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One of the oldest comic characters in American history gets the Anime treatment!? Eye Lie Popeye takes on the mystery of Popeye’s lost eye and everyone seems to have a story to tell. As the tall tales start rolling in, it becomes clear that there’s something more sinister afoot! Who has returned to seek the truth?!
- Story, art, and editing by Marcus Williams
Eye Lie Popeye: The Perfect Blend of Comics and Manga
Popeye the Sailor Man gets an updated comic book adaptation and “eye” ain’t gonna “lie”, it’s just what he needed! It’s been hotly debated over the last few years that comic books are a dying medium. Sales may be all over the place, but most of this argument comes from the meteoric rise of Manga in American pop culture. So why not take one of the oldest comic book characters in American history and tell a new story in the style of Anime?!
A Popeye Story That’s Familiar But Fresh
This story by Marcus Williams is fun, lighthearted, and full of action! Popeye and Olive Oil are approached by a young reporter looking to write a piece on how Popeye lost his eye. Olive Oil kicks it off with a tall tale of her rescue, followed by Bluto with his embellished tale of self confidence. After Whimpy’s hamburger filled story, the reported loses her patience and reveals her real motives.
Eye Lie Popeye is one of this weeks Top 10 Most Anticipated!
Who’s Telling the Truth in Eye Lie Popeye?!
Each story told by Popeye’s supporting cast is so much fun. Even though they are all so different in tone and from a different point of view, they all seem absolutely believable for a Popeye story. Speaking of characters, Williams has a real grasp on their voices and motivations. Popeye and his cast have never been that deep to begin with and they’re always over the top. However, there’s something different about that in this book. As they each tell their story, you pick up on more and more of their personalities and what they find important about themselves and how they view the world around them.
The Art of Eye Lie Popeye Sets it Apart
To go along with writing this story, Marcus Williams also takes on art duties and this is where things really shine! The Manga style adapts so well to Popeye. It’s really the treatment needed to reinvigorate this character. When you go back and think about it, Popeye is a perfect anime character. Indomitable spirit, kind to others, and able to surpass conventional strength and speed when the odds are against him!
The character designs are absolutely faithful to the originals with a crisp and flowing update, Even without dialogue, you can infer these characters motivations by their movements and body language. Of course when we talk about giving Popeye the Manga and/or Anime treatment, we have to focus on the action!
Popeye Was Made For Anime Action!
Williams gives us plenty of action in this issue through flashbacks to this stories being told, and the current battle they end up having to fight! The issue kicks off in the middle of the battle and circles back around to what happened to get there. Characters move with purpose and in such a dynamic fashion that the excitement and tension begs the reader to follow to the next panel and then the next! To top it all off, the colors are so vibrant and rich. This is where I think the anime and American cartoon styles blend so well.
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Everything Points to 9/10
If you’re a Popeye fan this is one you will enjoy. If you’re not, I think this is something that will still grab your attention. I believe we’ve been in desperate need of this melding of 2 mediums that are honestly no that different. To see them done with a classic cartoon and comic book character that was made for this is exciting! Marcus Williams has something special on his hands and readers should not underestimate this title.
