Itrsquo;s a rare comic character who can make audiences laugh for well over half a centurymdash;but then again; itrsquo;s a pretty rare cartoon hero who can boast of forearms thicker than his waist; who can down a can of spinach in a single gulp; or who generally faces the world with one eye squinted completely shut. When E.C. Segarrsquo;s gruff but lovable sailor man first tooted his pipe to the public on January 7; 1929; it was not in the animated cartoon format for which he is best known today (and which would become the longest running series in film history). Instead it was on the comics page of the New York Journal; as Segarrsquo;s Thimble Theatre strip. Over the decades to come; Popeye was to appear on radio; television; stage; and even in a live-action feature film. This comprehensive and lavishly illustrated history is a thoroughly updated and revised edition of the highly acclaimed 1994 work. Animated series and films are examined; noting the different directions each studio took and the changing character designs of the Popeye family. Popeye in other mediamdash;comics; books; radio; and a stage playmdash;is thoroughly covered; as are Robert Altmanrsquo;s 1980 live-action film; and Popeye memorabilia.
#1046479 in eBooks 2007-07-01 2007-07-01File Name: B0083V44DW
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A Fun And Fascinating Read!!By Frank MI didnt expect much when I picked up this book. Having read the Davies and Norman Beatles biographies. Lewisohns superb books on their recording sessions. all the Spizer books on their American records. Bill Harrys encyclopedia. and numerous other tomes. I figured Shea and Rodriguez would just rehash the same old Beatles trivia. Happily. I was mistaken! This book is a genuine treasure! Between Chris Hillmans foreword and Jackie Lomaxs afterword there is a wealth of info that even dyed-in-the-wool Beatlemaniacs can sink their canines into. Sure. some of it has seen the light of day before but a lot of it is surprisingly fresh -- or at least freshly presented. Youd be hard-pressed to find a similar book organized in such an entertaining and highly readable fashion. I was actually sad when I came to the end! Another bonus. though: Its a great reference text!The chapters are cleverly titled with snippets of Beatles lyrics and the topics include such fun reads as Beatle children. Beatle wives and girlfriends (are you listening. Bill Harry? Your vaunted encyclopedia totally ignored Maureen Starkey!!). villains in the Beatle story. fellow actors and actresses in their movies. their favorite brands of instruments. musical role switches on certain songs. obscure people in the Beatles orbit. other acts that toured with them. songs they wrote for others. etc.. etc.. etc. "Fab Four Faqs" is really a misnomer; the book is actually a long series of lists but fleshed out with some revealing (to me. at least) details. The authors have a witty. often irreverent. style but their love for their subject spills from every page.At various times throughout the book. Shea and Rodriguez say that "another book" is needed to cover many of the people. places. and events they only allude to because of space constraints. I can only hope theyre serious.....0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Edward QuinnAlways enjoy the FAQ books. Very informative.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fab Four FantasticBy Kim BrondykeIf you claim to be a true Beatles fan. you will not want to pass up this book. No historical tome. this book is a collection of fascinating facts. some of which you will learn for the first time reading these pages. This clever. trendy book is broken up into sections that make it more encyclopedic. and thus. easy to put down and pick up again for repeated convenience and ease of reading. This book not only covers facts about the Beatles. but also about other groups and artists of their time. For example. I was interested to learn that Frank Sinatra once recorded a birthday song for Ringos wife. Maureen. as she was a Sinatra fan!All in all. this book is a more-than-interesting read that you can always go back to when you need a Beatles fix!
