Insect to Injury

Popeye defends his nice home from invading termites. It's a generic story but it works. It's not really that much of a Popeye cartoon other than the fact that he's the star. The animation is fine. At least, they don't have to do Olive Oyl. It's fine and better than most Popeye cartoons during this era.

Popeye may have been the most formulaic series in cartoon history, but some noteworthy episodes managed to buck the formula. In most of these cartoons, Popeye is put up against not a threat to life or love, but simply a nuisance. The most common source of irritation in these cases was a "funny animal," a small creature no match for Popeye physically, but unremittingly mischievous. Most of these "funny animal" cartoon were pretty bad, but a few stand out, "Insect to Injury" in particular.

The cartoon opens with Popeye putting the finishing touches on his new house. No sooner is it completed when it is threatened by a army of termites. Popeye is righteously alarmed, but counters the threat creatively and intelligently (in cartoon logic at least). And yet, the termites outwit him time and again, building a genuine sense of drama until the conclusion.

Overall, this story is character driven. Popeye's struggle is quite reasonable, and one cannot help but feel for him. His reactions are amusingly extreme, but never panicked, so he never becomes annoying. The termites, for their part, are genuinely menacing, a sense created by their too-clever to-be-real ways of fighting back. They are further enhanced by the simple (but very effective) theme music that follows them.

"Insect to Injury" is a very different kind of Popeye cartoon. None of the usual supporting characters are there, and the threat is a very different one from those Popeye usually faced. Often, attempts to change the series formula did not work, but in this case, it worked well.

This is a unique cartoon in so many ways. First, as has been mentioned, none of the other series characters are in this one, just Popeye vs. the bugs. But besides the very inventive story and fun gags, we see some beautiful backgrounds and colors and slick animation. This is the last great cartoon from Famous before the franchise went down the toilet the following year.

Really like to love a good deal of Popeye cartoons and like the character of Popeye. Will admit though to preferring the Popeye cartoons from the Dave Fleischer era, the cartoons tend to be funnier and there is more originality and more risk taking in some of them.

'Insect to Injury' is a late Popeye cartoon and made in Famous Studios' roughest and most variable period where budgets were much smaller in particularly the animation and deadlines and time constraints were shorter and tighter. All things considered, while there are infinitely better Popeye cartoons (especially during the Fleischer era) and there are signs of what made this period an inferior one for Famous Studios, 'Insect to Injury' is not a bad late Popeye cartoon at all, actually really very enjoyable and one of the better cartoons in Famous Studios' late output. Agree too that it is up there with the best funny animal Popeye cartoons because the "funny animal" in question, in the insects/termites are a threat rather than potentially irritating comic relief.

As to be expected, the story is nothing special despite a different conflict and not having the usual supporting characters, two of the biggest interest points about 'Insect to Injury'.

Similarly the animation quality is uneven, never terrible but never fantastic. The colours are fine and there is smoothness and nice detail but there are many moments where the backgrounds are sparse and the drawing rough.

What is fantastic about 'Insect to Injury' is the music score, the best thing for me. It's beautifully orchestrated, rhythmically it's full of energy and there is so much character and atmosphere, it's also brilliant at adding to the action and enhancing it. The gags, ranging from very amusing to hilarious and creative for late Famous Studios/Popeye, are executed very well, the interplay between Popeye and the insects is lively and witty if in need of more variety at times and the pace is never dull.

Popeye is very likeable and amusing as the only human in 'Insect to Injury', while the insects/termites in a change of pace to Popeye's usual adversaries (namely Bluto) are fun and pose a menacing threat so strong that one can see and feels Popeye's struggle. Jack Mercer does a great job as Popeye and the Popeye voice that has always in my mind the most.

Concluding, very enjoyable. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This is the simplest of plots but it is "cute" and a lot fun to watch as Popeye battles the most destructive group of termites you've ever seen.

Popeye is singing while working on the roof of his house constructing a chimney, which he does in about two seconds! "Now me house is finished," he boasts as he does the last chore: paint his name on his mailbox, which is on a post outside. To his horror, the mailbox disappears quickly in the ground. Popeye gets out a magnifying glass and sees an army of "toimites" marching in file - hundreds with antennae and sadistic grins on their faces!

The whole cartoon is battling these monsters who can devour the entire house in seconds! Watching them work, section-by-section, is really incredible to see. How Popeye combats these "vultures" is fun to see, too. His attitude is fantastic, never seeming to lose his cool. despite some catastrophic events.

I wish they would have made more of these inventive stories. Sometimes you get tired of the same old Popeye vs. Bluto over Olive themes. This was great stuff!