Mibbitmaker
07-22-2007, 09:22 PM
One of the papers in western Massachusetts where I am, The Sunday Republican, today has an article in the front of the "Leisure & Lifestyle" section about the upcoming Popeye DVD, with a nice shot of the cover with the discs sticking out.
But the most interesting part is the man who is the focus of the article: Hi Neigher, one of the last Fleischer Studios people who happens to live in the area (!). Aparently, a film crew for the DVD found him in May, and the paper interviewed him for this article. There's also, above the DVD picture, a nice photo of Neigher from last year.
The article goes over some history (which I assume many of you may already know, but anyway...): that he started at Fleischer's in 1939 (much of the following may dispute that date. Since they mention Florida, maybe he was working in NY as well?), drawing Betty Boop, Popeye, and Ko-Ko. That he worked on "Gulliver's Travels", "Casper the Friendly Ghost", and did writing for the Rip Van Winkle and William Tell Popeye cartoons.
He informed the filmmakers that Max and Dave F. didn't get along very well, calling Dave Fleischer a "tough cookie". Apparently refering to Max, Neigher is quoted as saying he was a "Nice guy, a genius, an easy-going guy". The rest of the article goes on about the studio's history.
There's also a couple of frames from Popeye cartoons illustrating the last part of the article on another page. The caption identifies them as ones Neigher drew. The first is from "Clean Shaving Man", showing facially abused Popeye talking hard at clean-shaven Bluto in the barber shop. The other is from Popeye's debut, dancing with Betty Boop.
Anyway, Disney wasn't kidding about a "small world after all"! Also nice PR for the upcoming set.
But the most interesting part is the man who is the focus of the article: Hi Neigher, one of the last Fleischer Studios people who happens to live in the area (!). Aparently, a film crew for the DVD found him in May, and the paper interviewed him for this article. There's also, above the DVD picture, a nice photo of Neigher from last year.
The article goes over some history (which I assume many of you may already know, but anyway...): that he started at Fleischer's in 1939 (much of the following may dispute that date. Since they mention Florida, maybe he was working in NY as well?), drawing Betty Boop, Popeye, and Ko-Ko. That he worked on "Gulliver's Travels", "Casper the Friendly Ghost", and did writing for the Rip Van Winkle and William Tell Popeye cartoons.
He informed the filmmakers that Max and Dave F. didn't get along very well, calling Dave Fleischer a "tough cookie". Apparently refering to Max, Neigher is quoted as saying he was a "Nice guy, a genius, an easy-going guy". The rest of the article goes on about the studio's history.
There's also a couple of frames from Popeye cartoons illustrating the last part of the article on another page. The caption identifies them as ones Neigher drew. The first is from "Clean Shaving Man", showing facially abused Popeye talking hard at clean-shaven Bluto in the barber shop. The other is from Popeye's debut, dancing with Betty Boop.
Anyway, Disney wasn't kidding about a "small world after all"! Also nice PR for the upcoming set.