I recently had the pleasure of contributing artwork to Hero Complex Gallery’s Popeye art show, celebrate his 85 anniversary. “Strong to the Finich” is an art exhibit curated by Chogrin and put together in partnership with King Features.
The exhibit is a massive collection of artwork from over 100 artists from around the world, each sharing his vision of the Popeye and his ragtag bunch of castaways.
Video Still by Chogrin
Amazing GIF from PopeyeLoops.tumblr.com
I can tell ya, I’ve never really drawn Popeye before, but when given this opportunity, my mind (and pencil) immediately went to the vintage, black and white Fleischer Studios cartoons. Those things are so goofy, fun and full of life, I wanted to pay homage to that era of Popeye. More specifically, my favorite things about those cartoons were Popeye’s battles with Bluto. They were always violent and full of sight gags.
Of course after taking a beating for an episode, Popeye whips out his can of spinach and beats Bluto once again. In this piece, I’ve tried to encompass that key moment where Bluto is about to finish off Popeye. Popeye pops open a can of spinach (whoop-ass), and you know what happens next.
“I chokes down me spinach.” by Justin Gammon
I’m honored to be a part of this amazing show. What I find truly remarkable is how intriguing and genuinely great this exhibit it. Chogrin and Hero Complex Gallery have done it again by collecting a great group of artists and artworks that have truly invigorated this 85 year old sailor. Happy Birthday, Popeye!
For those who don’t live in the Los Angeles area and couldn’t make it to the show, here’s a video walk-through of the exhibit by Chogrin.
And for those of you who have money in your pockets, love Popeye, or just want to support me or the gallery, you can still buy a print at Hero Complex Gallery’s online shop. You better hurry, because this is a limited edition of 25. Thanks for the support!
