Bowsky Gag Drawing

For ages I have been trying to definitively tack down Willard Bowsky's Popeye animation. It's a tough call and I refrain from doing so in many cases because the earmarks of his drawing and animation are not as evident as other animators I am able to ID. It's partially because, as head animator/de facto director, the amount of animation he would be able to do in any particular cartoon would be minimal at best and at times none at all.

Below is a gag cartoon (a copy of a copy of the original) drawn and signed by Bowsky and published in the Fleischer Studio's Flipper Club Annual of 1939. I love finding a drawing like this - it provides great clues to cracking his animation style.

(click on image to enlarge)

Note on the right hand side of the drawing is Alice the Goon - who never appeared in any of the animated shorts produced by the Fleischers. It makes me wonder if there was another Goon cartoon in the works starring Alice.

BTW - readers interested in the Famous Studio cartoons should check out Thad's blog - highlighting a gorgeous copy of the Blackie cartoon 'Much Ado About Mutton'. I left some comments that may prove interesting to Famous Studio fans.