Popeye the Sailor debuted in the comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929. Here’s a look behind the scenes at one of the most loved and iconic cartoon characters of all time.

The Creator

As a youngster, Chester, IL native, Elzie Crisler Segar showed a talent for illustrating. He took a mail-order cartooning course before getting a job as an artist with Hearst Syndicate. While working there he created the comic strip, Thimble Theatre. It starred cartoon characters who posed as “actors” in daily skits. Eventually, the misadventures of the Oyl family took center stage until Olive Oyl’s brother, Castor Oyl, recruited Popeye the Sailor to take him, Olive, and her boyfriend to Dice Island, a shady casino island.

Popeye, a one-eyed, speech-impaired, thirty-four-year-old sailor was supposed to only be a minor character. But from the first moment he walked into the strip a decade after its creation, Popeye stole the show. The comic strip’s popularity saw it printed in hundreds of newspapers—even overseas—and eventually be renamed Thimble Theatre Starring Popeye, then just Popeye.

Sadly, Segar didn’t live to see his creation grow into the incredible and iconic legacy of today. He died from leukemia on October 13, 1938, nine years after introducing Popeye to the world. He was only forty-three.

Did You Know…

• American cartoonist Elzie Crisler (E.C.) Segar often signed his work as “E. Segar” or just “Segar” over a sketch of a cigar. His way of answering all the questions about how to pronounce his last name.
• Fleischer Studios composer, Sammy Lerner, wrote Popeye’s theme song, “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man,” for his animated debut in 1933. The song incorporates all of Popeye’s weird jargon, and Lerner wrote it in less than two hours. People still hum the catchy tune today. (Click here to hear it.)

The Inspiration

Segar never said who inspired Popeye, but many believe the character is based on Frank “Rocky” Fiegel.

Fiegel was born one hundred and fifty-six years ago on January 27, 1868, and joined the U.S. Navy in 1887, at nineteen.

Fiegel was twenty-six years older than Segar. By the time Segar met him, Fiegel had retired from the navy and was working for Wisbusch’s Tavern in Chester, IL, keeping it clean and the patrons in order. He became a local legend as he didn’t shy away from a fight and had a damaged eye to prove it. He spoke with only one side of his mouth because he kept a corn-cob pipe clamped between his lips on the other side.

Like Popeye, Fiegel was a good guy. A man who, as the Chicago Tribune put it, had “a heart of gold for children.” The children of Chester, IL—Segar likely among the lot—evidenced this golden heart firsthand. He protected them from bullies, generously gave them change, and, with that pipe stuck in the corner of his mouth, entertained them with stories of his youth, often bragging about his physical strength, telling them spinach made him invincible.

Did You Know…

• In Polish, Figiel means “joke” or “prank.”
• Tall and thin Dora Paskel, a Chester, IL storeowner, is said to be the inspiration for Olive Oyl. While the Chester Opera House’s hamburger-loving manager, William Schuchert, supposedly inspired chubby, hamburger-loving J. Wellington Wimpy. (Segar once worked at the Opera House.)

The Voice

In the early 1930’s, William “Billy” Costello voiced Popeye. Then, in 1935, Popeye’s voice changed. Lou Fleischer, the head of Fleischer Studio’s music department, was walking through the studio when he overheard Jack Mercer, an apprentice animator, imitating Popeye. Costello and his erratic behavior were out, and Mercer was in.

While Costello had been difficult to work with, the problem with Mercer was he didn’t follow the script. He constantly ad-libbed comments and asides during recording sessions. The studio worried that since Popeye’s mouth didn’t move, the words appeared to come out of thin air. However, audiences didn’t care. They loved Mercer’s off-the-cuff remarks. They drew the biggest laughs and soon became Popeye’s trademark and most beloved feature.

Did You Know…

• Jack Mercer last voiced Popeye in 1980, four years before his death.
• Jack Mercer (considered the best Popeye) married Margie Hynes (who voiced Olive Oyl) in real life. Unfortunately, their marriage only lasted a few years.

No End In Sight

After almost a century, Popeye remains popular and one of the most recognizable pop-culture icons in the world. With merchandise, comics, and animated shows, his legacy lives on for new generations to discover.

Did You Know…

• The Nintendo arcade game Donkey Kong was supposed to be based on Popeye and his adventures, but when the developers couldn’t get the license to use Popeye, they developed their own characters.
• The 1980 live-action film, Popeye, went into production only after Paramount Pictures lost a bidding war for the rights to Little Orphan Annie.
• The Popeye Village in Malta, where the 1980 movie Popeye was filmed, is now a major Maltese tourist attraction.
• Popeye didn’t make an appearance in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit because Disney couldn’t get legal permission from Paramount Studios to use his likeness.
• In Chester, IL, E.C. Segar’s hometown, there is a Popeye and Friend’s Character Trail. Statues of the various characters are situated throughout the town.
• In 2009, the character of Popeye became part of the public domain for every country except the U.S. Here it remains under copyright until 2025.
• Popeye and Friends Official YouTube Channel launched in 2017.
• Popeye has his own website. (Click here to visit it.)