Strong to the Finich

Popeye and Olive Oyl in A Date to Skate (1938)

My love for classic cartoons is well established on this blog. But one of my favorites is Popeye the Sailor, originally created by E. C. Segar in 1929 for his comic strip, Thimble Theatre.

Yeah, the plots are nonsensical, mere vehicles for absurd fisticuffs and overt brutishness, but I can't help enjoying the simple-minded mayhem. The creativity with which Popeye and Bluto assault each other, ever escalating to new heights of fantastic brutality, captivates me. I often enjoy seeing just how much of a pummelling that Popeye will receive before he pops open a can of spinach.

Crazy stuff!!! Yet, as a child, I spent countless Sunday mid-mornings watching these cartoons on Tom Hatten's Popeye Show, featured on KTLA. Obviously, this was well before the "Shelter the children from violent images" trend that came into prominence during the 1980s.

Popeye and Bluto in Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor (1936)

In any case, let's spend a few moments to enjoy some purposeless animated mayhem. ;-)

Be a Pepper!!!

Vintage Dr Pepper ad

We can't let the 126th anniversary of Dr Pepper go by without celebration. ;-)

My tastes in soft drinks tend towards lemon-lime flavors or root beer types, with colas trailing at the bottom of the list. The peculiar qualities of Dr Pepper make it an erratic candidate for my beverage of choice. Sometimes, that subtle tartness is refreshing, but, other times, the heavy aftertaste brings up the old prune juice comparison.

Nevertheless, when I'm in the mood for a soft drink, I generally consider picking up a Dr Pepper. It really is an interesting flavor, albeit not always to my liking. I'll almost always select it over Pepsi or Coke.

Drink a Bite to Eat (1946)

Regardless of my preference in flavor, I've always been entertained by Dr Pepper commercials and marketing campaigns. The vintage ads are especially fun.