I'm Finally Writing A Popeye Book!!

[bluto]

After years of thinking about it and making various stabs at it, I'm finally writing a book about the Famous Studios Popeye cartoons!
It will be published by Bear Manor Media. My deadline is mid-july, so I better get back to work! I will keep you posted on my progress and let you know when the release date will be.

[Sparky]

Woah, and you've already got a publisher?? Awesome! ;D Will it just be an essay-like breakdown of the era cartoons or is there a specific topic?

[doc]

Well color me impressed If you have a July deadline, about when can we expect to see the book out?

Doc

[bluto]

I don't know what the release date will be. I'm hoping it will be out in time for Christmas.

The book will talk about the changes the Popeye characters and situations went through over the years, from Segar to Fleischer Studios to Famous Studios, and examine some of the historical and creative reasons for those changes.

The bulk of the book will focus on what I call "The Secret Appeal" of the Famous Studios Popeye cartoons:
- The FS version of Popeye
- The FS version of Olive Oyl
- The FS version of Bluto and Popeye's other antagonists
- The FS over-the-top (sometimes in disturbing ways) violence
- Suspense
- Sex and romance
- Moral ambiguity
- Between 12 and 15 in-depth essays on individual FS cartoons
which expertly combined all of the above
- A look at all the FS Popeye cartoons, focusing on the above elements.

I'm planning on an appendix which will talk briefly about the Paramount made-for-TV King Features Syndicate cartoons in the '60s. This was the same creative crew that made the earlier FS cartoons. Another appendix will touch upon how the FS Popeye cartoons may have influenced other things (ex. the Woody Woodpecker cartoon "Real Gone Woody," The movie "Honeymoon In Vegas" ).

I hope it will be a fun read!

[shadejford]

Hey, Bluto. It's me again--Shade. I always figured that you'd do an FS Popeye book one day. I'll be interested in the section that will deal with how the FS Popeye series influenced other pop culture series like Woody Woodpecker. Speaking of which, when I watched the film Superman Returns last year there was one scene that reminded me of the cartoon How Green Is My Spinach and other cartoons in which Popeye's spinach is taken away from him. This is the scene in which Lex Luthor and his goons lure Superman to that Kryptonite Island. Like Bluto does to a weakened Popeye in the aforementioned cartoon, Luthor and his gunsels beat up a weakened Superman. Maybe you can write about this Superman Returns scene in your book. Good luck! By the way, I actually eat a brand of spinach with the FS Popeye's picture on the can.

[bluto]

I sent the manuscript and the pictures off to the publisher a week before the deadline. Whew! I couldn't have done it without the typing and editing help of my wife and daughter. I still don't know the release date, nor if the publisher will require further edits or re-writes. I'll keep you posted!

[Sparky]

Awesome, thanks for the update.

[doc]

Bluto, what is the name of the book so we know what to watch for?

Since you met deadline, I'm assuming an October-November release.

Doc

[bluto]

I hope so, Doc!
The title is Stronger Than Spinach: The Secret Appeal Of The Famous Studios Popeye Cartoons.

[bluto]

I've been informed by the publisher that some projects are backed up and so my book will be out sometime in early 2009. But hopefully you will think that it's worth the wait. I'll keep you up to date as I know more.