Red Letter Media

[StarkRavingMad]

While I understand the criticisms towards the songs for Popeye, I'll defend them a little bit here:

As a little kid, the songs were super catchy to me. I vividly remember singing a LOT of these songs when I was a toddler/young child. Take that for what it's worth. Sure, the songs can be quite hokey, but I certainly have nostalgia for them.

Also ... I'll defend the song, "He's Large," until the cows come home. It's a funny song that is actually repetitive on purpose, because Olive Oyl literally can't find any other words to describe Bluto (the dude she's supposed to marry and be in love with). lol.

And, yeah, "He Needs Me" is actually a legitimately good song that's sung perfectly by Shelly DuVall. There's a quaint simplicity to the song that's just so pure and charming, without a single ounce of cynicism to it.

 

[Tepes Thot]

It's weird how when they're wrong about something they tend to be spectacularly wrong. Remember when they mused over how Cynthia Rothrock never had a major career because of sexism? I seem to recall the action movie fan community ripping them a new asshole for that one.

That was when I realized how small their movie scope really was.
I’m not gonna pull a “you’re rAcIsT!” if foreign movies simply aren’t your thing, but if you try to add some silly moral shaming to it…

She only “didn’t make it as big as her peers” if you think China-wood is inferior to Hollywood by default. She did as well as her niche would allow for someone like her, or Don the Dragon Wilson, or Antonio Sabato Jr. I love martial arts b-movies, but very few of those stars (regardless of sex) reach Tom Cruise stardom.

 

[Kit Marz]

Also ... I'll defend the song, "He's Large," until the cows come home. It's a funny song that is actually repetitive on purpose, because Olive Oyl literally can't find any other words to describe Bluto (the dude she's supposed to marry and be in love with). lol.

My mom and I will quote that song all the time and it annoys everyone else in the family if we do it next to them. It's just fun to say "he's large" as Olive Oyl, or doing a back and forth of "But he's mine" and "you can have him."

 

[A Sentient Cloud]

Gen Z definitely knows who Popeye is. I've heard multiple young people compare Taylor Swift to Olive Oyl.

Popeye/Bluto and Olive Oyl are also a pretty popular couples Halloween costume from what I've seen.

 

[mlanguishi]

Gen Z definitely knows who Popeye is. I've heard multiple young people compare Taylor Swift to Olive Oyl.

Popeye/Bluto and Olive Oyl are also a pretty popular couples Halloween costume from what I've seen.

I remember when Bluto was called Brutus from those cartoons/comics for awhile. Popeye comes and goes in popularity for sure. I think having a CGI Popeye movie happen now might actually be a good idea if not Disney.

 

[A Sentient Cloud]

I remember when Bluto was called Brutus from those cartoons/comics for awhile. Popeye comes and goes in popularity for sure. I think having a CGI Popeye movie happen now might actually be a good idea if not Disney.

How about Chris Pratt as Popeye, Emma Stone as Olive Oyl, and Jack Black as Bluto? Or is that too out there?

Edit: Sorry, just got notice from the Department of Inclusion, I'm listening and learning. Zendaya as Olive Oyl.

 

[StarkRavingMad]

Popeye and Olive Oyl are also a pretty popular couples Halloween costume from what I've seen.

Guilty! lol.

(I may or may not have dressed up my kid as Swee Pea for our first Halloween as a family, too ... What baby doesn't look absolutely precious dressed as Swee Pea?!)

The really little kids in my neighborhood didn't get the costume, but plenty of teens did. So yeah, Gen Z definitely knows who Popeye is.

 

[Commander X]

in re:Rothrock one of the biggest could-have-been scenarios in Hollywood as far as I was concerned was the time Rothrock was attached, as a co-star to a project spearheaded by William Friedkin that would have starred Stallone. Said project was an attempt at an action film based on the long-running action-adventure or "men's adventure" paperback series The Executioner, the story of a Green Beret who returns home after a tragedy and decides organized crime is the enemy he should have been fighting at home, and eventually adds terrorists, cults, and every flavor of villain to his target list and kicked off a sub-genre of action-adventure paperbacks that's heyday was from the 70s to the 90s (though The Executioner was being published up to 2017.)

 

[The Cunting Death]

The realization that Popeye is more or less forgotten made me sad.

Popeye was huge with my family for generations. My grandpa was nicknamed Seahag during WW2 and he was a huge cartoon sperg.
My dad even saw the film in theaters and it was one of the first films I ever saw. I love the set designs, the sound, and it feels incredibly sincere for a director whose made some pretty fucking cynical stuff.
I still think the Fletcher cartoons are among the top 5 greatest things in the history of animation, being both funny and genuinely awesome.

 

[Mikoyan]

The realization that Popeye is more or less forgotten made me sad.

Popeye was huge with my family for generations. My grandpa was nicknamed Seahag during WW2 and he was a huge cartoon sperg.
My dad even saw the film in theaters and it was one of the first films I ever saw. I love the set designs, the sound, and it feels incredibly sincere for a director whose made some pretty fucking cynical stuff.
I still think the Fletcher cartoons are among the top 5 greatest things in the history of animation, being both funny and genuinely awesome.

When I lived in St. Louis I used to do weekend trips to various things. One time I went to Chester, IL to see a couple things. One of which was the Popeye statue. Even back then I got the sense that 'man, someday you're going to have to explain this to the kids who see it.'

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

(though The Executioner was being published up to 2017.)

Oh wow, nobody is writing Mack Bolan books anymore?

The realization that Popeye is more or less forgotten made me sad.

I'm 35 and Popeye was big for me in my early childhood as well.

It's weird, I feel like a lot of stuff is being forgotten about for early to mid-millennials more than other generations.

 

[Lint Licker]

It's weird how when they're wrong about something they tend to be spectacularly wrong. Remember when they mused over how Cynthia Rothrock never had a major career because of sexism? I seem to recall the action movie fan community ripping them a new asshole for that one.

I'd call it more like "information inequality." Actresses like Cynthia Rothrock and terms like Canuxploitation (somehow) simply haven't made their way to Wisconsin yet.

 

[Flexo]

It's weird, I feel like a lot of stuff is being forgotten about for early to mid-millennials more than other generations.

I actually think this is happening because of copyright and DMCA lockdowns.

Was discussing this with a friend about how when we finally sat down and watched the untouchables, it felt like we had seen 3/4th of the movie already because it had been referenced and parodied in pop culture so much we just knew the film even if we hadn't seen it.

Nowadays.... what was the last thing you saw referenced outside itself? Superhero/Marvel is about it. I know the companies hate it but IMO by locking down and blocking people from making memes and references to stiff they are preventing things from spreading to new generations. Especially those vultures who will grab IPs and then just squat on them for a few bucks.

 

[Get the rope Macaulay!]

they tend to be spectacularly wrong.

They leave most of it out of the edit, but Mike clearly thought Picard season 1 was a completely original plot and praised it for that, until Rich shut that shit down with his video game knowledge (now imagine if Rich refused to play Mass Effect like he did with KOTOR)

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

Nowadays.... what was the last thing you saw referenced outside itself? Superhero/Marvel is about it. I know the companies hate it but IMO by locking down and blocking people from making memes and references to stiff they are preventing things from spreading to new generations. Especially those vultures who will grab IPs and then just squat on them for a few bucks.

I don't think anyone is targeting stuff like Popeye and Dennis the Menace, though...

 

[Mola Ram]

(now imagine if Rich refused to play Mass Effect like he did with KOTOR)

Leave us not forget that Rich so despised Mass Effect 3 that he promised to destroy any copies of Andromeda a fan might send to him for review, and in fact he did an entire video where all he did for about half an hour was destroy physical copies of not just Andromeda but the original trilogy while Jack sat there in awkward silence.

Not saying Andromeda didn't deserve such a withering review, of course...

 

[Flexo]

I don't think anyone is targeting stuff like Popeye and Dennis the Menace, though...

Are you sure?

Who's got the autism to check this stuff out?

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

Are you sure?

Who's got the autism to check this stuff out?

I just did a quick search on Youtube and like...8thManDvd.com is running a video that is damn near 4 hours of Popeye cartoons.

I mean I guess they could be licensing it but what a weird channel to do it.

 

[Flexo]

I just did a quick search on Youtube and like...8thManDvd.com is running a video that is damn near 4 hours of Popeye cartoons.

I mean I guess they could be licensing it but what a weird channel to do it.

My brother A.I.s tell me...

Popeye public domain​

Popeye, the iconic cartoon character created by E.C. Segar, has a complex copyright history. The character’s comic strip debut in 1929 marked the beginning of a long and winding road to public domain.​

Public Domain Status​

As of 2009, the original Popeye comic strips from 1919 to 1928 entered the public domain, as the copyright had expired. This means that these early strips are now freely available for use and distribution.​

Later Works​

However, the Popeye cartoons produced by Paramount Pictures and later by King Features Syndicate remain under copyright. The copyright for these works will expire 70 years after the death of their creators, which means that they will enter the public domain in stages.​

Upcoming Public Domain​

As of 2024, Thimble Theatre comic strips from 1919 to 1928 have entered the public domain, concluding 17 days before Popeye's first appearance. Additionally, Popeye's first appearance in 1929 is expected to enter the public domain in 2025.​

Trademark Status​

It’s important to note that trademarks regarding Popeye remain with King Features, as trademarks do not expire unless they cease to be used. This means that while the character’s early comic strips are in the public domain, the trademarked character remains under King Features’ control.​

Public Domain Availability​

The following Popeye cartoons are currently in the public domain:​

• Fleischer Studios’ black and white Popeye shorts (1933-1942)
• Famous Studios’ Popeye shorts (1942-1957)
• Popeye Color Features (1933-1935)

These classic cartoons are freely available for download, streaming, and use.​

​

So those could be the public domain ones.

 

[Product Placement]

I went to Popeyes village as a kid in the 90s, don't remember much about it however. Looking up and it's still running, really says something about the quality of the sets .