My Quest For POPEYE

If any of you reading this know me, you know I am a life-long, hardcore Groo fan and Popeye fan. I've been drawing them since I was 7 years old. I read their books, collect what I can afford of their merchandise, etc. My lifelong dream (and I do have a few of those) is to professionally draw Groo and/or Popeye. Since Groo's creator Sergio Aragones and his cohort Mark Evanier have both voiced that if Sergio doesn't draw Groo, NOBODY does, I will never have the chance at the mendicant barbarian. But Popeye the Sailor has been published in recent years, beginning a regular new comic book series that unfortunately ended by its 12th issue, and then "Comic Classics" stories. These books are reprints of Bud Sagendorf's run on Popeye comics in the 50s on. Ok, so I can't draw a regular series. I tried and was not accepted. Well, the "Comic Classics" have variant covers to the issues, and have used artwork of professional cartoonists and fan art. FANTASTIC!!! I was sending samples and submissions since just before the new series began (I think it was 2011 or 2012) up until as recently as June. Nothing. I've been drawing Popeye since I remember drawing! I have studied him, the various E.C Segar creations as well as Sagendorf characters, and thought I represented the character well. That's what was looked for in the series, but I don't recall if I sent sequential art or not (sequential art is artwork that tells a story panel-to-panel or step by step, like a storyboard for a movie. THAT'S one of the biggest things editors and publishers look for in artists, not just art quality). But the variant covers wouldn't require sequential art! I love the character and try my best to show that through my illustrations. I don't want to veer from the classic style. Why mess with perfection (not my drawing of Popeye, the perfection that is Segar's characters)? Then I start to see the variants coming in for "Comic Classics" and they are WILD, abstract takes on Popeye. I find that I cannot do what they're looking for. I am not abstract. Don't get me wrong; I'm not bad-mouthing the covers that grace the covers. It's that they were NOT what I expected to see. The styles are beyond my wheel-house. I don't want to alter my vision of Popeye. I even TRIED to make some "wackier" styles, but they also were not accepted. I also can't get feedback. WHY am I not good enough? I've dreamed my entire life to draw for POPEYE, and when I was hipped to the news that the publisher was going to start a new POPEYE comic and they were looking for artists, I thought I'd be a shoe-in.
 You tell me, and I'm not looking to boost my ego, but what do you think? What is wrong with how I draw Popeye?

I yam what I yam

If you don't know me, or know me but have been living in a cave, I am a lifelong POPEYE fan. I'll leave it at that. Now, IDW Publishing has been making new Popeye comics (first in over 20 years) and being that it would be a lifelong dream come true to draw for that publication, I have often submitted drawings and paintings in hopes to be accepted for a cover or sequential artist (the purty pikchures inside the book). These are the most recent attempts. Wish me luck. They're pencil with ink and watercolor.

Now that the rush of the holiday orders are done, I'm able to work on my personal projects again in the studio (as well as the mural project at the Rose City Middle School, as posted previously). I'm submitting more work for consideration for the IDW Publishing POPEYE comics (so far no luck but I'm going to keep trying! It's a dream job for me), and finishing up a couple graphite drawings. The drawing below (I Think) is finished. It's been waiting for me to work on it again for 6-12 months, give or take a week. If you can't tell, it's Robert Plant.

Update

I've been away for a bit. I've been teaching at the Midland Center For The Arts (where I'm scheduled to teach again in October if you have kids in the Midland area interested in drawing cartoons) and my internet is currently out at home, so I'm not online much anymore.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENT:
I know it's not common for people to write about applying for a job, but this is a job I've dreamt of my entire life and never imagined I'd get the opportunity to try out for it. Having said that, I have sent in example artwork in hopes to get the gig of artist for the upcoming POPEYE comic book being published by IDW Publishing next year! I didn't know they were even looking for the creative team, until a friend (who shall remain nameless to protect his innocence)wrote me that he thought I should give it a try and contact the editors. Let's just say that having this friend recommend that I try fot the gig is such a huge compliment and honor that if I don't get the job, I'll have the gratification that this man thought enough about me that he thought of me.
I sent the examples in (although the photography of the examples were crappy, and it may reflect poorly on me) 2 weeks ago and was written that I'll hear from the editor if they hear anything.
So, if you know the editors I'm referring to, maybe you can subtly suggest me?