KFS Popeye DVDs

[CyberFox]

It's interesting that Warner Bros. is doing the 1960s Made For TV Popeye cartoons, does this mean we can expect "The Man Who Hated Laughter" as a special feature in any of these family-aimed Popeye DVDs?

[MF TOON]

The KFS Popeyes are a guilty pleasure of mine. I enjoy almost all of Gene Deitch's work including the 60s Popeye series and I actually think some of the designs and colors/backgrounds, etc. are quite appealing. I won't ever compare them to the theatrical series, but I grew up with these cartoons and while plenty of them are terrible, I'll always enjoy the show for what it was. That said, I already own most of these cartoons on DVD and unless Warner Bros. are planning to do something really special or somehow have strikingly better looking transfers (don't see how that would be possible) than the box set from Koch released two years ago, I'm not really sure why anyone would care about this. I can't see Warner Home Video going all out with complete remastered chronological sets of every last KFS TV cartoons when they can't do so much for their Tom & Jerry films and others. Especially if sales of the Fleischer Popeyes supposedly didn't reach expected numbers. There are markedly fewer fans fo the 60s TV output. But if they do eventually release full sets of these, I'll probably buy 'em again.

[Bugsy-Kun]

The KFS's Popeye was a big mystery to me. I watching during years before being cancelled on TV. The characters designs are very average to ugly and it's look like it's not the same Popeye we know but look a continuity of the Famous style.

One of my digital channels aired now the H-B's All-New Popeye Show, i think it's better than the KFS's cartoons.

[MF TOON]

The KFS's Popeye was a big mystery to me. I watching during years before being cancelled on TV. The characters designs are very average to ugly and it's look like it's not the same Popeye we know but look a continuity of the Famous style.

One of my digital channels aired now the H-B's All-New Popeye Show, i think it's better than the KFS's cartoons.

Hanna Berbera's Popeye show is one of the worst things I've ever seen. I bought the old snapper case from WB which featured some of these cartoons along with some Haggar The Horrible and other comic strip/tv adaptations out of sheer curiosity, not remembering having ever seen these shows as a kid, and the Popeye episodes were so bad they hurt my brain!

The KFS Popeyes under Deitch's direction were at times more streamlined and stylized int heir designs and had nice mood to them. I partly enjoy them because I watched them regularly as a kid but I think some of them still hold up today and are at their worst, a million times better than the Hanna Barbera TV series. Weren't Popeye and Bluto even friends in that one?

[J Lee]

Deitch's Popeyes are plug-ugly, but story wise they probably come closest to the same weird/unexpected 1930s Fleischer vibe than anything else from the late-40s on, when the Famous cartoons stiffened up and relied almost solely on story to get the cartoons across. On the other hand, the 65 or so KFS Popeyes done by Paramount show what the series probably would have looked like by 1960, if they hadn't stopped doing the theatricals (except that the KFS connection actually allowed Seymour Knietel & Co. a few more story opportunities with the reinstroduction and/or first time use of a number of Segar's Thimble Theater characters that never showed up in the Famous shorts.

As for the H-B stuff, there was some conflict between Popeye and Bluto, but TV censors really limited the violence quotent in those cartoons, and combind with the general bland late 70s/early 80s Hanna-Barbera pacing, design and music, those cartoons have even less to offer story-wise than the KFS cartoons.

[CyberFox]

I'm just wondering that there's a possibility that "The Man Who Hated Laughter" might appear in any of these family-targeted Popeye DVDs as a special feature

[Bugsy-Kun]

As for the H-B stuff, there was some conflict between Popeye and Bluto, but TV censors really limited the violence quotent in those cartoons, and combind with the general bland late 70s/early 80s Hanna-Barbera pacing, design and music, those cartoons have even less to offer story-wise than the KFS cartoons.

Well yeah unfortunately. The 70's-80's Popeye cartoons was limited to the violence cause of the TV censors (I know now why 60's The Road Runner Show and Bugs Bunny Show cartoons was offered unedited) that we know compared to the KFS's efforts

It's interesting that Warner Bros. is doing the 1960s Made For TV Popeye cartoons, does this mean we can expect "The Man Who Hated Laughter" as a special feature in any of these family-aimed Popeye DVDs?

I'm personally wonder if Warner got the rights to this special. You can ask them.

[CyberFox]

Why Not? They are acquiring DVD rights for every Popeye related cartoon under the sun

[Bugsy-Kun]

I don't know personally but it could be a possibility. :)

[Tim Lones]

Cyberfox-Anything is possible as far as what might be on any DVD set..

Below is a TV Guide Ad for Popeye, Barnaby and Friends from December 1960 on KYW-TV 3 in Cleveland..The "Brand New" Popeye Cartoons are in fact the KFS Popeyes..I watched these Popeyes as a kid before I even knew of The Fleischer/Famous Studio Popeye Cartoons..