"Shiver Me Timbers" expanded.

[Low_Roads]

Last week I presented a re-edited, extended version of the classic fetish scene found in Max Fleischer's Popeye cartoon, "Bridge Ahoy" ( https://youtu.be/Br6dBPhUl_I ). But as all TMF members know, there are two famous tickling encounters in this series; here's the second, Olive Oyl's devilish supernatural punishment from "Shiver Me Timbers". As with "Bridge Ahoy", viewing this on a smaller screen will make for more rewarding viewing. I've fleshed out the cadre of ghostly fiends with contributions from Fleischer's own earlier non-Popeye opus, "Swing You Sinners" ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNttqN1wUMY ), as well as more modest theft from Flip the Frog's "The Cuckoo Murder Case" and Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry (two early human characters not related to the later cat and mouse) title, "Wot a Night". All are worth your time to seek out and enjoy.

"Shiver Me Timbers": https://youtu.be/Snxqb4e6oqU

This presentation would lose much of its impact had it not been backed by solid musical support. I was fortunate enough to find a fine copyright-free number from Youtuber Vivek Abhishek, one with the rather unpretentious title "Horror Theme". Its moody, hard-driving rhythms are instrumental in establishing eerie atmosphere and a sense of momentum. The selection was completely free to use in exchange for credit given and a link to his site. I couldn't be more pleased to supply both:
https://www.youtube.com/@VIVEKABHISHEK

Below is a link to the "Horror Theme" selection I used. It makes for very entertaining listening without the distractions of visuals, dialogue and sound effects:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwjzmdiRFpc&list=PLyCgk9_wvHOnXbk88AxuBtqIHqrRuPQr-&index=1

To round things out, here's my first edit of the "Shiver Me Timbers" footage. I completed it and let it sit for a couple of days, but found that repeat viewings exposed flaws. Many of the transitions seemed choppy, while a few of the shots I'd intended to include had been overlooked amidst the often bewildering selection of options. Additionally, the added production time allowed me to locate material I found to be even more effective. Personal preference will ultimately determine which version is better; at the very least, the contrast may shed some light on the chancy nature of creative decision making: https://youtu.be/gMe46Y9O4wo

 

[ticklephehe]

Nice...well done

 

[Low_Roads]

Thank you, Ticklephehe! Much appreciated!

 

[mistertickle123]

This is great Low_Roads.
I really love how you extended, enhanced and added to this classic Popeye cartoon tickle segment of Shiver Me Timbers. You did a fantastic job with the tickle scene in Bridge Ahoy as well.

I remember seeing these as a kid and both tickle scenes even though they were very short in the original cartoons always excited me.

 

[Low_Roads]

Thanks so very much for the enthusiastic support, Mistertickle123! Extremely pleased you enjoyed both cartoon expansions! I have solid plans for at least two more such re-editings, the next one being April O’Neil vs Don Turtelli. Thanks goes to forum member Oboy for the suggestion!

I have memories of seeing “Shiver Me Timbers” so indistinct, I thought the scene had taken place in “Popeye Meets Sinbad the Sailor”! Imagine my disappointment when that cartoon randomly aired and Olive’s kitty-cat pals were nowhere in sight! I likely would have been 4 or 5 at the time, maybe younger… my preference was clearly defined even at that formative age! I get the feeling Max Fleischer’s (or somebody in his organization, anyway) was too! I don’t think these scenes could speak to us so directly without genuine fetish passion!

 

[milagros317]

Great work! Thanks so much for doing it.

 

[Low_Roads]

My pleasure, Milagros! Thanks so much for sending your support! These videos are a kick to make! Will continue to do so as long as inspiration and raw material holds out!

 

[Low_Roads]

Here's a further version of the video using the iMovies' filter "Comic". My guess is that this option is intended primarily for live action augmentation, turning images into line drawings. I wouldn't favor it as the default presentation (too much of the lush background detail and textures becomes obscured), but it does make the images more acceptable for larger screens:

https://youtu.be/813zrjnX8g4

Will do the same for "Bridge Ahoy!".

Music by Vivek Abhishek: https://www.youtube.com/@VIVEKABHISHEK

 

[solarcharger]

Absolutely fantastic!! I sat here highly aroused watching it!! Thanks!!!!

 

[Low_Roads]

Yeah, Olive'll do that to a guy! So glad you enjoyed it, Solarcharger! Much thanks for the compliments!

 

[ads26]

Outstanding work. You have limited footage and it would be easy to just do a cat licking loop. You've put a lot of time, thought and effort into that. thank you.

 

[Low_Roads]

Thanks so much for your very kind appraisal, Ads26! These videos are great fun to make, but they wouldn't amount to anything if not appreciated and enjoyed! Responses like yours make the effort so worthwhile! Can't wait to get back to work on another!

 

[riff]

Absolutely Outstanding work! Thanks for taking the time to do this!

 

[Low_Roads]

Thanks very much, Riff! So very pleased you enjoyed it! These movie-making apps are incredibly cool and easy to use! I'm having a ball with 'em! So glad you like the results!

 

[3xPIN]

I vaguely remember a similar one with pirates.

 

[Low_Roads]

Well, there are actually pirates in "Shiver Me Timbers" (the whole cartoon, I mean, not just the little snippets I used), in amongst the skeletons, haunts and invisible presences. Kinda, anyway... they're ghost pirates. Popeye mixes it up with a pack of 'em in one scene. They have the edge because they're insubstantial. If there are any other Fleischer Popeyes with pirate antagonists, living or dead, I can't think of them. Unless you count Sinbad (Bluto) in "Popeye Meets Sinbad"... he's a pirate of sorts. Might be there are buccaneer bad guys in one of the Famous Artists Popeye cartoons. I never paid much attention to them.

 

[solarcharger]

While I’m crazy about the final version you did, I’m curious as to how it would’ve sounded without the musical background? I mean, all of the laughing might be more pronounced. Just a thought. Excellent work, tho!!

 

[Low_Roads]

While I’m crazy about the final version you did, I’m curious as to how it would’ve sounded without the musical background? I mean, all of the laughing might be more pronounced. Just a thought. Excellent work, tho!!

No sooner speculated about than delivered! Here's the earlier version of the video with everything but the music intact! Truth is, I was unsure myself if a musical score might not be one element too many. There were a shit-ton of audio cues already in place and I wondered if a further layer of noise might make the whole listening experience too muddy. In the long run, I feel that the music was well worth it, adding way more than it could possibly detract: the pace and mood of the video are greatly enhanced, while the score overlay tends to homogenize the other disparate audio elements, making them sound more unified. That's my take, but it needn't be yours; decide for yourself if this works better. Thank you for your kind compliments, by the way!

https://youtu.be/CpI_sWa29yI


Just added: since there are now four versions of this video to choose from, I thought it might be fun to include a poll so folks can state their preference! It can be found at the top of the page. Multiple choices are allowed per vote, so no-one needs to feel restricted to a single version. Never done a poll before... am curious to see if there's any response!

 

[solarcharger]

Thanks Low Roads! It, too, is great! I went ahead, and collected ALL versions, kind of like collecting baseball cards! Lol. There are enough subtle variations in each version so as to make each one very enjoyable in its own right!

 

[Low_Roads]

Grateful thanks, Solarcharger! Makes it worth uploading them all just for that! I'm just happy to still had the unscored version around to upload; I did think of it primarily as a disposable intermediate stage. These videos take up a ton of memory to store and I know I'll have to dump 'em from my phone at some point. I just want to make sure I have enough backups before doing anything rash!

 

[solarcharger]

I NEVER get tired of watching these!!! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next!!!

 

[Low_Roads]

Thanks so much, Solarcharger! Am very energized to hear you say so! Will deliver the next one tomorrow, early as I can make it! April O'Neil vs Don Turtelli, this time!

 

[newTickleorder]

Phenomenal work OP.

I actually felt lowkey unsettled by it, which is saying something since I can watch Saw & Hostel scenes without batting an eye. Made me feel bad for Olive Oyl. There's no Popeye, Wimpy, or even Bluto to help or save her, just an army of ghosts ready to tickle torment her to death.

Now we need the colored version, my man.

 

[Low_Roads]

Much thanks newTickleorder! Olive's situation is pretty desperate, all right! Maybe not as desperate as in a Hostel torture chair, but bad enough for PG discomfort! I don't see much hope for her escape; looks like she may be stuck there for the whole damned voyage. My thought was that her punishment supplied the psychic energy to drive the ship; as long as she was in hysterics, it became a jolly party boat! I'm sure that's no consolation to her, but she's been way outvoted. Maybe the spooks will let her have a day off every once in awhile so she can relax in a deck chair and soak her aching toes. Or get a little foot massage, perhaps. Heck, I'd join the crew myself if I thought I might score that duty!

 

[Letrah]

I love all your work. Great job. The best part to me in Shiver me Timbers is Olive Oly begging at the end that she cannot stand it any more. I wish she had Begged that she could not hold on much longer in Bridge Ahoy .... I also like seeing guys getting tickled also --- turn about is fair