POPEYE

by Hy Eisman



"He's short, balding, ornery and downright ugly by anyone's standards. But countless numbers of fans have grown up admiring and identifying with this unpretentious hero since his introduction to the public in 1929. Celebrating his 75th Anniversary in 2004, "Popeye" remains one of the most widely recognized and best-loved personalities ever.
Popeye is an underdog with a long fuse and a keen sense of fair play. Everyone identifies with him when he finally says, "Tha's all I can stands, and I can't stands no more!" And it seems only fitting that our most unlikely hero would fall for the least likely of sex symbols: Olive Oyl. Flat as a board, with a pickle-shaped nose and fickle heart to match, Popeye's "goil" puts him through his paces. Her only real competition is spinach.

Popeye made his first public appearance Jan. 17, 1929, in Elzie Segar's then 10-year-old comic strip, "Thimble Theatre," which originally revolved around Olive Oyl's family. Although he was introduced as a minor walk-on character, Popeye quickly "muskled" his way into the limelight and eclipsed the older characters to become the star of "Thimble Theatre." With Popeye came a host of new, off-beat funny folks such as Swee'Pea, the "infink" Popeye adopted; J. Wellington Wimpy, the world's most hamburger-obsessed moocher; and Bluto, the hairy "heavy" with the glass jaw.

Segar had a genius for creating strong, memorable characters the entire world knows and loves. "Not even Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse or Warner Bros.' Bugs Bunny can top Popeye in the high profile department ... (because) both the Rodent and the Wabbit have known long stretches of inactivity between film appearances ... (but) the monocular seafarer has seldom been caught without a new adventure in the works," wrote Michael H. Price of The New York Times News Service.

Popeye made the jump to the silver screen in a 1933 Betty Boop cartoon entitled, Popeye the Sailor from the Fleischer Studios. Nearly 750 Popeye cartoons were made and many are available on video.

In 1980, Paramount Pictures released a live-action musical motion picture in which Popeye was portrayed by Robin Williams and Olive Oyl played by Shelley Duvall. In 1993, Ted Turner's Cartoon Network celebrated the 60th anniversary of the sailorman's film debut with "Popumentary," a series of six prime-time specials. In 2004, Popeye made his debut in Popeye’s Voyage: The Quest for Pappy, the first-ever Popeye the Sailor Man 3-D, CGI animated production. The half-hour special aired in primetime on FOX during the holiday 2004 season and was rebroadcast in 2005. Lions Gate Family Home Entertainment released the deluxe DVD, which includes additional footage not seen on television as well as an array of exciting bonus features.

Known as Iron Arm in Italy, Karl Alfred in Sweden and Skipper Skraek or "Terror of the Sea" in Denmark, Popeye continues to appear in comic books published around the world.

Interestingly, Popeye's spinach obsession began in the Thimble Theatre strip but became an indispensable plot device in his later animated adventures. Spinach capital Crystal City, Texas, erected a statue in 1937 to honor E.C. Segar and Popeye for their influence on America's eating habits, making Popeye the first cartoon character ever immortalized in public sculpture. The spinach growers credited Popeye with a 33 percent increase in U.S. spinach consumption — and saving the spinach industry in the 1930s!

Today the sailorman has made Popeye-brand canned spinach the No. 2 brand behind Del Monte and he has his own brand of fresh spinach, salads and fresh vegetable snacks. He has also punched up supermarket sales of everything from Pepsi to popcorn, not to mention millions of T-shirts, caps, jackets, collectors' watches. In fact, Popeye was the first character to invade, in an important way, the toy and novelty field. From tin wind-up toys to puzzles and kazoo pipes, early Popeye novelty merchandise now carries staggering price tags in antique shops and flea markets.

And, speaking of collectibles, the U.S. Postal Service featured Popeye in its "American Comic Classics" collection of postage stamps issued to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the comic strip.

Popeye continues to be one of the most widely recognized and beloved characters in the world. It's amazing what a little spinach can do!"

Taken from http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/popeye/about.htm

THE PINK PANTHER

The Pink Panther by Eric and Bill Teitelbaum


No cat is as sly as The Pink Panther. Whether he was cracking a safe or dodging a pink slip, Pink always did it with style. In the Pink Panther’s latest incarnation, Bill and Eric Teitelbaum bring the ongoing spar between the sly Pink Panther and his dim-witted nemesis Inspector Clouseau to the Sunday comics page. The strip will drive your readers wild with its gorgeous artwork and sophisticated humor that could only be The Pink Panther.

Taken from http://www.gocomics.com/thepinkpanther

MARVIN

by Tom Armstrong

"To Marvin, the year-old toddler who stars in Tom Armstrong's celebrated comic strip, adults do the strangest things. Unlike other family features, the world of Marvin is seen through the unique perspective of its carpet-crawling, crumb-crushing star. His biggest fear in life is the growing suspicion that one day he's going to turn into one of those strange, large creatures.
The playpen philosopher lives with his parents, Jeff and Jenny, and Bitsy, his sarcastic canine sidekick. Depending on the time of day, Bitsy can be both Marvin's best friend and worst enemy. Together, they wreak havoc and laughs in their own little virtual reality world.

Marvin first hit the comics pages in August 1982, and King Features now distributes the strip to 380 newspapers around the world.

Marvin starred in his own 1989 special, "Marvin: Baby of the Year," on CBS; has been a licensing and merchandising success almost from the very beginning; and has appeared in a number of paperback collections, including "Marvin Steps Out" and "All I Really Need To Know I Learned While Still In Diapers."

What is the reason for the strip's incredible popularity? Simple. Marvin portrays contemporary families coping with problems in the real world, armed with little more than a sense of humor, some common sense...and a few well-worn "baby expert" books. Readers respond to Marvin's independence — while seemingly being a helpless little baby, in actual fact, he totally controls all the "big people" around him. Like some pint-size potentate, his attitude is that his parents and grandparents were only put there to respond to his every whim. As Marvin likes to say, "Good servants are so hard to find!"

Taken from http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/marvin/about.htm

GARFIELD

Garfield by Jim Davis

What a cat! A cat for all seasons. Sassy. Opinionated. This lasagna loving, mailman chasing, sarcastic cat is a classic that readers love. Garfield, Odie and Jon will leave you wanting a daily dose of this beloved bunch! Garfield’s crafty talent with words and sneaky preference for practical jokes often leave his owner, Jon - and us - speechless, and always wanting more.
Taken from http://www.gocomics.com/garfield

SPIDERMAN

"It was on the pages of Amazing Fantasy No. 15 where the Amazing Spider-Man first appeared. And in March 1963, one year after his first appearance, Spider-Man was starring in his own comic book and on his way to becoming Marvel Comics' most popular super hero ever!

Through the years, Spider-Man has also been a superpower in the world of licensing, appearing in paperback books, on posters, as an action figure, and in video games. And in addition to his licensing ventures, Spider-Man is also capturing bad guys in a hit animated TV show.

In 1977, Spider-Man began starring in his own newspaper strip written by his creator, Stan Lee. "The Amazing Spider-Man" can be seen in newspapers worldwide, and was a part of the first-ever comic strip/comic book crossover story.

In the summer of 2002, Spider-Man swung onto the silver screen and broke box office records with its massive first weekend receipts. Based upon the freak accident that miraculously granted Peter Parker with his incredible spider-like abilities, the movie starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst became a smash hit with audiences worldwide. The sequel again set box office records after its release in July 2004."

Taken from http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/spidermn/about.htm

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes has been a worldwide favorite since its introduction in 1985. The strip follows the richly imaginative adventures of Calvin and his trusty tiger, Hobbes. Whether a poignant look at serious family issues or a round of time-travel (with the aid of a well-labeled cardboard box), Calvin and Hobbes will astound and delight you.
Taken from http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

"A tale of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.
A fanciful tale of young Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes, Ralph's younger brother) who discovers his muse while struggling with his latest play, "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter," Madden's film is a tale of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." movie review by Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

"Set amidst the grime and grandeur of Elizabethan England, "Shakespeare in Love" is an inspired re-imagining of history and a deft look at the relationship between art and life. Young Will Shakespeare ("Elizabeth's" Joseph Fiennes) is under commission from Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush, also of "Elizabeth") to write a comedy, "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter."
Fiennes and Paltrow make a pleasant, though not distinctive, pair. Surrounding them are some of Britain's finest character players, who happily prove the saying that there are no small parts, only small actors. Crowning them all, as the wily Elizabeth I, is Judi Dench ("Mrs. Brown"), calmly stealing every scene she's in. But the real star is the script. It wears its scholarship casually, almost disguising how well researched and structured it is, preferring instead to delight us with joyful witticisms and adroit plot twists." by L. J. Strom

SOPHIE'S WORLD

I am going to introduce you to a warm and cozy world created by Jostein Gaarner. This will be the place where you will want to stay for good because here you will find lots and lots of answers to your questions about who you are or what other people thought about the world before us. You will be able to understand about your past, about the hidden meaning of religion or you will understand why the culture you are living in is a product of a long process called history. And who are the creators of history? No, no. You are wrong. It is not the politics who make history but indeed we are the ones who make the world go round. Sophie will lead you through her world. She is a teenager like you are. She is a naive and smart girl who feels curious about everything she is surrounded by. She takes delight in finding out the reasons and explanations of her past and existence. So, take her hand and let her guide you through a new horizon in front of you. Let's have a blast together!!

TOM SAWYER

Tom Sawyer is a representative example of the change from childhood to adolescence. The difficulties he has to face make him step into maturity progessively. There is something else about this novel. The treatment the writer makes of Tom Sawyer serves him to ridicule society. It is all the adventures and situations he has to go through that are going to demonstrate that the society Tom lives in is based on hypocrisy. In summary, this novel shows us that when universal values such as love or tolerance dominate society instead of codes of behaviour based on convention, this society works much better. You might feel identified to this character in many respects. There are lots of Tom Sawyers all around us!!
Have a look at this! http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tomsawyer/themes.html

THE LITTLE PRINCE

Have you ever had the necessity of growing up quickly? I bet you have. But what does growing up mean? Does it mean having more things accessible to you? Does it really mean owning your house and your car? Or does it mean living on your own without parents telling you off? Anyway, now matter what you think about growing up. This little boy I want you to meet is a fragile and delicate creature who is going to show you how to face life with commitment and naivety. He loves the world as it is and he is unable to feel contempt. By the end of the book, you will have learnt that the essential facts in life are invisible to your eyes because it is in your heart where you will find the real answers to the fundamental questions. This is growing up. Now let’s have a look at these lines. They will serve as an example of what you might find in the book: “The stars will be the horizon you will look at while you are smiling. I will be looking at the stars as well and the sun will feed me. You will have five hundred million kisses and I will have five hundred million hugs and I will not cry anymore when I look at the horizon. And we will belong together and things will never fall apart again because we will be looking at the horizon. Thanks for having tamed me.”

OLIVER TWIST

Dickens is one of the greatest writers In English literature. He is a master of the social novel and he knows how to depict the hard conditions of the people living in the Industrial revolution period thoroughly and with a great sense of humour. Some of his best novels are Hard Times, Great Expectations, David Copperfield or Oliver Twist. Particularly, in oliver Twist the reader is going to find all the ingredients present in his novels, namely, the development of cruel, comic and repugnant characters who represent the hypocrisy of the wealthy. This society is based on the double morality of those who own the money and push the rest of society to suffer the consequences of poverty. Childhood is another element which is always present in all novels. In this case, Dickens chooses a mild child who wanders around the city looking for food and shelter. He goes through a series of adventures that will make you laugh and cry. The end of the novel is fascinating and moving.

ROMEO AND JULIET: LESSON PLAN

Lesson plan

TARGET GROUP

This unit is aimed at students of 1st year of Bachillerato. Students of this year are supposed to have achieved an upper intermediate level. Students work individually, in pairs and in groups.


AIMS

• To get acquainted with Shakespeare’s times.
• To get familiarised with Shakesperare’s plays.
• To improve students’ writing skills.
• To write an ending for act 5, scene 3 in Romeo and Juliet.
• To analyse characters and their psychological insights.
• To be aware of the elements present in dialogues and drama.


CONTENTS

• Shakespeare’s times.
• Study of Shakespeare’s plays.
• Psychological analysis of characters.
• Dychotomy love vs violence.
• Drama dialogues.


SESSIONS

The unit is intended for 8 sessions of 55 minutes each.


MATERIALS

• The play Romeo and Juliet. This is a graded reading. The play is mainly kept but there are aspects related to language that are modified for students to understand better.
• The movie Shakespeare in Love.
• The web page www.sparknotes.com
• Different handouts for the activities.



METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this unit is to make students think about the way elements in a literary work are interwaved. They have to deal with elements present in the play such as love and violence and the way they affect characters’ behaviour. After analysing this in deep, they are given the opportunity to create their own piece of writing taking into account all the elements in the play such as characters’ roles and feelings, setting and symbols in order to modify them. The purpose of these activities is the representation of this play at the end of the term.

Session one

In the first session students watch some fragments of the movie Shakespeare in Love. These fragments correspond to the Elizabethan theater, to the Globe, the performance of some scenes, The purpose for watching this movie is that they get acquainted with Shakespeare’s times.

While they are watching the movie they have to pay attention to the following aspects:


• Sets and settings: description of the places showed in the movie.
• Study of non-verbal codes: dress, gestures, facial expressions...
• Representation: gender, nationality, heroes, heroins, villains, historical period.
• Narrative issues: use of characters and action in the narrative, audience engagement and identification.
• Values and ideology – who is being represented and in what way?
• Similarities in plot between the movie and the play

They have to answer all these questions as homework. For the development of this, they have to create a poster and hang it on the wall.

Session two

Activity 1

Students get acquainted with the plot and characters in the play.

1 Juliet wakes up and finds Romeo’s dead body. She stabs herself and dies.

2 Romeo arranges the wedding with Friar Lawrence.

3 Romeo and Juliet are married by Friar Lawrence.

4 Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a potion, which will make her appear to be dead for forty-two hours. The friar says that once she is laid in the family tomb, he will send word to Romeo to come and take her away to Mantua.

5 At the party Romeo meets Juliet, the Capulet’s thirteen year old daughter. They dance together and fall in love- not knowing each other’s identity.

6 Juliet sends her nurse to meet Romeo. She returns with the message that they will be married later that day by Friar Lawrence.

7 Romeo buys poison and gallops back to Verona. He fights Juliet lying in the tomb as if dead. He cannot live without her. He drinks the poison and dies.

8 Romeo and Juliet are married, and that same morning Romeo’s friend Mercutio, fights with Juliet’s cousin Tybalt and is killed by him.

9 The message from Friar Lawrence is delayed. Romeo hears from another source that Juliet is dead.

10 Two of the richest and most important families in Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a deadly feud. No – one can remember how it started, but it involves everyone, from the servants to the most distant relatives.

11 Because Tybalt has killed Mercutio, Romeo fights and kills Tybalt. Romeo is banished from Verona – on pain of death.

12 Romeo and Juliet meet secretly in the Capulet’s orchard after the party. Romeo proposes to Juliet. He says that he will make the arrangements for the wedding the next day.

13 They both part at the party. They then discover each other’s identity.

14 In the meantime, Juliet’s parents have arranged for her to marry Count Paris, a relative of Prince Escales, the ruler of Verona.

15 Juliet’s parents order her to prepare for her wedding to Paris in three days times. In despair she asks Friar Lawrence for help.

16 One day Romeo Montague finds out there is to be a masked ball that evening at the Capulet’s house. He decides to gatecrash the party in the hope of seeing the girl he loves from a distance – Rosaline.

17 Juliet swallows the potion the potion the Friar has given her. Her parents think she is dead and she is placed in the family tomb.

Sessions three and four

• After reading the play at home, in pairs students have to do the following activities related to violence in the play. Students can use the link www.sparknotes.com



Act 1, scene 1

In act 1, scene 1 different members of the Montague and Capulet households become involved in arguments in a public place in Verona and when they lose their tempers, swords are drawn.

Where does the scene take place?








1) Who is involved?

Samson and Gregory (Capulet) and Abraham and Balthasar (Montague).



Who are they?






How does the fight start? Find a quote.






2) Who is involved?

Tybalt tries to pick a fight with Benvolio.


Who are they?

Benvolio.....

Tybalt......


Find a quote that shows Tybalt trying to pick a fight.








3) Who is involved?

Lord Capulet and Lord Montague.









Who are they and why do they dislike each other so much?









How do they behave and what do they say?






What warning does the Prince give?







Act 3, scene 1

The second scene in which there is violence leads to the deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio. The scene takes place on a street in Verona and happens soon after Romeo and Juliet get married.
Benvolio wants to avoid a fight with the Capulets and he suggests to Mercutio that they should go home. What exactly does he say?






This shows us that Benvolio is.........................................................................................




What kind of mood is Mercutio in?







When Tybalt arrives, Mercutio says, “..............................................................................

This shows us that he....................................................................................................




When Tybalt and Mercutio speak there is tension between them. What do they say?






How does Tybalt try to provoke Romeo into fighting and how does Romeo react?

Tybalt tries to start a fight with Romeo by saying “....................................” This is a great insult to Romeo who is of noble birth. Romeo tries to.............................................. Then Tybalt orders Romeo to take out this sword and fight. Tybalt wants to fight Romeo because............................


What do Tybalt and Mercutio say to each other that causes them to fight? Write the word or lines in the box below?







Write a few sentences describing Mercutio’s death.







When Romeo sees that his friends his dying his mood changes. He becomes...................... this is shown when he says “...................................” Then he..................... Romeo kills Tybalt because..................................................................

What are the consequences of the killings?

As a result of the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt, the Prince........................................ He says, “.....................................................” These consequences are terrible for Romeo because it means that...........................................................


Who do you think is most to blame for the killings? Write your own ideas in the box below.



The following characters are all present in act 3, scene 1. The sentences below describe their attitude to violence and killing. Write each name beside a statment that suits them best.
Tybalt, Benvolio, Romeo, Lady Capulet, Mercutio, The Prince.

He knows that when the weather is very hot, people lose their tempers quickly. He would like to get off the streets so that they can avoid any trouble. _________________

He is responsible for keeping the peace in the city and his sentence on Romeo is severe. This is because he wants to stop the feud permanently. __________________________

She wants Romeo to be executed for having killed Capulet. ______________________

He refuses to leave the streets so that he can avoid the Capulets. He makes fun of Tybalt and is willing to fight him if provoked. _______________________________________

He wants to avoid figthing Tybalt and is extremely patient while Tybalt insults him. However, his passions take over when his friend is killed. ________________________

He has a short temper and is clearly looking for a fight.



Conclusions

Do you think this is a violent play? Give reasons.
What do you remember most from reading it? The hatred or the love? Is it a bit of both?
Which is your favourite scene? Give reasons.


Session five


All the characters in “Romeo and Juliet” love someone or something. What do you think these characters love? Some characters show us they love in more than one way. Choose the most accurate words to describe the different kinds of love you can find in the play.

CHARACTER WHAT OR WHO DO THEY LOVE? THEIR ACTIONS HOW DO WE SEE THIS IN THE PLAY? QUOTE FROM THE PLAY
ROMEO
JULIET
TYBALT
MERCUTIO
THE NURSE
PARIS
BENVOLIO
LORD AND LADY CAPULET
FRIAR LAWRENCE




Once Romeo and Juliet meet they both change. Think about the ways Romeo changes. Romeo changes inside (the way he thinks and feels). This changes the way he relates and responds to other characters. Fill in the table below, showing Romeo’s thoughts and feelings towards the other characters before and after he meets Juliet.



BEFORE MEETING JULIET ROMEO’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS... AFTER MEETING JULIET
BENVOLIO
MERCUTIO
LORD AND LADY MONTAGUE
ROSALINE
THE FRIAR
TYBALT
PRINCE ESCALES

Session six

After being acquainted with Shakespeare’s play, they have to make up a different ending for the play. In order to do this, they have to take into account character’s role in the play and the setting. They are allowed to change the time of the play, the language or the character’s role as long as the changes are justified and coherent..
They can also change parts in the play to fit the end. They are going to work in pairs. For the development of this task students are given a chart they have to complete in order make their work easier.


BEGINNING
Set the scene by describing a character or setting.





MIDDLE
Describe a problem




Describe attempts to solve this problem






MIDDLE
Describe a second problem




Describe attempts to solve this second problem





END

Explain how the problem is finally solved.

Session seven

The purpose of this activity is to show students that drama becomes alive when it is acted out. They have to think about drama elements such tone of voice, mood, pauses... This has to be reflected in the writing of the play.

As a warm – up activity the teacher arranges students in circle according to birthday order or alphabetical by first name.
With the piece of drama being rehearsed (act 5, scene 3 in Romeo and Juliet) in front of students and the roles assigned, some aspects in drama are braimstormed such as characters speaking and how they speak according to the explicit information given by the narrator or between brackets.
Students read the dialogues aloud. Once read, they act them out.
The scene is developed.
After this, students use different expressions or moods for the same conversation in order to pay attention to the effects achieved. We also use different strategies such as mime and students comment on effect.

Session eight

Students are given some ideas about the writing of the dialogues:

Write a paragraph saying how you would direct Act 5, scene 3.

• I would leave out the killing of Paris so that the audience could concentrate on how Romeo and Juliet show their grief.
• The stage would be set in a pretty church with flowers everywhere to create and peaceful and religious atmosphere OR
• The stage would be a dark and dusty tomb with dead bodies all around. This would give it a spooky and gloomy atmosphere.
• I would show how upset Juliet was by having her scream at the top of her voice when she sees Romeo dead. The audience would think she was going mad with grief.

For the creation of setting, students might have the following into account:

• The use of details based on senses – sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
• Base settings on a known place and then add invented details.
• Use real or invented names to bring places alive.
• Create atmosphere by writing about: what is hidden
What is dangerous
What looks unusual
What is out of place.
• Describe the weather, time of day, season, as well as the place.

ASSESSMENT

The fulfilment of the tasks developed in the classroom are going to serve to assess students’ performance in class. In the first session, the display of the poster in the classroom is going to count as 30% of the final mark. The activities is sessions three, four and five have to be handed in to the teacher. These activities are the 30% of the final mark. The rehearsal of the piece of drama is going to count 20% of the final mark. The writing, editing and performance of the new end for the play is going to count 40% of the final mark. Coherence as far as characters, environments, function of characters and symbols is going to be crucial for the highest mark.