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IDW has a new POPEYE book and Roger Langridge is going to write it.

So there is hope for the world after all.

Langridge is a comic auteur of the highest degree — as seen currently in SNARKED! — but also a fine writer of licensed comics, as seen in THOR: THE MIGHTY AVENGER and the Muppets comics he wrote recently. Let’s just say this is right in his wheelhouse.

The art will be by Bruce Ozella. It even has a variant cover by Jules Feiffer.

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IDW Publishing today announced that comic industry star Roger Langridge will write the company’s all-new POPEYE comic series, which will debut in April 2012. Expanding their partnership with King Features to include new material, IDW’s POPEYE comics will offer all-new adventures with the famous “Sailor Man” and his friends, including Olive Oyl, Bluto, Wimpy and Swee’ Pea. Joining Langridge to bring Popeye back to comics is rising-star artist Bruce Ozella. The monthly POPEYE series will be co-edited by IDW’s co-founder and chief executive officer, Ted Adams and renowned comics expert Craig Yoe.

“I grew up reading Segar’s Popeye and we’ll be bringing his sensibility to our new series,” said Adams. “Especially now with our all-star creative team, I’m really looking forward to launching this series in April.”

Throughout his more than twenty years in the comics industry, Langridge has garnered critical and fan acclaim for his work on an impressive list of projects, including the Harvey Award-winning Muppet Show Comic Book (Boom! Studios) and Thor: The Mighty Avenger (Marvel Comics).

“Ever since I was a kid, the two cartoonists who have had the biggest influence on me have been Carl Barks and E.C. Segar, so getting a chance to write Popeye is quite a thrill,” said Langridge. “I’m especially pleased that IDW have decided to go with a Segar-flavored interpretation. As much as I like some of the later versions of the character, for me, it’s those early strips where the magic really happened. Just as well Segar drew everybody with big feet, because Bruce and I have some enormous shoes to fill!”

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Created by Elzie Crisler Segar in January 1929, Popeye the Sailor Man quickly became one of the most popular and enduring comics characters of all time. In addition to headlining his own comic strip for over eighty years, Popeye has also been featured in television cartoons, video games, live action movies and countless merchandise.

POPEYE #1 debuts in April, featuring a cover from Bruce Ozella, and a rare incentive cover from Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer.

1 COMMENT

  1. As much as I love the E.C.Segar “Popeye” Character. I no longer see it’s relevance in our society and (alas) think any book will have a very short run, with little to no audience (would love to be wrong)

  2. I know Robert wasn’t speaking for himself but do comics have to have relevance to our society to be popular now? If so, hat a dreary attitude some fans must have. This looks brilliantly escapist (and, on a fan level, a great ghosting of Segar’s style). I’ll buy that for $3.99.

  3. I agree Stephen DeStefano would be wonderful on a Popeye book, but from the illustration I’m seeing above Bruce Ozella has more than a handle on it. Looking forward to this.

  4. It’s great to see my grandfather’s work to be continued by IDW. And that Robert Langridge has decided to base his writing on the original Segar scripts. In my opinion there was genius and cutting satire in those old comics. I love rereading them and find them totally relevant to today’s events. Good luck with the strip and from what I’ve seen of the art work… IT”S TERRIFIC. My only question is WHERE CAN I GET IT?