Popeye the sailorman has become world famous. Whether it be from his addiction to spinach or the lyrics to his song, people of all ages imitate, collect, and aspire to be like Popeye. This muscle man was not even originally in the comic strip created by Elzie Segar. Elzie Segar, the cartoonist wrote Thimble Theatre in the late teens and early twenties. The first strip consisted of the characters Olive Oyl, Ham Gravy (Olive's first boyfriend), Cole and Nana Oyl (Olive's parents), and Castor Oyl.1

History

January 17, 19292, was the fateful day which would change the comic strip and cartoon worlds forever. Popeye was born and became the most well-known character on the strip. His first words were in response to the question, "Are you a sailor?" Popeye smartly replied, "Ja think I'm a cowboy?" 3After Popeye's first voyage on Castor Oyl's ship to Dice Island Popeye was brought back by popular demand. 7 From that day on, it was history. Popeye the sailorman, with his muscles and his spinach, would become a cultural icon.

     In the 1930's, the Fleischer Brothers, the creators of Betty Boop, introduced the character Popeye in Popeye the Sailor Max Fleischer had to negotiate with th people at King Features Syndicate in order to purchase the rights to bring the comic strip to the television. 16 Betty Boop was now gone, and the creators attempted to replace her with a new character. They were successful in their mission because Popeye's existence definitely surpassed that of Betty Boop.4

     The real Popeye is thirty four years old, stands at five feet, six inches, and weighs one hundred and fifty four pounds.5 He is known for always carrying his pipe, which today may be regarded as dirty or unhealthy. However, according to Tim Coyle, smoking was almost a norm during the Depression Era, which is probably the reason that a cartoon character got away with smoking a pipe constantly. Today, Popeye is only on LifeTime television reruns. It may have something to do with the media's portrayed of smoking as a sin. By watching Popeye, children may think that it is okay to smoke a pipe.

     Many statues have been erected in honor of this "man." In the mid-1970's, the Chester Sorority Ladies raised ten thousand dollars in order to create a statue of Popeye. They were successful, and a statue was made. The statue stands six feet tall and weighs nine hundred pounds. It was unveiled in the summer of 1977 in Segar Memorial Park in Chester, Illinois..6 The statue was dedicated in honor of Elzie Segar, Popeye's first creator, who was born in Chester. 8

     Popeye served as a hero to many. With his stylish sense of humor and his positive outlook on life, he was a role model to young children. His ability and willingness to eat spinach made parents eager to let their children watch him on television. Children could look to Popeye as a role model. He had a lot of muscles, a girlfriend, and could generally be perceived as a "cool" guy. Parents hoped that he would influence their children in a positive way, even if it only meant that they would eat their spinach due to his example. Popeye had several traits which could be described as manly - his muscles and his physique. Though Popeye seemed to be bald at a young age, he always had Olive Oyl drooling all over him.

     Many would argue that Popeye and Olive Oyl are two of the least likely people to be together. Popeye was "uncouth, tattooed, a food faddist given to unpredictable outbursts of violence. Olive Oyl was a flat-chested flirt with a dowdy sense of style and involved in a long-term relationship.9 Olive Oyl was supposed to be twenty-nine years old, be five foot ten inches, and weigh ninety-six pounds. Her shoe size was designed as an unusual and probably no-existent 14-AAAAAA.10 Although these two were an odd couple, they have been together for sixty-seven years.11

     There are several issues in Popeye and Olive Oyl's relationship that need reconciling. Despite Olive's obvious attraction to Popeye, she continues to lead Bluto along, and Popeye refuses to "make a decent woman of Olive, whose biological clock must sound like Big Ben."12 The creator of Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois, Mort Walker offered an answer to the puzzling relationship of the two characters. "A one-eyed sailor with inverted arms, and she's the shape of a toothpick. I guess they were meant for each other," he said. 13

     Popeye and Olive have had their ups and downs since their relationship bloomed. Under Olive's influence, Popeye has cleaned himself up a little bit. Hy Eisman, Popeye's drawer since 1994, explains, "In the early days, there was a lot of physical abuse, because in those days you could do that in a comic strip."14 Now, however, with the modern domestic abuse problems, Popeye would never and could never hit Olive. Respect plays a more active role in their relationship, and Olive has a beneficial effect on Popeye's life. This portrays the idea that even a "spinach-eating bilge rat can evolve. All he needs is a good woman." 15

POPEYE'S SONG

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man I'm Popeye the Sailor Man I'm strong to the finich Cause I eats me spinach I'm Popeye the Sailor Man

I'm one tough gazookus Which hates all palookas Wot ain't on the up and square I biffs 'em and buffs 'em An' always outroughs 'em An' none of 'em gets nowhere

If anyone dasses to risk me fisk It's "boff" and its "wham", un'erstand So, keep good behavior That's your one life saver With Popeye the Sailor Man.

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man I'm Popeye the Sailor Man I'm strong to the finich Cause I eats me spinach I'm Popeye the Sailor Man

COMIC BOOKS/GAMES

     The Depression Era was a time of chaos and disturbance for many Americans. Even though it was hard to forget about, many people turned to leisure activities or hobbies in order to get their minds off of their present hardships. Novels became very popular along with newspapers. As Harvey Green describes, "The sense of individual responsibility and heroism-and a lack of faith in the economic and political system-also informed elements of a new form of literature that hit the stores, streets, and newstands in 1929." 18 Comic strips from newspapers were taken aside and expanded upon in the form of comic books. Children highly regarded these new comic books, while adults attempted to hide their fascinations. Often, comic book plots mimicked the everyday lives of people during the Depression Area, only the stories were put in simplistic terms and "provided solutions that ignored constitutional rights such as due process of law and habeas corpus. Augustus Michlin, though not the original creator of Popeye, drew Popeye for a period of time. He told me that he really enjoyed hearing all of the children imitate the sounds and catch phrases that his character offered. I think that it is interesting that whether it be pretending to smoke a pipe or flexing muscles, almost everyone can identify the character of Popeye. Today even on television shows such as "Full House," Joey Gladstone, one of the characters imitates Popeye.19 Most of the comic book heroes were men. The storylines resembled radio dramas and detective films, in that the characters, policemen or law enforcers, couldn't deal with their corrupted surroundings.20

     For those people who were more into socializing than having their noses glued to the inside of a book, games became a popular pastime. Games took people's minds off of their worries for a brief time and helped them to express their inner emotions of competitiveness and companionship. As Denise Logsdon researches comic books further in her paper, she finds that the typical audience for comic books was young adult males. They could most clearly identify with these primarily male heros.21During the Depression, poverty was a problem for most people. 22Game makers were very smart, and designed their products so they could make them cheaper. The Popeye game in the Greenbelt museum was made of cardboard, so that more people could enjoy its benefits. This game was designed for children because it looked relative small and low to the ground. The game itself doesn't look very appealing today because we have had so many advances since the early days of the "ring toss." However, in the Depression Era, this type of interactive, more physical game was probably very appropriate for the children.

POPEYE TODAY

     In terms of Popeye political philosophy, many believe him to be liberal, due to his lackadaisical attitude and affection of pipes. However, others believe that in his younder days he was fairly liberal. Then, as he and the show evolve, he became an "old, overweight, embittered reactionary who would sit watching television, bottle of rum in his hand, complaining about the blacks." 23 This shows the white, conservative attitude of many during the Depression, and still others would argue it depicts the white, conservative attitude of many people today.

     Popeye was said to be one of the ugliest characters in the history of cartoons. The reason that Olive Oyl was his girl, was because he couldn't get any other woman. 24 The show Popeye the Sailorman was analyzed at this site. The editor of this page suggests that the cartoon Popeye is only devoted to Olive Oyl because he couldn't get any other female; Olive Oyl is a slut and only wants a rich husband; Bluto is out to get as many woman as he can; and what was really in that pipe that Popeye was always smoking, "PCP, I think." 25

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