| Popeye:
An Illustrated Cultural History by
Fred Grandinetti
The breadth
of Grandinetti's knowledge about Popeye is truly astounding! This
is good news for readers because it means that his book covers all things
Popeye. From comic strips to animated cartoons to collectibles to
live action to sound recordings to theme park appearances and more, it's
all here. Those wanting to learn about the sailor, or find answers
to trivia questions, or rekindle childhood memories and finally solve mysteries
like "What was the name of that cartoon where Bluto was a bullfighter?"
will find what they need. Even long-time, diehard fans like me will
learn new things. And the illustrations are wonderful! There
are sample strips from all the creators of the comics over the years, stills
from the animated films, theatrical posters, sheet music, ads, model sheets
and more. Fred includes episode guides, sample scripts, colorizations
gaffs, character profiles, mini-bios of the voice artists, a section on
the censored Popeye cartoons, and information about The International Popeye
Fanclub written by club co-founder Mike Brooks. In the interest of
full disclosure, I should also say that there are two pages about me and
my views toward Popeye and the Famous Studios cartoons, but even without
those pages I would recommend the book to anyone wanting an education in
Popeye and those curious as to why, 75 years after his creation, people
all over the world still talk about the one-eyed, pipe tooting hero.
Not everyone will agree with all of Grandinetti's opinions about the various
incarnations of Popeye, but Fred tries to be fair and will get you to think.
And fans interacting with other fans' thoughts is what fandom is all about.
Bottom line: This is a good job from perhaps the number one Popeye fan
in the world.
Order
from McFarland & Company
or amazon.com.
McFarland
order line: 1-800-253-2187
McFarland
& Company, Inc. Publishers
Box
611
Jefferson,
North Carolina 28640
Tel.
336-246-4460 FAX 336-246-5018
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