, and POPEYE is still being talked about by a boundless 21st century public!
Go and browse Bruce C Schults' THIMBLE THEATRE pages for much POPEYE goodness.
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2 comments:
Popey is such a character!
Segar was right about cartoonist role. He has a special power!
Segar was the best! Love, LOVE the Thimble Theatre/Popeye strips. I have most of the earlier Fantagraphics run (in paperback & b+w), but am hoping Santa will bring me the recent Vol. 4, which reprints the entire Sunday "Plunder Island" sequence (featuring the intro of the Sea Hag) in gorgeous color. Can you hear me salivating from over there in N.H.?
Jeff P.
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