I learn something new every day.I did not know AAP (Associated Artists Productions), the company that bought the pre-48 Warner Bros. film library and Paramount’s Popeye cartoons and syndicated them to television in 1957, had a record label. One of my Christmas gifts this year was a copy of the “Official TV POPEYE Record Album”, a 78 rpm vinyl record featuring New York kid show host Captain Allen Swift and Mae Questel singing various Popeye related songs. It came in it’s original mailing sleeve (from “A.A.P. Records Inc.”) and there is a King Features Syndicate copyright notice on it.It contains (per the sleeve) “Almost 10 minutes of delightful entertainment” and “Songs & Chatter Children will enjoy over & over again”. The record was made available as a 78 or a 45. Swift wrote several of the original tunes and co-produced the tracks (with Arthur Pine). He also does an awful Popeye voice (Swift was clearly more suited to doing Bluto).But what really amazed me is that A.A.P. supposedly had a record label! Does anyone out there have any other A.A.P. records? I knew A.A.P. had a line of 8mm home movies (see box at left - courtesy of Harry McCracken’s Home Movie Box Museum) - now I wonder how extensively they exploited their acquired properties.When I worked for United Artists (1978-84) I picked up a lot of AAP background material, but never ran across anything on them producing records. I suspect from the packaging, and despite the $1.00 price printed on the sleeve, that this was some kind of promotional item, a one-shot, perhaps offered for sale through the kid show hosts in local markets.If anyone has more info on AAP Records, please let me know. It’s news to me.

If you have a few spare minutes and a broadband connection, check out this little film that Dell Computer made, apparently for in-house use. It’s inspired by TEAM AMERICA (and has some direct nods to THUNDERBIRDS)–and if nothing else, it’s pretty darn ambitious from the standpoint of faux cheesy production values. I have no idea how much it cost to make, but I’m willing to wager that Gerry Anderson never got his hands on this sort of money, on a per-minute basis…

To follow up on yesterday’s comments on the adult merchandising of cartoon characters, Brew reader Juan Lara points out the proper place to use your Sanrio playthings: I once stumbled upon this website for the Hotel Chateau in Kagoshima. The hotel is a “love hotel” where a couple can rent a room for a few hours for some intimacy. Now don’t these pictures really put you in the mood? Personally this hotel looks like my worst nightmare. But, to each his own.

Viacom has a very frustrating merchandising agenda regarding their classic Terrytoon cartoon stars. Thus I wasn’t sure what to make of this item I spotted on the internet while Christmas shopping last week: Mighty Mouse panties!My first reaction was to make all manner of off-color jokes relating to the placement of The Mouse of Tomorrow so close to the area of the female body associated with that euphemistic word for “feline”. But upon further “research” I see that many other classic characters are also being marketed toward this new niche: Jerry Mouse, Swee’ Pea and Betty Boop.If I were Viacom, I’m not sure if this is the fan base I’d be appealing to, but I suppose its all good clean fun. As a matter of taste, we still have a long way to go before we catch up with the Japanese (Sanrio’s use of Hello Kitty and Badtz Maru on adult products is clearly venturing into newer - or shall I say, virgin - territory).

Here’s a SLATE piece on the marketing of THE POLAR EXPRESS as…an evangelical film? Read it and be fascinated.

Merry Christmas!

The last time I was in the Big Apple, I wanted to go to the Popeye exhibit at the Museum of Television and Radio–but I got food poisoning and was too weak to make the two-block trek from my hotel. I’m back in NYC for the holidays–I join Jerry and Amid in hoping yours are happy, by the way–and feeling fine, so I visited it today.

The good news? The show includes some Segar originals, a decent amount of Fleischer and Famous Studios art, a few wonderful vintage posters, a smattering of fun collectibles, and a film loop that includes a newsreel visit to the Fleischer studio in Miami. The Museum is also showing Popeye cartoons in one of its theaters in conjunction with the exhibit; I didn’t attend today’s screening, but if it involved any Fleischers or early Famous shorts, I’m sorry I missed it. And in general, the exhibit seems carefully curated in terms of attention to detail–for instance, the signage includes dates whenever possible, and they seem to be accurate.

But this show had something in common with a pretty high percentage of cartoon-related museum exhibits: An inability or unwillingness to be discriminating. So the film loop also includes stretches of 1970s Hanna-Barbera cartoons, there are multiple POPEYE AND SON cel setups on display, and the recent CGI special is touted heavily and approvingly compared to Segar and Fleischer. It’s as if all Popeye were good Popeye, or it didn’t really matter whether Popeye was any good in the first place.

After spending 20 minutes in the exhibit (and a bit more time watching an unrelated but fascinating compilation of TV clips of Bobby Darrin, selected by Kevin Spacey), I left both happy and dejected. If you love Popeye and get the chance to attend it–it’s on until January 29th–you’ll probably come away with the same feeling.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holidays to all of our friends and readers!

I’ll personally be taking a break from the Brew until after the first of the year. Jerry Beck, or our guest contributor Harry McCracken, may post before this, but I’ll see everybody on the other side…

For more great artwork, like the illustration above by Lowell Hess, take out a subscription to Shane Glines’s CartoonRetro.com.

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