Popeye, a pugnacious, wisecracking cartoon sailor who possesses superhuman strength after ingesting an always-handy can of spinach. Popeye was created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who in 1929 introduced the character into his existing newspaper cartoon strip, Thimble Theatre.
From 1933 to 1942 brothers Max and Dave Fleischer produced numerous cartoon short subjects in which an animated Popeye was voiced by Jack Mercer and other actors.
Popeye is a scrappy little seaman with bulging forearms, a squinty eye, and a screwed-up face, punctuated with an ever-present pipe in his mouth. He is always ready for a fight instead of a reasonable discussion, has a gravelly voice, and is constantly mumbling under his breath. His credo is “I yam what I yam, and that’s all what I yam.” His girlfriend is the gangly, uncoordinated Olive Oyl, for whose attention Popeye vies constantly with Bluto, his bearded, hulking rival. Other recurring characters include J. Wellington Wimpy, a hamburger-loving coward; Swee’pea, Popeye’s adopted baby (whom he calls his “infink”); and Poopdeck Pappy, Popeye’s anarchic father.
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