It has long been speculated that Popeye is a stoner, I first read of this on the terrific animation blog Cartoon Brew. Today, Popeye’s the Arf Lovers Blog has now turned up conclusive evidence that what Popeye had in his pipe was indeed wacky tobacky, i.e. marijuana. Websites like Cannabisculture.com have pointed out that when Popeye was created the word “spinach” was a popular eupheism for marijuana celebrated as such in jazz songs. A vintage Popeye comic book cover shows Popeye smoking from a hooka labeled “Spinach”.

Now Arf Lovers has obtained three new compelling pieces of evidence. The first is a photo of a hippie-era protest staged by the National Cartoonist Society. Members of the NCS carried placards with labels like “Charles Schulz Works For Peanuts”. And, pertinent to Popeye’s marijuana use, Claire Crawford (wife of cartoonist Bill Crawford, I believe) carried a sign “Popeye Smokes Spinach!”

The second piece of evidence is actual drug paraphenalia used by the one eyed sailor. Look at the “Pipe Toss Game”. The “game” has a huge pipe ready to be jammed with “weed” and comes with 3 “green” rings: AS IN “DRUG RINGS”!

The third final damning piece of evidence is this drawing found in the first Arf book, Modern Arf, by Popeye’s creator Elzie Segar from the “Artists and Models” section of Modern Arf. It clearly pictures Popeye as an artist and we all know about those crazy artists and their drugged lifestyles.

So next time your watching a Popeye cartoon and Popeye gets a raucous “high” from puffing on his pipe and ends the cartooon with a “toot-toot” you’ll know why, in the end, he gives his audience a knowing wink. He’s Popeye the Pothead Man!

P.S. If all the above doesn’t convince you, dear Arf Lover, I just found a final and conclusive piece of evidence. When I spell-checked the above copy what did “spell-check” suggest instead of Popeye? “Poppy”. I rest my case.

Happy birthday, Matt!

In the comic strip adventures Little Orphan Annie’s dog, Sandy, famously would bark out the title of my book series: “Arf!”. Arf lover Don Cook, editor of the awesome The Funnies Paper, kindly sent me the Arf inspired pieces of comic art below. I especially like the Steve Canyon strip that references the Orphan Annie strip. Thanks Don and if anybody else has similar stuff please step forward! BTW, The Funnies Paper is a delightful good ol’ fanzine about comics with over 50 issues published. TFP turns up fascinating historical info. Details on securing copies can be snagged by emailing the editor Don Cook at TFPzine(at)aol(dot)com.

The artists that do the Arf riff that Don sent in are Milton Caniff and Whitney Darrow, Jr. Caniff will be represented with some rare and yummy females noods in my upcoming book Clean Cartoonists’ Dirty Drawings. Darrow has a funny cartoon in the “Reading Comics is Fun And Mental” cover feature in the next Arf book, Arf Forum.

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“He’s only four weeks old, and he can already say ‘arf’”
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Here’s a new statue we’re working on for Dark Horse at YOE! Studio- Sally Brown holding a Valentine! Awwww!

Holy Hetrosexuality, Batman! Batman tries out a new dynamic duo for Valentine”s Day.

I haven’t posted my doodles in a while. I recently spoke at Disney World on Creativity and Brainstorming. At these conferences I always doodle while listening to the other speakers, I hope they don’t think I’m rude. Actually they probably think I’m taking notes. I doodle whether the talks are good are not. I remember doodling these while listgening to a particularly boring talk.

Gary Panter is the father of Punk Art and his signature character is Jimbo. YOE! Studio was thrilled to sculpt for Dark Horse (thanks Dave!) the first ever 3-D rendition of Panter’s offspring right down to his anatomically correctness you’ll find when you carefully peek under his plaid fabric loincloth. Jimbo and Jimbo’s junk will be in fine stores in September.

Dollman first appeared in Feature Comics #27 in 1939 making him one of the first superheroes! Doll Man got his own self-titled comic for 47 issues, too. The story goes that research scientist Darrell Dane invented a formula enabling him to shrink to six inches tall and still maintain his full strength while wearing a cute little costume! Now THAT would be a handy power! His slogan on the front of this issue below reminds me of “it’s not the meat, it’s the motion!”

Nine times out of ten Doll Man’s covers had him pictured with a big phallic symbol…

…or had him in bondage…WITH a phallic symbol…

Some of the covers leave me speechless. Is this one below about Doll Man and some guy similtaneously smoking a phallic hooka and is it rife with sexual symbolism?

Of course sometimes the covers like the one below were free of any phallic symbols, bondage motifs or plain kinkiness…or not! Nice package!

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From now on every Monday at the Arf Lover’s Blog will be “Doh! It’s Doll Man Monday”! Spread the word! What a Dane! What a Doll! What a Man!

Another helping of pre-Smokey Stover Bill Holman comics. I will be featuring Bill Holman in the up coming Arf Forum.

Professional Knife Thrower: “I’ll teach you to rob my house!”
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“O.K. George—let’er Come!”
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With his Da-da style Smokey Stover comic strips Bill Holman is the perfect Arf cartoonist. I have a lengthy chapter on him in the next Arf, Arf Forum. Tons of rare art and the text is based on an interview I did with Bill in his home. Before Bill did the Smokey Stover strip he did a lot of gag cartoons. We’re presenting a couple of those today and more tomorrow. If any Arf Lovers out there have more send ‘em in and we’ll share!

“Gimme your money”
“On white or rye?”
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“But I only wanted to get a piece for the bottom of the bird cage!”
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