Entertainment

Watertown Cable Show Celebrates Popeye’s 90th Anniversary

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The following information was provided by Fred Grandinetti:

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Popeye the Sailor’s animated cartoon debut in July 2023 Drawing With Fred will be airing Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves. The Watertown Cable Access TV show, created by Watertown resident Fred Grandinetti, will show the special color cartoon produced in 1937 by The Fleischer Studios for Paramount Pictures. “It is twice as long as a regular short subject featuring multi-dimensional backgrounds,” said Grandinetti, who added that it was the second Popeye cartoon to be made in color, after 1936’s Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor. The episode of Drawing With Fred will begin airing on July 10, and will run for two weeks on WCA-TV’s Public Channel (RCN Channel 3, Comcast Channel 9), and online (click here). Since his animated cartoon debut in 1933 Popeye has gone on to be featured in approximately 500 cartoons for both theater and television screens.

Drawing with Fred

Watertown Cable Show “Drawing With Fred” Celebrates 30th Anniversary

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Watertown’s Fred Grandinetti, center, celebrates the 30th anniversary of his show with the airing of an episode of “Drawing with Fred” in October 2022. The latest episode of Drawing with Fred will debut on Watertown Cable in October, and it marks the 30th anniversary of the show created by Watertown’s Fred Grandinetti. As a child, Grandinetti was a fan of children’s shows and the lessons they provided. When he started Drawing with Fred, he drew upon those shows. “The inspiration for my show came from the adult-hosted family series I watched growing up; The Uncle Gus Show, Rex Trailer’s Boomtown and Bozo the Clown,” Grandinetti said.

Entertainment

Celebrate Classic Cartoon Character’s 90th Birthday with Watertown Cable Special

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Wimpy is celebrating a big birthday this year. This image is from “Egypt Us” (1960), one of the cartoons aired on the Watertown Cable special. “Drawing With Fred” host Fred Grandinetti provided the following piece:

The Watertown Cable Access Channel will be celebrating a milestone birthday of a comic strip character considered to be one of the greatest ever conceived; J. Wellington Wimpy! 

Wimpy is known for obtaining food by his wits. This is a cunning feat he has been performing in the Popeye comic strip since 1931. His catch phrase, “I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today” is known all over the world. He has also referred many boxing matches and often resorted to dishonest tricks for his own advantage. 

The moocher was created by cartoonist E.C. Segar.

Entertainment

Watertown Cable Show Celebrate’s Cartoon Character’s 60th Birthday

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Brutus, Popeye the Sailor’s rival, celebrates his 60th birthday, and Watertown Cable’s Drawing With Fred has a special tribute. The following announcement was provided by Fred Grandinetti:

Popeye’s rival for the affection of Olive Oyl, Brutus, celebrates his 60th birthday this month. To honor the occasion The Watertown Channel will be airing a special selection of Brutus’ best cartoons. The films were selected by Popeye historian and Watertown Resident Fred M. Grandinetti. 

Grandinetti said it wasn’t easy deciding which cartoons to select. “I finally went with the episodes featuring unique plots and good animation.”

Entertainment

Hollywood Actor Makes Guest Appearance on Watertown Cable’s Drawing With Fred

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The following was provided by the producers of Watertown Cable’s Drawing With Fred:

Actor Chad Michael Collins has portrayed a variety of characters in his career. They range from a heroic solider to the Frankenstein monster. He steps into the role of safety advocate on the award winning series Drawing With Fred. In a water safety segment titled, Sign Up for Safety, Collins notes the importance of reading signage posted at the beach. He also became a comic book character who wins the admiration of Olive Oyl in a parody of a Popeye cartoon.

Around Town

‘Equalizer 2’ Actor Also Appearing on Watertown Cable Show

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Watertown Cable host Fred Grandinetti has an eye for talent. He has had some actors who have gone on to the big screen to be guests on his show, Drawing With Fred. Grandinetti announced that award winning actor, Kazy Tauginas — who can be seen in the new movie Equalizer 2  — will appear on Drawing With Fred which airs on The Watertown Channel. Tauginas, a professional boxer, spars with a partner and quickly swallows a can of spinach to introduce a Popeye cartoon. Taugnias stars, and wrote the screenplay, for the award winning film Standing Eight.

Around Town

Local Show Inspired to Promote Fitness by Popeye Campaign During the JFK Years

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In between the cartoons on my award winning television series, “Drawing With Fred,” you can watch actors Brandon Stumpf, Cuyle Carvin, Kazy Tauginas, Staff Sergeant Tom Lennon and model Eric Wessel flex their muscles after eating spinach or drinking milk. I was inspired to add brief fitness related segments to my show based upon a program conducted by Popeye announced on May 11, 1963 in The Daily Capital News from Jefferson City Missouri. The article stated; “Popeye the Sailor is putting all his muscles to work for the President’s physical fitness program. Station KRCC-TV announced the start of a campaign, the object of which is to get the theme, “fitness through exercise” over to the youngest children in the community. Curley Howser, host of “Showtime,” read a letter from Popeye on the air in which the famous cartoon hero said he’s gone into a month of vigorous training during which he’ll eat no spinach, just to show how strong exercise alone can make him. Popeye’s fitness test, consisting of pull-ups, sit ups and squat thrusts, is the one prescribed by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness under the John Kennedy’s Administration, which has given its approval to the Popeye campaign.