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POPEYE's HISTORY |
A New Hero is born
The year is 1929, January 17th, to be exact. A 10-year-old comic strip by Elzie Seagar: "The Thimble Theatre", which originally revolved around Olive Oyl's family, entertained a new character, not too brilliant, not too handsome, not too strong - it was a sailor, standing in the harbor - to the question: "ARE YOU A SAILOR" he replied: "Ja THINK I'M A COWBOY" - He was hired - and slowly, but surely, got read of most of the old characters in the strip and received the lead together with his love - from those days till today - Ms. Oyl.
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Popeye is an underdog with a long fuse and a keen sense of fair play. Everyone identifies with Popeye when he finally says, "Thas' all I can stands, 'cause I can't stands no more!"
It seems only fitting that our most unlikely hero would fall for the least likely of sex symbols; Olive Oyl. Flat as a board, with a pickle-shaped nose and fickle heart to match, Popeye's "goil" puts him through his paces. Her only real competition is spinach. |
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POPEYE & PALS
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Popeye made his first public appearance on January 17, 1929 in Elzie Segar's then 10-year-old comic strip, "Thimble Theatre," which originally revolved around Olive Oyl's family. Popeye quickly eclipsed older characters to become the star of the strip. With Popeye came a host of new, off-beat funny folks such as Swee'Pea, the "infink" Popeye adopted; J. Wellington Wimpy, the world's most hamburger-obsessed moocher; and Brutus, the hairy "heavy" with the glass jaw. Segar had a genius for creating strong, memorable characters the entire world knows and loves. |
POPEYE's FILM CAREER
Popeye made the jump to the silver screen in a 1933 Betty Boop cartoon entitled, "Popeye the Sailor" from the Fleischer Studios. Nearly 600 Popeye
cartoons were made and are still in worldwide syndication. Many are available on video. The Fleischer Popeye cartoons can be seen today on the Superstation TBS and The Cartoon Network.
POPEYE: AN Unpretentious Hero
"Not even Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse or Warner Bros.' Bugs Bunny can top Popeye in the high profile department ... (because) both the Rodent and the Wabbit have known long stretches of inactivity between film
appearances ... (but) the monocular seafarer has seldom been caught without a new adventure in the works," wrote Michael H. Price of The New York Times News Service.
He's short, balding, ornery and downright ugly by anyone's standards. But countless millions of fans have grown up admiring and identifying with this unpretentious hero since his first public appearance in 1929. With one of his cartoons airing somewhere in the world nearly every minute of every day, Popeye the Sailor Man remains one of the most widely recognized and best-loved personalities ever.
