QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

[Eric]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

"Sodapopbob" could be a alias for anyone knows 10 years down the road when someone is searching for info.For someone who doesn't frequent this site... stumbles onto this copies and paste it into their own site.. then someone else finds that copy and copies and paste it, and so on... never know where it could end up and some may never know where it originated. And everyone knows what is found on the web has got to be true... writings like this can hurt the hobby. So be careful of what you post... Know you're having fun.. but on a site like this where some folks come to learnand get information it can be a disservice. Just saying... anyway...... Hope you find a Popeye crate full of bottles with caps.. along with a company letter explaining what happened. Good Luck

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

I got to wondering about the King Features archivists' use of the term "short-lived" license and concluded that it could have multiple definitions, such as ... 1. Short-lived in that it was a Short-term license issued for a brief period of time.2. Short-lived in that it was a Long-term license that was revoked by King Features and/or canceled by the Porto Rico Pale Dry Company. We may never know for certain what they meant by the term "Short-lived," but if it refers to a Short-term license, based on the research I recently conducted, the majority of Short-term license/contracts are generally described as being for a period of one year.

 

[Eric]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

Why don't you contact them again and ask them how long it was. Can you call them and speak to the person.. you may get better answers than just short emails back and forth.. ask if there are any older employees that may remember this product... I'm sure someone could give you a better answer.. it would be better than all these guessesand wondering. Get closure on this.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

Eric: Its funny you should mention calling King Features, because just prior to your post I spoke with Claudia Smith on the phone. Even though she expressed a genuine desire to help me, she reminded me about the last email she sent me (see below), and that she worded in such a manner to let me know they "have nothing more specific" than what she shared with me in her first email when she told us about the "short-lived license." Claudia was busy when I spoke with her, but she was kind enough to take the time and let me know the archivist she referred to was a Popeye collector himself and that he is just as curious about "Popeye Tropical Beverage" as I am but that he has never been able to come up with a specific date related to it. Claudia did not know where the archivist found the information about the short-lived license other than it took some time for her archivist to find it. In so many words she politely said the information already provided to me is all they would be able to help me with. She concluded by saying they just didn't have the time or resources to assist me further. With that said, I feel the reference to the "short-lived license" for "Popeye Tropical Beverage" they provided me is a milestone in itself and for the first time in five years of research confirms there was indeed a contractual connection between the Porto Rico Pale Dry Company and King Features Syndicate Inc.

Here's the copy/pasted reply I just received from Claudia ... Bob I have nothing more specific than what I’ve told you. The pictures you sent are, I believe, the artifacts our archivist referred to. Claudia Smith | Director, Public Relations King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst300 West 57[sup]th[/sup] Street, New York, NY 10019 212.969.7542 | cmsmith@hearst.comKingFeatures.com | fb.com/KingFeatures | @KingFeatures

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

Hence, based on the information provided to me by Claudia Smith of King Features, it is my opinion the bottle label pictured here is genuine and authentic ... [attachment=Popeye Label.jpg]

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

P.S. I wish to once again acknowledge member Morbious_fod who originally provided us with the image of the Popeye Tropical Beverage bottle label.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

I spent the past five hours searching for anything and everything I could in relation to King Features license contracts, and even though I found numerous references, which are worded in such a manner that only a Philadelphia lawyer can fully understand them, there did appear to be a consistency in that the longest period of time for said contracts was usually about five years, after which they required a renewal application for an additional five years. In conjunction with this I was surprised over the number of lawsuits I found references to between King Features and various parties who were in litigation over the years involving various aspects of their contracts. One thing is certain, King Features did not give anything away and more often than not demanded enormous sums to use their copyrighted characters such as Popeye. Note: I did not save any links to the above and recommend that anyone who is interested in finding this type of information to conduct their own searches. Its there to be found if you have the time.

 

[Eric]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

Wow.. still not clear... she "thinks" that what you sent is what their archivist found. Shouldn't she know what they found? Where is this archivist looking and what exactly did they find.. and where did they look... images online.. or do they have personal storage and records they can look through.. She said, she did not know where the archivist found the information about the short-lived license other than it took some time for her archivist to find it. What? So she doesn't know where they found it but it took time to find it...That's sounds so funny...If the archivist found something, what did it say.. is it a written document...Can you be sent through to their archivist to speak one on one or have the archivist send you copies of what they had found... So far this sounds like she just wants no part of this.. no dates, no written info provided, or images other than what anyone can already find online.Sad... still no proof it existed after all this. Sounds like you gotta talk with that archivist and see if they know what is going on and cut out the middle person.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

Eric With all do respect, the phone conversation I had with Claudia Smith this morning will be my last attempt to acquire information from anyone associated with King Features. As far as I'm concerned they have been very courteous and helpful by providing me with the reference to a "short-lived license." For me it doesn't matter precisely where their archivist found it or what type of document it may have been. What's important to me is that the information came from the King Features archives department and there is absolutely no evidence or reason for me to believe that the information they shared with me came from a simple Internet search. I have been searching the Internet myself off and on for five years and never once came across anything that even hinted at a connection between King Features and Popeye Tropical Beverage. That is, not until Claudia Smith provided me with that information. If you like, please contact them yourself via the information already provided, which include links and a phone number. Claudia's direct line is 212-969-7542

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Re: RE: QUICK "POPEYE SODA" QUESTION

Just for the record, here is the email again I received from Claudia Smith. Notice it does not use wording such as "might have been," or "possibly," but does say ... "According to our archivist, ............................ the "Popeye Tropical Beverage" was a very short-lived license." ~ * ~ Hello, We do not have much information on this. According to our archivist, although there were advertising artifacts that came out of it, the "Popeye Tropical Beverage" was a very short-lived license. Sorry we can’t be more helpful. Thanks.
Claudia Smith | Director, Public Relations King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst300 West 57[sup]th[/sup] Street, New York, NY 10019212.969.7542 | cmsmith@hearst.comKingFeatures.com | fb.com/KingFeatures | @KingFeatures