Popeye
| Popeye | |
|---|---|
 Yer always wonderin' why I yam holdin' this can o' spinach, but tha's 'cuz I eats it for me own strengt'! | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Olive Oyl J. Wellington Wimpy Eugene the Jeep |
| Occupation | Sailor |
| Other relative(s) | Four nephews, Pipeye, Peepeye, Poopeye, and Pupeye |
| Marital status | Single[Note 1] |
| Son(s) | Popeye Jr.[Note 2] |
| First appearance | ANPH: "Popeye the Carpenter" (1978) |
| Played by | Jack Mercer (1978-83) Maurice LaMarche (1987) |
 Popeye and Son | |
Popeye, also known as Popeye Popeye, is the title character and protagonist in the Popeye animated franchise. He is a gruff-looking, but humble sailor known for having a squinting eye, huge forearms and a corn pipe. He is immensely powerful and gains his strength by eating spinach. His voice was originated by Jack Mercer.
Character description
Appearances
TV series
Specials
Biography
Development
Popeye was created by cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar, and first debuted in the Thimble Theatre comic strip in 1929.[1] He initially started off as a supporting character to Castor Oyl (the strip's main character at the time) and his sister Olive, but Popeye's unexpected popularity from readers led Segar to instead make him the strip's new focus.
Popeye is said to have been inspired by Frank "Rocky" Fiegel, a real-life sailor and local resident of Chester, Illinois; Segar—who himself was also a local in Chester—likely used Fiegel as the basis of Popeye based on his likeness and the stories he heard of the man.[2][3]
Gallery
- Main article: Popeye/Gallery
Behind the scenes
- "Popeye" was only a nickname due to his appearance. In Popeye and Son, it was retconned to be his family name.
In popular culture
- In the Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures episode "Don't Touch That Dial," among all the Saturday morning show parodies, there is a Smurf-like character in red clothing like Papa Smurf, but looks like Popeye.
Footnotes
- ^ Husband to Olive Oyl in Popeye and Son (1987).
- ^ Popeye and Son (1987).
References
- ^ Segar, Elzie (Crisler) – Encyclopædia Britannica Article. Britannica.com. Retrieved on March 27, 2023
- ^ Grandinetti, Fred M. (December 31, 2003). Popeye: An Illustrated Cultural History, 2d ed., page 5. Macfarland Books. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Evon Dan (June 20, 2019). Was Frank 'Rocky' Fiegel the Inspiration for 'Popeye'? Snopes. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
