Popeye the Sailor Man

With a singular way of speaking and laughing, excessively muscular forearms with anchor tattoos, a blind eye and his characteristic pipe, Popeye conquered the hearts of several generations, who saw the adventures of the brave sailor saving Olivia from the clutches of the fearsome Bluto. , his archenemy and rival.

Madrid, January 17 (EuropaPress).- Popeye the sailor , the mythical sailor who acquired superhuman strength when he ate spinach, turns 90. On January 17, 1929, the stocky character first appeared in the King Features comic strip 'Timble Theatre' . Created by Elzie Crisler Segar , he was originally introduced as a supporting character, but his charisma so captivated audiences that he soon became the lead.

The famous sailor initially appeared as a guy who was hired by Olivia , who was traveling with her brother Castor and her boyfriend Harold Hamgravy, to help her find a magical chicken. Although the character was intended to be temporary, such was his popularity that Popeye went on to star in the comic strip that ended up bearing his name.

Since then, the sailor became an idol of the masses during the 30s and 40s, especially during the Second World War. In 1933, animated short films starring Popeye began to be created. It was the beginning of a series of productions that made him an icon of popular culture, with a movie for theaters, television shows and even a spin-off .

With a singular way of speaking and laughing, excessively muscular forearms with anchor tattoos, a blind eye and his characteristic pipe, Popeye conquered the hearts of several generations, who saw the adventures of the brave sailor saving Olivia from the clutches of the fearsome Bluto. , his archenemy and rival. Therefore, it is time to remember ten curiosities of the mythical Popeye.

1. THE ORIGIN OF ITS NAME

Without a doubt, one of the first things that the public has asked is why the sailor is called Popeye. Very simple, it is the mixture of the words Pop Eye, which in English would mean “bulging eye”, a reference to his one-eyed eye, very typical of the sailors of that time. Although his name in Spanish is pronounced literally, in English it is pronounced “Popai”.

2. HE WAS NOT OLIVA'S FIRST BOYFRIEND

As mentioned before, Popeye was not the protagonist of his own comic until much later. When he was hired by Olivia to find a magical chicken named Bernice, she already had a boyfriend, Harold Hamgravy. Due to the popularity of the charismatic sailor, Segar decided that Olivia would leave Ham and start a relationship with Popeye.

3. HE DIDN'T LIKE VEGETABLES

In the original strip created by Segar, Popeye doesn't get his strength from spinach. What's more, the charismatic sailor doesn't like vegetables very much. When Segar died in 1938, with the comic strip already adapted to the cinema since 1933, it was decided that spinach would be the element that would make Popeye have superhuman strength.

4. THE CHICKEN AND THE SPINACH

Originally, what gave Popeye extraordinary strength was touching the head of the magical chicken Bernice. However, the bird did not originally appear in the animated theatrical shorts. In fact, the idea of ​​spinach as a source of power was born for the movies and was later brought to the comic strip. At the time, it was believed that the iron content of this vegetable was very high due to a report that erroneously attributed that quality.

5. HE WAS A SINGLE FATHER

Although Popeye is Olivia's boyfriend, the truth is that he became a single father. In 1933, in the comic strip, the sailor receives, by correspondence, a newborn baby, whom he welcomes as his son and whom he calls Cocoliso. Although Olivia acts as the baby's mother, "legally", her guardian would be Popeye, as she was the one who welcomed him.

6. PRECURSOR OF THE SUPERHEROES

According to Bill Blackbeard, in his article 'The First (arf, arf!) Superhero of Them All', which appeared in the book All in Color for a Dime , edited by Dick Lupoff and Don Thompson in 1970, Popeye can be considered a forerunner of superheroes. Before Superman or Captain America dominated the comics, there was the sailor and his spinach.

7. PROMOTED THE CONSUMPTION OF SPINACH

Its popularity inevitably led to the consumption of spinach during the 1930s, becoming the vegetable of the Great Depression after the Crash of 29. In the midst of the economic crisis, spinach sales rose 33 percent in United States, managing to save the agricultural sector from ruin. After ice cream and turkey, spinach became the favorite food of children.

8. IT WAS ROBIN WILLIAMS' FIRST BIG ROLE

In 1980, the first Popeye movie was released , a live-action musical directed by Robert Altman and starring Robin Williams. It was the actor's first leading role. Shelley Duvall was Olivia, renamed Rosario in the film, while Paul L. Smith was the villainous Bluto, renamed Brutus. The film divided critics and was not successful enough at the box office.

9. INSPIRED BY A REAL PERSON

EC Segar was inspired by a royal marine to create Popeye. The artist referenced Frank "Rocky" Fiegel, a Polish soldier who lived in Segar's hometown of Chester, Illinois. The man had a prominent chin and a very Popeye-like physique. On the tombstone of Fiegel, who died on March 24, 1947, an image of Popeye is engraved. Moreover, in the city of Chester a statue of the mythical animated sailor was erected in honor of Fiegel.

10. IMAGE OF THE SPANISH REPUBLIC AIR FORCE DURING THE CIVIL WAR

Popeye, along with other pop culture characters such as Mickey Mouse or Betty Boop, was the image of the planes of the Air Force of the Second Spanish Republic during the Civil War. The sailor appeared in the Polikarpov I-16 fighters during the war. Planes with the image of Popeye can be seen at the Museo del Aire in Madrid.