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Quote from user: GeoXQuote from user: Dutch Duckfan Down UnderPopeye? Really? Isn't that a bit silly? Hmm.
You only say that because you've never read the original. And in any case, do you know how many times I've heard similar remarks from civilians regarding Disney comics?
Hmm... good point. I've seen some of the low-budget 60s cartoons. They were fun, but repetitive. And yes, I've heard that remark many times as well.

Dutch Duckfan Down Under... Popeye comics and Popeye cartoons are VERY difrent things.

The problem with the cartoons (While I love Flerishers work) is that they only took few characters from a gigantic cast of characters and had the plot be as simplistic as possible (unlike the comic which had very complex storylines) In a way it's a bit like reverse of classic Donald Duck cartoons and Carl Barks comics. Old cartoons only have Donald, Daisy, Huey, Dewey and Luie and the plots are as simple as it gets. In Barks comics we get tons of very interesting characters, Donald is much more develope and stories are rich and full of clever ideas. It's same way with Popeye, only here the comics where first and then cartoons dumb them down with each new series making it worse and worse...

Ironically Bluto was one-time villian in the comics and the whole "spinach makes Popeye super-strong" running gag was something that appeared in the comics only few times beafore the cartoons appear and made it regular "once an episode" thing. Character of Popeye is especialy much more interesting and deverse. There is this twisted logic that goes with this character action I adore. His incredeble simple minded, yet clever at the same time. He likes to solve problem with his fist and acts spontaneously but he always has good intention and his hearth is in the good place even when his clueless about the situation. Segar's Popeye is 100 times more fun charcter to watch then cartoons ever made him, and there goe's for Olive, Wimpy (Who in Segar strips is basically a freaking psychopath, but that's another story...)

BTW -> The humor in Segar's Popeye comics not only is clever and funny... but get's dark humor at the moments. I was honestly shock how many jokes in oryginal Segar strips involve suicide or characters geting shot [in one story Popeye get's shot 13 times and is devastated becose it's gona bring him bad luck] Heck! One running gag' involve Poopdeck Pappy hiting Olive Oil every time she spoke to him... It's one of those things no respected censor would allowed today but it was interesting to see in what direction a caroonist can go when he isn't limited by Political Correctnes ...
Not that being PC it's a bad thing, but there is something about complite lack of it in Segars strips that I found to be part of it's charm... There is these sence of freedom that Segar had that allowed him to go into some incredeble creative ideas and trully supprising gags, that are funny today despite the fact that 80 years had pass.

For what it's worth, let me add a few cents about old comic strips (which turned out to be a fairly long post):
Popeye: Just try reading Segar??s stuff from 1929-38. Silly? Yes. Brilliant? Yes.
Prince Valiant: Yes, it is serious and straightforward, but was meant to be overwhelming, and read in color in enormous oversized Sunday sections of the 30s/40s. Once you get into it, it??s a very warm, loving and captivating strip, and every single page is graced by Foster??s brilliant artwork. Start from the beginning in 1937, and judge it after you??ve read the first decade of work.
Alley Oop: Oop started out in 1932/33 and dealt with the adventures of caveman Alley Oop in the prehistoric land of Moo. Cavemen and dinosaurs! What could be better? Well, it was good already in the 30s, but in 1939 Oop and and his girlfriend bombshell Oola are transported into modern times, and thus begins a fascinating run of time travelling stories in which Alley and ? modern day? scientists visit practically every historical time period and event VT Hamlin could think of. Think of Oop as a not too bright caveman, with a kind of childish stubborn attitude but a big conscience, who clashes with practically everyone and everything around him in prehistorical or historic or modern settings, all plotted and written by an exceptionally intelligent and well read guy who really understood the comic strip medium. It is humor and adventure combined, as at least I like it! The 1940s adventures are not too easy to find; there are some quite expensive reprint volumes from Spec productions, Kitchen Sink reprinted 1946-49 in three volumes and IDW very recently reprinted the first time travelling episode from 1939 in a oneshot volume.
Wash Tubbs: In my admittedly subjective opinion, at its peak Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy was the best adventure comic strip ever. Still is. Brilliant plots and artwork, combining a kind of bigfoot drawing style with crazy humor and very serious adventures (people die, for real). I don??t know how to describe it other than?¦ Crane merged practically everything that??s brilliant in comic strip storytelling, and pulled it off! And it looks so easy! The Captain Easy Sundays from 1933 on are often mentioned as his best work, but I??d say that the daily strip adventures 1928-33 are the most brilliant stuff and that the quality of the dailies declined somewhat when Crane took on the additional work of a serious Sunday page.

I am on the third of six published volumes of Segar's Popeye and must agree with the posts above. It's well worth a read, especially once it really gets going (Popeye doesn't even appear until about a third of the way into the first volume, and isn't fleshed out fully before the end of it).
Prince Valiant always appeals to me visually, but seems like a lot of work to collect. Plus the writing style of those old comics isn't always enjoyable. The bit I read of it suggests I might weary of it before long.

A girl I know loves these so much and told me some of the stories. They actually sounded pretty funny so trying to be open minded I took a look. Though not comics they sure are great stories, have really nice artwork, and you might be surprised how much you like them. There's just two books of stories: Winnie-the-Pooh (read this one first) and The House House At Pooh Corner both by A. A. Milne. Make sure the art is by Ernest H. Shepard. Don't confuse these with the other Pooh books which aren't the same at all.

Patrick Hanifin
www.PatrickHanifin.com
www.SqueakyCleanComedy.com

Ah! The nostalgia! The Pooh books where (next to "Pinochio" by Carlo Collodi) the VERY FIRST books I read on my own from begining to end when I was 7 or 8. Much like "Alice in Wonderland", Dr. Seuss or "Pippi longstocking" (another childhood favorite of mine) it's one of those books you don't trully appreciate untill you re-read them as an adult.

You know, as much the fans of oryginal Pooh books like to rant about how Disney "destroyed Winnie the Pooh", the more I think about it... The very first Pooh movie Disney did ("The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh") is propably the most faithfull adaptation of a book of any of the Disney movies.

Not only I think they did a wonderfull job of capturing the spirit of Milne books but many sequences are almost word by word taken from the books (especialy the first 20 minutes)
I can't even think of that many departures from the books... out side of the obvious fact that they omited or swich places of some chaptes/stories and some character desing changes from the oryginal illustration (mainly Rabbit)

The movie also did a marvelous job of capturing the childhood nostalgia. ..

Other Pooh show and spin-off movies where more in the "whatever" cathegory... With the exeption of 2011 movie! BOY not only it did a good job capturing the spirit of the Pooh books but It was incredebly FUNNY! Plus it had songs by Gorge Lopez ("Frozen", "Book of Mormon") What not to love?

BTW -> Is somebody here fan of "Le Petit Nicolas" /"Little Nicholas" book series by Rene Goscinny? (same Goscinny who made Asterix comic books) Another trully great set of kids book with humor that's makes you laugh twice as hard when you re-read them as an adult.

The movie adaptation was shockingly good.

Since where in the kids book theritory...

About year ago I read "Der satanarchäolügenialkohöllische Wunschpunsch" (simply named "Night of the Wishesh" in English) by Michael Ende (who also did "Neverending story") and I was supprise what a great read it was. Very funny, very creative and and the book had a incredebly clever idea to puting the entire story in the event of one night and having a clock every few pages to show how much time the main heroes have left to complite their mission... It's makes things incredebly suspenseful (even if I had to admit the ending was a bit anti-climatix for my taste)

I'm also fan of Astrid Lindgren works. "Pipi" as I mentiooned above, as well 'Karlsson-on-the-Roof" and "The Six Bullerby Children".

I'm not going to get into to much detail so I don't cross into "R" rated material but... I just spend four nights playing "South Park : The Stick of Truth" game on PC and It's one of the funniest games I ever played. Even if your not the fan of the show's humor you can admire the game for it's rich imagination and cleverness.

I'm also big fan of the show itself. While many episodes in the early season??s are often vulgar just for being vulgar sake, the recent seasons went into very strong satirical territory, with almost each episode having some sort of social commentary. Heck. The last season only had one episode involving fart jokes (which I personally despise) and even then It oddly enough serve a satirical point.
What??s most important ?? most cultural commentary is not only very clever but it??s also dead. I also had respect for the show for usually attacking both sides of the issue (un ??like ??Family Guy" which is usually very one-sided whenever trying to make some satirical statement)

Outside of that I love how absurd it can get. I don??t recall a single show that can get so over the top with each premise. My favorite character is Randy (Stan??s Dad) I can??t even point out what??s so great about this character??s personality. He??s just get so over the top about everything his involve with.

For those who still aren??t sure about the show but would want to give it a chance I recommend episodes :

- Pinewood Derby [In my opinion the best episode of the entire show?¦ It??s also one of few episodes that if you would remove one violent moment and few curses you could safely show it to kids]
- Over Logging [In my opinion one of best satires ever written?¦ not just in ??South Park" but in general]
- The Hobbit [Not only this episode has one of smartest social commentary I??ve seen but it??s get surprisingly touching near the end. It's propably cutest thing they did on this show]
- Informative Murder Porn
- Make love not Warcraft
- Ginger Cow
- Breast Cancer show ever [another touching episode, don't let this title fool you]
- Go God Go [two prater]
- All about Mormons [another almost kid-friendly episode with a wise message to it]
- Good time with Weapons [Not exactly satirical episode?¦ it??s just awesome one! ;) ]

I would also recomend episode "Death Camp of Tolerance" however the problem with that one is while the main plot has a very clever and unusual commentary (as well it's so funny you wil cry) the sublot (while so absurd it's hilarious in my opinion) can be to disgusting for some viewers. So be warn about his one.

I??m also big fan of ??Book of Mormon" musical which is made by the same people. I can listen to those songs all day long. The humor in the song is pretty dark but at the same time it??s so amazginly up-lifting. The music just scream with joy. It??s probably the only R-rated satire on Religion I know that??s actually PRO-religious and pro-fight and that??s a very hard trick to pull.