Get Graphic: Marcus Williams Art Is 'Strong To The Finish'
Jul 08, 2024
Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
Created in 1929, Popeye The Sailor Man has been eating his spinach and immediately trouncing opposition for nearly 100 years! However, ol' Popeye might meet his match in Eye Lie Popeye. An action-packed new take lifted from the pages of top-selling manga like One Piece and Dragon Ball.
The sailor man isn't fighting alone, though. He's got artist-writer Marcus Williams (Little Rock Files, Edge of the Spiderverse) backing his every move! We talked with Williams to find out more!
Firstly, what is your name and where do you hail from? How did you get into art? What sparked your initial interest?
Marcus Williams (a.k.a.) "MarcusTheVisual". I've been in love with characters featured in animated cartoons/films, video games, comics, and more for as early as I can remember, so while I wasn't skilled enough to render what I saw, I didn't let that stop me from trying...everyday. I'm still in love with character design, which keeps me excited to draw.
What can you tell us about Eye Lie Popeye? What is it about?
EyeLie Popeye attempts to tell the "eye witness" account of how Popeye The Sailor Man lost his eye, however, the only problem is we might not actually get the truth of how it happened! We quickly find out that there's far more at stake for Popeye and crew as an unknown villain seeks to unravel the secrets of Popeye's reality breaking spinach power-ups. The story aims to tell new character stories that allow the cast pathways to grow through fantastic new journeys.
Can you get into your character design process a bit? How do you know when the character has the right look?
Finding the right look for a character all starts with what feeling I'm aiming for at the concept phase of the character design. For instance if I'm looking for an imposing and powerful character feeling, the look should encompass these ideals. A joyful and warm feeling character should include warm colors and positive design elements. I know I've succeeded if I can simply look at the final design and actually get the intended feeling at a glance.
Tell us about your collaborators on the book. Who else is on the team?
I'm writing, editing, drawing/inking, coloring and lettering the book, but often get to have awesome conversations about the direction and goals of the story with Alex Garcia (of King Features) who ultimately act as a great arena for tossing out alternative/additional ideas. I also got some wonderful coloring help throughout the book from colorist extraordinaire Rodney Velchez.
What tools do you use to draw? In terms of audience, who is Eye Lie Popeye for?
I primarily use digital tools to sketch and finalize the art for the series. Specifically, I use a Wacom digital pen tablet for drawing, and design software including Paint Tool Sai, Clip Studio Paint, and Photoshop to render/color the art. As for the audience and who the book is designed for, I hope to reach as wide of an audience as the cartoons have always aimed for, which would roughly translate to something like "PG" these days due to the fighting involved lol.
Eye Lie Popeye is available at your local comic shop starting August 14, 2024. Reserve your copy with PREVIEWSworld Pullbox.
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With the rich history of the character and this action-packed new take lifted from the pages of top-selling manga like One Piece and Dragon Ball, Eye Lie Popeye will appeal to both traditional comic fans and younger manga readers alike.
Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, makes his return to comic shops this May. The century old comic strip and legendary cartoon character is reimagined for the modern age, in this brand new series by Marcus Williams (Marvel's Captain America). Popeye: Eye Lie Popeye reimagines the pop culture staple in a high-energy, manga-inspired monthly comic series that explores Popeye's past and finally reveals the century-long mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident? The truth finally comes out as an old enemy from the sea returns to face off against the legendary Sailor Man.
With the rich history of the character and this action-packed new take lifted from the pages of top-selling manga like One Piece and Dragon Ball, Eye Lie Popeye will appeal to both traditional comic fans and younger manga readers alike.
Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, makes his return to comic shops this May. The century old comic strip and legendary cartoon character is reimagined for the modern age, in this brand new series by Marcus Williams (Marvel's Captain America). Popeye: Eye Lie Popeye reimagines the pop culture staple in a high-energy, manga-inspired monthly comic series that explores Popeye's past and finally reveals the century-long mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident? The truth finally comes out as an old enemy from the sea returns to face off against the legendary Sailor Man.
With the rich history of the character and this action-packed new take lifted from the pages of top-selling manga like One Piece and Dragon Ball, Eye Lie Popeye will appeal to both traditional comic fans and younger manga readers alike.
Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, makes his return to comic shops this May. The century old comic strip and legendary cartoon character is reimagined for the modern age, in this brand new series by Marcus Williams (Marvel's Captain America). Popeye: Eye Lie Popeye reimagines the pop culture staple in a high-energy, manga-inspired monthly comic series that explores Popeye's past and finally reveals the century-long mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident? The truth finally comes out as an old enemy from the sea returns to face off against the legendary Sailor Man.
With the rich history of the character and this action-packed new take lifted from the pages of top-selling manga like One Piece and Dragon Ball, Eye Lie Popeye will appeal to both traditional comic fans and younger manga readers alike.
Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, makes his return to comic shops this May. The century old comic strip and legendary cartoon character is reimagined for the modern age, in this brand new series by Marcus Williams (Marvel's Captain America). Popeye: Eye Lie Popeye reimagines the pop culture staple in a high-energy, manga-inspired monthly comic series that explores Popeye's past and finally reveals the century-long mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident? The truth finally comes out as an old enemy from the sea returns to face off against the legendary Sailor Man.
With the rich history of the character and this action-packed new take lifted from the pages of top-selling manga like One Piece and Dragon Ball, Eye Lie Popeye will appeal to both traditional comic fans and younger manga readers alike.
Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, makes his return to comic shops this May. The century old comic strip and legendary cartoon character is reimagined for the modern age, in this brand new series by Marcus Williams (Marvel's Captain America). Popeye: Eye Lie Popeye reimagines the pop culture staple in a high-energy, manga-inspired monthly comic series that explores Popeye's past and finally reveals the century-long mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident? The truth finally comes out as an old enemy from the sea returns to face off against the legendary Sailor Man.
With the rich history of the character and this action-packed new take lifted from the pages of top-selling manga like One Piece and Dragon Ball, Eye Lie Popeye will appeal to both traditional comic fans and younger manga readers alike.
Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, is reimagined for the modern age in this high-energy, manga-infused comic series by Marcus Williams (Marvel's Captain America). This epic new miniseries explores the century-old mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident?
In the second issue of Eye Lie Popeye, the Sea Hag and Judy return to Popeye's destroyed dock in disguise. Meanwhile, Popeye and his new crew salvage their business and reunite with old friends Whaler Joe and his wife. Eugene the Jeep arrives with a warning about 4th dimensional Time Hunters and the stakes are so much higher than anyone could have predicted. As the story of Eye Lie Popeye unfolds, the Sailor Man and his allies are drawn deeper into the mystery, hidden motives, and deeper layers to thissea-faring adventure.
Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, is reimagined for the modern age in this high-energy, manga-infused comic series by Marcus Williams (Marvel's Captain America). This epic new miniseries explores the century-old mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident?
In the second issue of Eye Lie Popeye, the Sea Hag and Judy return to Popeye's destroyed dock in disguise. Meanwhile, Popeye and his new crew salvage their business and reunite with old friends Whaler Joe and his wife. Eugene the Jeep arrives with a warning about 4th dimensional Time Hunters and the stakes are so much higher than anyone could have predicted. As the story of Eye Lie Popeye unfolds, the Sailor Man and his allies are drawn deeper into the mystery, hidden motives, and deeper layers to thissea-faring adventure.
Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, is reimagined for the modern age in this high-energy, manga-infused comic series by Marcus Williams (Marvel's Captain America). This epic new miniseries explores the century-old mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident?
In the second issue of Eye Lie Popeye, the Sea Hag and Judy return to Popeye's destroyed dock in disguise. Meanwhile, Popeye and his new crew salvage their business and reunite with old friends Whaler Joe and his wife. Eugene the Jeep arrives with a warning about 4th dimensional Time Hunters and the stakes are so much higher than anyone could have predicted. As the story of Eye Lie Popeye unfolds, the Sailor Man and his allies are drawn deeper into the mystery, hidden motives, and deeper layers to thissea-faring adventure.
Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, is reimagined for the modern age in this high-energy, manga-infused comic series by Marcus Williams (Marvel's Captain America). This epic new miniseries explores the century-old mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident?
In the second issue of Eye Lie Popeye, the Sea Hag and Judy return to Popeye's destroyed dock in disguise. Meanwhile, Popeye and his new crew salvage their business and reunite with old friends Whaler Joe and his wife. Eugene the Jeep arrives with a warning about 4th dimensional Time Hunters and the stakes are so much higher than anyone could have predicted. As the story of Eye Lie Popeye unfolds, the Sailor Man and his allies are drawn deeper into the mystery, hidden motives, and deeper layers to thissea-faring adventure.
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Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. His comics work includes MF DOOM: All Caps, Public Enemy's Apocalpyse '91, Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Awards-nominated Magic Bullet.
