Get Graphic: Marcus Williams Art Is 'Strong To The Finish'

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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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.