Less than a month ago I saw the two-reel Fleischer cartoon POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS SINDBAD THE SAILOR (1936) for the first time. I didn’t think much of it upon this initial viewing, but now realize that may have had more to do with the faded, muddy public domain video copy I saw rather than the quality of the cartoon itself. That’s because a few nights ago I saw a restored 35mm print on the big screen of said cartoon and it was a radically different experience. The animation, the humor, the artwork, everything was pitch-perfect on this second viewing. The “3-D” sets, hardly distinguishable from the painted BGs on the videotape, were jaw-droppingly cool when seen on a grand scale, especially Sindbad’s cave, which radiated wicked fluorescent colors. This was the first public screening of the restored edition and hopefully it’ll receive many more screenings so audiences can enjoy this classic cartoon as it was meant to be seen. While on the subject of everybody’s preferred cartoon sailor, the prodigiously talented animation director Oscar Grillo has been emailing over some wild Popeye drawings during the past week and he’s agreed to let me share a few of them with Cartoon Brew readers. Click on each of the thumbnails for the larger version and enjoy!

Here’s a couple fanboy-ish projects which are commendable for their attention to detail and thoroughness. The Guide to Springfield USA is an exceedingly detailed map of the Simpsons’ hometown, and places different buildings according to where they appear in relationship to each other in specific episodes of THE SIMPSONS. Not to be outdone is The Don Martin Dictionary which compiles every sound effect used by Martin in his MAD MAGAZINE strips. (Martin link via Boing Boing)

At the San Diego Comic-Con last week, Matt Groening revealed that in an upcoming SIMPSONS episode, one of the characters will come out of the closet and take part in a gay marriage. In the episode, Homer becomes an ordained minister over the ‘Net and begins performing gay marriages. Timely cartoon indeed, but I doubt it’ll out-gay the new batch of REN & STIMPY episodes premiering August 20th on Spike TV. [Updated 7/29: John K. wrote to inform me that there is no gay humor in the new batch of REN & STIMPY episodes and seeing as how he's the director, he probably knows best about these type of things.]

I’ve only bought one DVD so far. REN & STIMPY: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS will be my second purchase.

I had a great time at the San Diego Comic Con this year.The convention is so big, so massive, so overwhelming - it’s like an annual World’s Fair of pop culture that has to be experienced in person for full effect. No written con report or video tapes, nor still photos or blogs can really capture the excitement of being part of this subculture that has slowly-but-surely taken over a specific city, Hollywood and perhaps the entire world.I attended my first comic book convention at age 13, in 1968: the Phil Seuling New York Comic Con. And I’ve been to at least one (sometimes several) major comic book convention every year ever since. My first San Diego Comic Con was at the El Cortez Hotel in 1977 - the year Star Wars came out.I’ve proudly watched San Diego grow into a monster. Last year it finally felt “too big” for me. So this year, I planned to make the con my own. My version of the convention was completely different than my friends.Sid & meThe convention is like a 20 screen multiplex with different programming on each for every hour of the day. You have to program the con yourself. This year I did that and had a great time. Sure I missed half of Mark Evanier’s terrific panels, I didn’t attend the Cartoon Network party, and I couldn’t see the Lucasfilm presentations - but I had my own convention and it was great.Con highlights: my interview Harvey Comics editor Sid Jacobson, finding out stories behind the Harvey brothers, Paramount & Famous Studios and who all the Casper/Richie writers and artists were. This was taped for posterity by the comic con (I don’t have a copy - don’t ask), so hopefully historians will be able to view this in the future.I also really enjoyed the movie preview panels - more than I thought I would. Robert Rodriquez’ film of Frank Miller’s SIN CITY looks amazing. It’s almost an experimental film, in stark black & white (with flashes of red), it’s literally Miller’s graphic novel in live action… similiarly SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW is a film I know I will love - but, based on the clips I saw, I fear the mainstream audience will not “get it”. It’s like the greatest 1937 Republic serial ever made - sort of a Captain Midnight meets Tailspin Tommy meets Spy Smasher - using state of the art technology to achieve the same effects Universal had 65 years ago with simple “rear-screen” projection and miniatures. I can’t wait to see the whole film. It looks great to me.A scene from
Team AmericaTwo films really blew me away: First, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE looks like it will be the funniest film of the year. It is a spoof of Gerry Anderson Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet “Super-Marionation” TV puppet shows, but with great acting (puppeteering?) and a South Park mindset - about a team of American super agents who chase terrorists around the globe. The villian is North Korea’s Kim Jong-il (think “Dr. Daka”, from the 1943 Batman serial, with Cartman’s voice) who, in a hilarious clip screened, does away with weapon’s inspector Hans Blix by sending him into a shark tank. This had me screaming with laughter. Matt & Trey said they had the begining of the film and the end of the film written and shot - but they are making up the middle as they go along (not unlike the way they create South Park on a weekly basis).A scene from
The IncrediblesThe other film that blew everyone away was the footage from Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES. It was incredible. Brad Bird came down and showed two clips - both were hilarious. The first was an action sequence (Mr. Incredible versus a robot) which was both funny, thrilling and eye-popping. The character designs and action push the boundries once again - and it’s easy to predict that this film will continue Pixar’s winning streak at the box office.I also had fun at the WGA Animation Writers party, the Apatoons breakfast, Mark Evanier’s Chuck McCann spotlight, my Worst Cartoons screening, a panel on the history of the San Diego Comic Con and numerous other panels, dinners and seeing friends I usually only run into once a year on the dealers room floor.And I met many Brew readers who said hello - and encouraged us to continue. Thank you all. And if I didn’t see you there this year - let’s get together next year.

Mike Barrier has announced that he’s starting a regularly updated blog on his website MichaelBarrier.com. I’m looking forward to reading his insightful, often provocative, comments about animation and comics on a more frequent basis. New to Mike’s site is an update of his Europe trip journal, with an entry about Zermatt, Switzerland and the city’s connection to Walt Disney. Also added is a none too complimentary review of SHREK 2. I have to give Mike credit though: he was brave enough to actually sit through the entire film. Even the chance to see it for free hasn’t been enough to lure me into the multiplex for this Katzenberg gem.

Spumco has posted numerous clips (RealPlayer required) from the upcoming three all-new episodes of REN & STIMPY (returning to Spike TV on Friday August 20 at 12:00pm). Be warned: some of these clips are not suitable for children! Check ‘em out here .

While cartoonist-types don’t often appear on late-night talkshows, this evening’s THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO will feature an appearance by JibJab.com co-founders Gregg and Evan Spiridellis. Their Web animation site has been around for quite a few years, but they’ve shot to a new level of fame in the past few weeks with their biting political short THIS LAND.