Popeye the Sailor Man is one of the most loved and iconic cartoon characters ever. This month he turned ninety-five years old, and I thought it would be fun to write a Did You Know? about him. I never imagined there’d be so many interesting things to share, though.
The Beginning
According to Popeye’s biography, a typhoon raged into Santa Monica, CA, the day he was born to Poopdeck Paddy and an unnamed woman. Popeye became an orphan when his dad left home shortly after his birth—his mother’s fate is unknown—and he was raised in an orphanage.
Poopdeck left the infant his pipe before he departed, and Popeye only took it out of his mouth for his morning bottles of malted hardtack.
He set off on his first voyage when he was twelve years old. He lost the vision in his right eye in “the mos’ arful battle” of his life. In that fight, his right eye popped, and from then on sailors called him “Pop-Eye.”
Though he grew up on a ship with rough, coarse-speaking sailors, Popeye embraced a chivalrous oath of gallantry as a teen and grew into a strong, determined, and honorable man.
The Characters
Popeye is also a little mischievous. He told his nephews, Pipeye, Peepeye, Poopeye, and Pupeye, that he descended from Hercules, and his ancestors received their strength from garlic.
By age thirty-four, Popeye was offering his seafaring services at local ports. It was at this point that Castor Oyl, Olive Oyl’s brother, recruited Popeye to take him, Olive, and her boyfriend to Dice Island, a shady casino island.
Olive Oyl has a large family. Father—Cole Oyl. Mother—Nana Oyl. Older brothers—Castor and Crude Oyl. Castor’s estranged wife—Cylinda Oyl. Nieces—Diesel and Violet Oyl. And two Uncles—Otto and Lubry Kent Oyl. (Later came Cousin—Sutra Oyl and distant rich corporate magnate relative—Standard Oyl.)
Baby Swee’ Pea is not Popeye and Olive Oyl’s biological child. Rather, he’s Popeye’s adopted child. The infant’s mother left her baby on Popeye’s doorstep because she knew he would take good care of the small tyke.
Did You Know…
- Because “Olive” Oyl was considered an insult to olive trees, she was renamed Rosario in Spain. (Understandable when you realize Spain produces more olive oil than any other country in the world, and the olive is a peace symbol, the total opposite of Olive Oyl.)
- Brutus, Popeye’s archrival, was originally named Bluto.
- Olive Oly stole Popeye’s heart on August 27, 1929, when she mistakenly kissed him on the cheek.
The Spinach
Originally, Popeye received his strength by rubbing the head of a lucky, rare, and magical Whiffle Hen named Bernice. However, by 1932, Popeye’s strength came from eating spinach.
Did You Know…
- Bernice the magical Whiffle Hen belonged to Olive and Castor Oyl. She was given to them by their uncle, Lubry Oyl.
- In 1870, German chemist Erich von Wolf misplaced a decimal point, making the iron content of spinach ten times more than it really is. This math error led to the belief that spinach is extremely high in iron, and since iron makes a body strong, Popeye eats large amounts of spinach.
- Popeye’s popularity increased spinach sales during the Depression by 33%. In fact, during this time, spinach was the third most popular children’s food behind ice cream and turkey.
- Crystal City, Texas, the self-proclaimed “World Spinach Capital,” erected a full-color statue of Popeye in March 1937. It was the first time a statue honored a cartoon character.
- A 2010 study found that children ate more vegetables after watching Popeye cartoons.
- Popeye brand spinach continues to be one of the best-selling brands of spinach in the U.S.
The Hero
Popeye survived grimy alleys and seamy docks. He did so not with pluck or intellect, but with his fists. In the lean times following the stock market crash, Popeye was the perfect hero, striking a chord with the public every time he repeated his personal credo: “I yam what I yam, and that’s all what I yam.”
Did You Know…
- Popeye is one of the longest-running comic strips ever.
- Popeye first appeared in film in Betty Boop’s 1933 cartoon called Popeye the Sailor.
- According to polls, by 1938 Popeye was Hollywood’s most popular cartoon character.
- Popeye cartoons were especially popular during World War II and were used to boost U.S. morale. During this time, his clothes were changed to an all-white sailor’s outfit and cap.
- Several words (wimp, jeep, dufus, etc.) now in the English language come from Popeye.
- “Eugene the Jeep,” a mysterious and magical dog-like animal Olive Oyl’s uncle found in Africa, first appeared in 1936. In 1941, four years after Eugene arrived, the army’s “General Purpose” vehicle arrived. According to one theory, American soldiers were so impressed with early versions of this off-road military vehicle that, like Eugene, could travel anywhere, they nicknamed it “Jeep.”
- On Thanksgiving Day in 1957, Popeye’s Macy’s Parade balloon made its first appearance. After a decade of flying, a retirement party was held for it.
- Popeye received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1978.
- Comedian/actor Robin Williams’ first starring movie role was as Popeye in the 1980 live-action, musical, Popeye.
The End . . . Not
Because there were so many interesting things about Popeye, I split it into two DYKs. Come back next week for part two and a look behind the scenes.