Marcus Williams: The Visionary Behind the New Popeye Comic

“I want new readers to fall in love with Popeye’s personality. If I can make them like him as a character, then I’ve done my job. Whether it’s his humor, his fight against bullies, or his love for spinach, I hope they find him as entertaining as I do.”

-Marcus Williams

Marcus Williams is one of those artists whose style always brings energy to every character or panel he crafts. Over the past 18 years, Williams has honed his craft and developed a dedicated following of fans who adore his vibrant and unique artistic illustrations.

What began with character designs for studios like Cartoon Network, Williams’ portfolio has grown to clients such as Marvel, Sony Pictures Animation, Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon, and Amazon.

Now, he his has set his sights on bringing the chuckling sailor man, Popeye, back into comic book stores for new and old fans to enjoy. The first issue earned an impressive 9.2 with Pages and Panels, with the review celebrating the balance between new lore and old.

Williams was kind enough to talk about his background in comic books and his latest upcoming series, Eye Lie Popeye.

Seth Adrian Romo: Can you tell us about your experience growing up with comics? I’ve heard you mention in previous interviews that discovering Jim Lee’s titles played a big part in your journey.

Marcus Williams: I've always drawn as far back as I can remember. I was drawing on furniture, getting in trouble for it, but I just couldn’t stop. I wasn’t satisfied just looking at amazing work—I wanted to create it. I wasn’t very good for a long time, but that didn’t stop me from trying. I was inspired by the characters I saw in media. My journey with comics really started when a neighbor introduced me to Wolverine. He showed me a Jim Lee X-Men comic, and I was blown away. I wanted to draw like that, even though I couldn’t at the time. But that was the spark that set me on the path to becoming an artist.

How did your professional career kick off?

It was sheer luck. After high school, I was working odd jobs, including at a movie theater. My future wife, who I knew from high school, suggested I meet her uncle, who was an art director at Cartoon Network. I brought my sketchbook, and he liked what he saw. He asked if I could match the Powerpuff Girls’ style, and after some tests, I got the job. It was my first freelance gig, and it paid well. But it was definitely not the usual way people get those jobs. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

In addition to known IPs, you have also created your own titles.

Tuskegee Heirs is set in the year 2096 and follows a new generation of pilots being trained by a descendant of the Tuskegee Airmen. Greg Burnham and I co-write the series, and we were very conscious of paying homage to the original Tuskegee Airmen while creating something fresh. We didn’t want to directly tie our characters to the actual descendants out of respect, so instead, they inherit the legacy. We launched a Kickstarter for the series in 2016, hoping to raise $10,000 but ended up with $74,000. It was clear there was a demand for this kind of story.

Your work has such a distinct, dynamic style. What influences helped shape your artistic journey?

My influences are a mix of everything I loved growing up—animation, video games, comics, and eventually anime. I started with things like Looney Tunes and Disney, then moved on to comics like X-Men. Later, I discovered anime like Ninja Scroll and Dragon Ball Z, which added a new layer to my style. Artists like Jim Lee, Joe Madureira, and Greg Capullo were huge influences. Over the years, I’ve combined all these elements to create a style that’s uniquely mine, and I’m always pushing myself to learn and evolve.

Now, you’re working on the Eye Lie Popeye comic book. What can readers expect from your take on this iconic character?

It’s been an exciting project! It actually started as fan art that caught the attention of King Features, who own the rights to Popeye. They asked me to do a 10-page story, which expanded into a full series. My goal is to stay true to Popeye’s character while modernizing him. I’m incorporating elements of anime to give it that high-energy feel. I want to introduce Popeye to a new generation without losing what made him iconic in the first place.

For new readers who might not be familiar with Popeye, what are you most excited for them to experience?

I want new readers to fall in love with Popeye’s personality. If I can make them like him as a character, then I’ve done my job. Whether it’s his humor, his fight against bullies, or his love for spinach, I hope they find him as entertaining as I do. My goal is to do for Popeye what the Marvel movies did for characters like Thor and Iron Man—introduce them to a new generation while staying true to their roots.

How many issues are planned for this first arc, and when can we expect the first one to hit shelves?

The first arc will be five issues. The first issue is set to release in July, and it’s a bigger issue with around 40 pages to kick things off. The rest of the series will follow soon after.

This interview was edited for clarity. Marcus Williams can be found at @marcusthevisual on Instagram.