If you aren’t familiar with the project, here’s an overview from the webpage:

About the Project

To celebrate the arrival of the iconic Popeye the Sailor in the public domain, I wanted to draw a continuous, cartoony fight scene. It made sense to include my rough-and-tumble take on Steamboat Willie (aka Mickey Mouse). Thus, Steamboat Sailor Brawl! emerged—a comic that explores transformative work using public domain cartoon characters.

The project is simple: throughout 2025 I will attempt to draw as many comic panels as I can, sometimes daily, depicting a ridiculous brawl between these two cartoon icons. In the spirit of this being a comic utilizing public domain characters, you are welcome to remix and repurpose these cartoons, or join in the fun.

As mentioned, I am hoping some folks might want to jump in and draw panels here and there where these characters beat the ink and paint out of one another. It’s going to be more about shorter exchanges of panels and more frequent updates on my end. As we’ve seen with the current updates, I’ve been mostly focused on multi-panel updates, but now I am going to switch gears to smaller updates for more of a back-and-forth feel.

So, with that in mind, it should make it easy for anyone to jump in. Just get in touch with me. Contributions should be limited to one or two panels, with an emphasis on fighting. That’s about it really.

As this is a public domain project, there is no claim of ownership on my part. This project has an element of an exquisite corpse. All contributors will have their contributions linked to their website or social media as necessary as well as the links page.

So, if you are interested in drawing a panel, please contact me about it and I’d be happy to work with you. This is wishful thinking on my part, but I am indebted to the public domain here and want this project to be just as open.

Anyway, check out the comic and consider joining the fray!

The post Want to Join the Steamboat Sailor Brawl!?! appeared first on hpkomics.com.

Meet Petey “Popeye” O’Neil.

I have been developing a bit of a “toonworld” setting for some future projects, which already included my take on Mickey Mouse, so I figured Popeye would fit right in. But hey, let’s talk about what my approach is to the character.

Petey, here, is based on characteristics of Popeye but given a spin much like I handled Steamboat Willie earlier in 2024. I wanted to keep the scrunched face, closed eye, and big ol’ forearms, but I also wanted to switch up his outfit just a bit. One of my favorite choices, here, is the darker nose. Were he not in black and white, I’d assume it would be red.

I am also keeping everything greyscale because I have further plans for this cartoony setting.

In the spirit of the public domain, I am ensuring he, like my take on Mickey, is free to use for anyone. I just ask you to let me know if you decide to use the design.

Speaking of which…

Steamboat Sailor Brawl!

Further, if you want to see what I do with these public domain characters, you can catch Mickey and Popeye going head-to-head in my 2025 comic project, Steamboat Sailor Brawl!

More info about the project is available on the page, but the basic gist is this: Throughout 2025 I will be adding panels of one continuous, gag-filled fight scene between Mickey Mouse and Popeye the Sailor. I am also letting other people jump in if they’re keen on doing so.

I am just going to approach this casually as a fun, low-stakes way to experiment with fight choreography and building cartoony gags. This should be a lot of fun.

Anyway, if you are interested in supporting what I do, you can do so through donations on Ko-Fi. I also take commissions.

The post 2025 Sketchbook #023 – Popeye appeared first on hpkomics.com.

If you are on CharacterHub, his profile can be found there as I hone in on some ideas. Nothing crazy yet, but the fact I can legally do something with this take on Mickey Mouse means a lot to me and my interest in the public domain.

Along those lines, seen Shmoofy yet? Be sure to check out The Shmoofy Experiment!

Anyway, if you are interested in supporting what I do, you can do so through donations on Ko-Fi. I also take commissions.

The post 2025 Sketchbook #018 – Steamboat William appeared first on hpkomics.com.