Popeye Gets an Update With New Cartoonist Starting Sunday

By Russ Burlingame

On Sunday, June 5, Randy Milholland is taking up the mantle as cartoonist for the iconic long-running comic strip, Popeye. Randy is taking over the beloved Sunday strip following the retirement of Hy Eisman, who has been drawing Popeye on Sundays since 1994. According to a statement, Milholland's passion for Popeye dates back to childhood, when he fell in love with the cartoon series, and is "a true expert on all things Popeye, and is bringing his knowledge of the character and its history to the forefront of the strip." Randy Milholland first gained recognition for his Popeye cartoons when he participated in Popeye's Cartoon Club for the sailor man's 90th birthday in 2019. He is best known for his popular webcomic series, Something Positive. 

While staying true to Popeye's adventurous roots from the original Thimble Theater comics where the character made his debut in 1929, Randy is looking to modernize Popeye, updating the comic strip's humor and incorporating a diverse cast of characters to make Sweethaven more reflective of today's world. He is also looking to incorporate the adventurous elements of past Popeye comics that he fell in love with as a child, bringing back monsters and other fantastical elements to the strip. 

Popeye was created by E.C. Segar in 1929, and has been a constant presence in pop culture since. After Segar died in 1938, Thimble Theatre was continued by other creators, including Segar's assistent Bud Sagendorf, reprints of whose stories continue to be run during the week. At least as of now, it seems Milholland will continue Eisman's tradition of drawing the Sunday strips but clearing the way for the dailies.

Starting in 1932, Popeye headlined a number of cartoons up until 1957, with occasional animated returns to the character in the years since. Robert Altman even brought the character to live action in a 1980 movie starring Robin Williams, which bombed, but left a village standing in Malta which has since become an iconic tourist destination.

Popeye is syndicated by King Features Syndicate and readers can find the latest comic strips at ComicsKingdom.com. 

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