Sunday morning toons: Ja' think I'm a cowboy?

Last Friday marked the 85th anniversary of Popeye the Sailor Man's first appearance, in the popular E. C. Segar comic strip "Thimble Theater." We here at p3 strikes up the band for him. Hat-tip to artist, historian, and FB contact Bobby London.

Meanwhile, there are so many Chris Christie toons out there I'm going to pack them together, below.

And President Obama has promised to protect our concerns – not our rights – regarding NSA surveillance. And the War on Poverty is working about as well as the War on Drugs – too much money on the wrong side of the equation. And if you're in West Virginia, don't drink the water, unless you really really really believe in Freedom.

Today's toons were brought in along with truckloads upon truckloads of bottled water from the week's offerings at McClatchy DC, Cartoon Movement, Go Comics, Politico's Cartoon Gallery, Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoons, About.com, and other fine sources.

p3 Picks of the week: Mike Luckovich, Jack Ohman, Nick Anderson, Joel Pett, Lisa Benson, Steve Benson, Ben Sargent, Tom Toles, Signe Wilkinson, Rick McKee, Bob Englehart, Randy Bish, Matt Wuerker, Jen Sorenson, and Monte Wolverton.

p3 Best of Show: Chan Lowe.

p3 Legion of Me Award: Matt Weurker.

p3 Award for Best Academy Award Nominees: Stuart Carlson.

p3 Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium: Petar Pismestrovic.

p3 World Toon Review: Patrick Chappatte (Switzerland), Petar Pismestrovic (Austria), Ingrid Rice (Canada), Tjeerd Royard (Netherlands), and Tomas (Italy).

Here's the Cagle Toons compendium of Chris Christie toons.

Ann Telnaes brings good news: John Boehner thinks somebody ought to be held accountable. For something. Maybe. Aren't you relieved?

Mark Fiore notices that while North America got frozen out last month, Australia was scorching. Could it mean that the climate change deniers are on to something? Nope.

Taiwan's Next Media Animation points out the apparent irrelevance of the Eighth Amendment in the 17th and 24th states.

Tom Tomorrow and Sparky examine the unexamined privilege of David "The BoBo Bomber" Brooks.

Keith Knight pays tribute to the poet formerly known as LeRoi Jones (and, oddly enough, once the poet laureate of New Jersey).

Tom the Dancing Bug imagines heavy burdens of the once and future President Christie.

Red Meat's Ted Johnson explains to his son: It's no time for finger-pointing.

The Comic Strip Curmudgeon brings the news: America's second-most popular (or, by the same calculation, most-hated) orange cartoon cat is launching a media empire.

Comic Strip of the Day explores overboard enthusiasm.

You'll find the scum of the earth right here in this port! Sounds like Obi-Wan Kenobi describing Mos Eisley, but it's actually the lead-in to the first appearance of Popeye the Sailor on January 17, 1929.

He's a cinch but every inch a sailor! After his comic strip debut,"Betty Boop with Popeye the Sailor" was the one-eyed spinach-eater's launch onto the big screen. Directed by Dave Fleischer in 1933, with uncredited work by Billy Costello (Popeye), Bonnie Poe (Betty Boop and The Slender One), and William Pennel, and musical compositions by Sammy Timberg. This cartoon gets an asterisk for featuring both of Popeye's theme songs: "Strike Up the Band" (sung by William Pennel) and "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" (sung by Billy Costello). The carnival tune is "The Band Played On," Bluto's entrance to the carnival is the traditional drinking song "Barnacle Bill the Sailor," and the rope-cliff gag borrows from "The Song of the Volga Boatmen" – can anyone identify the Rossini-esque music from the chase scene, or the schmalty tune at the appearance of the train? There are rumors around the intertoobz that this short was "banned," but I can't track anything definite down, and it seems pretty unlikely that two of the most popular toon characters of the era would get banished, even taking Betty's grass skirt into account. Casual racism; consider yourself warned.