"I Yam A Lonely Sailor" print

 I haven't done any printmaking in a while, and by a while I mean maybe 10 years so I thought I would do a block print. 

Each print is handmade and for sale. Contact me if interested.

"My Heroes" series on Exhibit!

 I don't remember if I've mentioned it here yet, but I was told a couple of months ago that I will be having an exhibit Mount Pleasant, Michigan and in June of 2024 of my heroes series. These are two pieces that I'm working on the charcoal is basically done, the painting of Sergio Aragones  is not done yet. This series is made up of sub sections of some of my heroes, including Sergio Aragones, Jack nicholson, Sammy hagar, popeye, and Mel Brooks.

EXCLUSIVE!!!

 I've been working on this drawing all Summer (2 months, really, of 2022), and I finally finished. This photo is blurry, but you get the gist. It's graphite on paper (#2 mechanical pencil), roughly 24"x18". This is part of my Popeye series, which is part of my "My Heroes" series. It's ever-growing. 

There is  slideshow of the progress of the drawing on my TikTok and Instagram 

 

I Yam What I Yam....Making wut I Wants

 I am CONTINUING my Popeye series based on the live action 1980 movie starring Robin Williams. I started it about 12 years ago or more. Some were bought, many ruined in a flood.  But I'm going to show them here, starting with the most recent.

I'm continuing my "Heroes" series by adding to my "Popeye" section. This is a watercolor painting on bristol board I have been working on. It's not done yet.

Work (still) in progress....

I'm still working on my Popeye movie tribute series....
...stay tuned.

Popeye might come to WEST BRANCH!

I am in talks with the West Branch Public Library in POSSIBLY showing "POPEYE" from 1980 with Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall. Along with the showing, I would have my Popeye artwork on display in the library and I'm hoping to have some Popeye books available in the library to check out or purchase or something. It'd be a kind of mini Popeye convention. It's not set in stone (don't even know when this would be taking place, if it does), but as info comes forth, I'll keep people updated.

I can't stop!

I've taken a break from my Popeye series, but I'm going to get back to work on it. I just finished up the Wimpy charcoal drawing (seen here) and you can see the rest of the series HERE .

The more things change, the more they stay the same

The lastest in my Popeye series is completed, and I know it looks familiar. I re-created the "Popeye Family Picnic" painting, going larger, using palette knife, and zooming out to include more of the bodies. Hopefully, this one won't sell (I shouldn't say that, should I?). Below is the second painting ("Popeye Family Picnic #2) and the original painting ("Popeye Family Picnic").

It's done! (I think)

I might have a couple touch ups to do and sign it, but here is the completed oil painting I've done of Popeye, Swee' Pea and Olive Oyl. I enjoy this one a great deal. Let me know what you think.

I Yam What I Yam and it is what it is

This is the graphite drawing I'm working on based on the "Popeye" 1980 film with Robin Williams and Paul L. Smith playing Bluto. It's not quite done to my satisfaction, but I couldn't wait to share it. Please let me know what you think.

STRONG TO THE FINICH...

The images here are sketches of my comic version of my OTHER lifelong favorite character and inspiration since the age of 6, Popeye the Sailor. I was 3 years old when the Robin Williams movie came out in 1980 and I watch it ANY chance I get!! It still stands as one of my all time favorite flicks!!
Popeye was created by E.C. Segar in 1929 as a bit character in his hit comic strip "Thimble Theater" starring Olive Oyl and her brother Castor since 1923. He stayed on for a couple weeks, and Segar started getting letters from readers that they liked the one-eyed sailor and he kept Popeye in the storylines, eventually changing the name to "Thimble Theater featuring Popeye".
By 1940, E.C. Segar had passed, and Popeye was introduced to a wider scale audience through Fleischer Studios and later Famous Studios in animated features. He was drawn by various artists, but former Segar assistant Bud Sagendorff took over most of the illustrating for the strips, merchandising and anything related to Popeye when he finally became old enough to be hired.
In the 1990s I noticed less and less Popeye. Bud Sagendorff had passed away in the late 1980s (I think 1989) and except for a failed "Popeye and Son" cartoon on Saturday mornings, not alot of public interest surfaced.
In 1999, comic writer Peter David wrote a story for Ocean Comics called "The Wedding of Popeye and Olive Oyl", which made national news.
In 2004, Popeye fans celebrated the 75th anniversary of his appearance in "Thimble Theater". The Empire State building was lit up green in honor of the sailor's eventual source of strength- spinach.
I say eventual because EC Segar did not create the greanleafed vegetable as Popeye's sourse of strength. It was written that a little whiffle hen named Bernice was a wish-giving ol' bird, and Popeye had rubbed her head and wished to be invulnerable (basically). He had been shot over 15 times by a pirate, only to survive. He was already superhumanly strong, and now he was tough to kill. It wasn't until 1934 that Fleischer Studios gave Popeye a can of spinach as a way to overcome his opposition, be it a goon or Bluto (Brutus in the strip, who was also only a bit character. The cartoon made him Bluto and Popeye's constant nemesis. He eventually became more involved in the strip as well). Popeye's use of spinach caused spinach sales to skyrocket 75% (if I remember correctly. It was alot) internationally.
But I digress.
A CGI movie was released, retelling Popeye's journey to find his dad, Poopdeck Pappy. The name was "Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy", and the voice talents of the original Popeye cartoons, the late Jack Mercer (who did the voice from the original cartoons until his death in the 90s) was replaced by the great Billy West, mumbling the graspy tones of both Popeye and Pappy. Unfortunately, the movie fell under most of the public's radar. It was, in my opinion, a fine cartoon and I hope they continue to do more.
In 2007 and 2008 King Features, who owns the rights to all things Popeye, released the black and white Fleischer Studios episodes on DVD in two volumes, bringing at least a little recognition back to one of the true American icons.
I drew these because I feel that Popeye should return, not as more of a "badass", just more like how Segar had written him, with a comic book style. I would love to do a book of Popeye, just a little grittier than, say, the Robin Williams classic.
I must mention that that movie showed a great deal of Segar's original characters and brought together some of his storylines from the strip, including finding Pappy, meeting Olive, and even the boxing match with Oxblood Oxheart! With the exception of the musical interludes, it was a fine homage to the legend of Popeye to me.