When you speak of legendary sailors who have logged more sea miles than any other, great names come to mind – Lord Horatio Nelson, Captain Jack Aubrey, Joshua Slocum, Captain Ron. But the one sailor who wins hands down is a scrappy little guy with a pop eye appropriately named, Popeye.
Happy 88rd Birthday Popeye! The pipe smoking little sailor with a legendary appetite for spinach became a cartoon icon in 1929, on this very day (January 17), when he made his debut in the “Thimble Theatre” comic strip.
We never expected anything more than a happy ending from Popeye, but who could have anticipated he would inspire such comic book heroes as Superman, or live on in popular syndication for 88 years?
Popeye was intended to make just a fleeting appearance in the comic strip, “Thimble Theatre,” but the pop-eyed sailor with 20-inch forearms was an instant hit with readers. 1929 was also the year the stock market crash ignited the Great Depression. If ever there was a need for Popeye, it was then.
Despite a grumpy-looking air about him that made him seem at first glance an angry little tough guy just off the ship, Popeye was very much a goodhearted soul.
Popeye went on to become star of the longest running series of talking animated short subjects in history. Not surprisingly, spinach consumption in the U.S. rose to a reported 33% during the 1930s.
Television reintroduced the scrappy little sailor in 1956. He would return in two more cartoon series (in the 1970s and 1980s) as well as experiencing a healthy run on radio.
As if 500 episodes weren’t enough, the legend of Popeye continued to grow into a full-length motion picture musical in 1980, starring Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall and Ray Walston. While the film was panned when released, it has become a cult classic over the years.
Popeye’s image would be used to endorse everything from oatmeal to soft drinks. Fan clubs and websites were created, and he was selected to appear on a U.S. Postal Service stamp celebrating the 100th anniversary of comic strips.
To help celebrate Popeye’s auspicious 75th birthday in 2004, Hollywood created a computer generated imagery (CGI) television special, “Popeye’s Voyage: The Quest For Pappy,” effectively reintroducing everyone’s favorite sailor to new generations of young people.
Also that year, The Museum of Television and Radio in New York created an ambitious retrospective on Popeye. It included Olive Oyl, Poop Deck Pappy, Wimpy, Bluto, Swee’ Pea, Sea Hag and Popeye’s assorted nephews and pets.
Later that year the Empire State Building was lit in spinach green to celebrate Popeye’s 75th, and Weight Watchers put out a series of spinach recipes. There was even a ceremonial “official adoption” of the orphan sea waif Swee’ Pea during National Adoption Month (November).
At a time when most sailors would think about retirement, Popeye is still going strong. At last check he was syndicated in newspapers across the United States, Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, Venezuela, Bermuda. Mexico, Turkey, Malasia, India, the Maldives, Jamaica, Kenya, Dubai, Jamaica and the Philippines.
Abroad Popeye is known by children as Karl Alfred (Sweden), Skipper Skraek (Denmark) and Bracchio Di Ferro (Italy) which, translated means, “Iron Arm.”
Well, obviously we were unable to contact Popeye for a direct quote concerning his success and longevity, but we’re pretty sure we know what he would have said:
“I’m strong to the finich, ‘cause I eats me spinach, I’m Popeye the Sailor Man (toot toot).”
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*EDITOR’S NOTE: Just for fun, we asked a local clinical psychologist to analyze Popeye. Here is his diagnosis:
“Popeye suffers from an extreme nicotine dependence. He smokes all the time – waking, sleeping, eating, swimming.
“He clearly demonstrates a bad case of Intermittent Explosive Disorder with discrete episodes of failure to resist aggressive impulses that result in serious assaultive acts or destruction of property.
“He shows a penchant for solving his problems with aggressive behavior towards some, while desperately attempting to show an irritating degree of patience with others. The degree of aggressiveness expressed during one of these episodes is grossly out of proportion to any provocation or precipitating psychological stresses.
“In an effort to feel adequate, he seems to continually surround himself with others who have serious food issues, such as his girlfriend Olive Oyl – who displays classic symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa; and Wimpy – who could be a poster boy for Morbid Obesity.
“Interestingly, the subject tends to display a healthy degree of philanthropy, as can be exampled by the endless debt he carries from his pal Wimpy (88 years). And yet, who could turn down such an innocent solicitation? ‘I will gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today.’
“The ‘Popeye Point’ is a well known, unique and intriguing psychological event. For Popeye, as others, it comes when one simply cannot take any more stress in their lives – a tipping point, if you will.
“In Popeye’s case, it usually is accompanied with his famous phrase, ‘Dat’s all I can stands – I can’t stands no more!’
“For the rest of us, this is the instant when one decides to break out of an imprisoning life situation and assert our own interests. It could be a bad marriage, an abusive relationship, a lousy job, a bad business situation or an addiction to food, alcohol or drugs.
“The Popeye Point oftentimes is the defining point in someone’s life.”
-By Joe Ditler
The first Popeye animated short from 1933, co-starring Betty Boop.
