A few weeks ago we brought you our in-depth
report regarding Warner's announcement for
Popeye the Sailor - Volume 2: 1938-1940, coming out on June 17th. There we described how this, the second of the "collectible" releases of classic Popeye cartoon shorts, went from a planned 4-DVD set down to a 2-DVD set. In that story, we broke the news that Warner would try to make up for the change with a separate release, said at the time to be a 2-disc set, and featuring shorts from the just-licensed 1960s-era King Features TV version of
Popeye. We heard that this other item would potentially arrive "later this summer." At least, all of that is what we had been told at the time! Now things appear to have changed somewhat with this other release.
Warner Home Video has now announced
Popeye & Friends - Volume 1. This separate release is, according to the announcement, only a 1-disc item (half of the previously expected disc count) that will cost $14.98 SRP. We've got it on good authority that, as the price (and the tone of the title) might indicate, this would be aimed more at the casual "family"
Popeye fan, rather than serious animation collectors. No extras are included, we've heard, and we're also told that "cartoon experts" (such as animation historian Jerry Beck, who's been busy working on the "
Volume 2: 1938-1940" release) are not involved in producing this title. Being just one disc, it will come in a standard plastic "Amaray" DVD case (as compared to the fold-out "digipack" box style used on the Warner's multi-disc
Popeye packages).
While the exact contents of
Popeye & Friends - Volume 1 aren't listed in the announcement, the cartoons are now said to not only be from the 1960s King Features television series, but are also going to include various "theme-appropriate" shorts, chosen from the various
Popeye incarnations throughout the ages. Expect only color shorts in full frame (1.33:1) video and English audio, and (we're told) all picked with a "kid/family" audience in mind. Apparently the goal is to satisfy that casual side of the consumer base, while still satisfying the collectors with the already-announced
Popeye the Sailor 2-DVD release (which will still be on black-and-white shorts, since that series of releases continues working chronologically forward). Both titles will arrive in stores on the exact same day:
June 17th.
Package art and exact content details for
Popeye & Friends - Volume 1 are not yet available, but stay tuned and we'll keep you updated as soon as we get any more about this.
UPDATE:: Just a short time ago this afternoon, Warner has followed up on this morning's announcement of the title with
a look at the package art...don't miss it!
