Popeye Was Featured As The Google Doodle In 2009 To Honor Creator E.C. Segar’s Birthday

January 17 marks the 96th Birthday of the world’s most famous spinach-loving, nautical hero — it’s Popeye the Sailor Man!

Today, we are taking epic strides to honor this legendary sailor who is tough and fit with tons of grit, as one of America’s most renowned, pop-culture icons. After all, he yam what he yam!

• 1894 – Elzie Crisler (E.C.)Segar, the creator of Popeye, is born.
• 1919 – Seagar launches “Thimble Theatre.”
• 1925 – “Thimble Theatre” launches its first Sunday episode.
• 1929 – Popeye was created by Elzie Crisler (E.C) Segar and made his first appearance in the comic strip “Thimble Theatre” on January 17, 1929. Created as a minor character, Popeye quickly became a superstar.
  • Popeye is 10 years younger than Olive Oyl! He walked onto her strip, “Thimble Theatre,” as a bit character in 1929.
• 1933 – Popeye made his silver screen debut on July 14, 1933, appearing in the Betty Boop cartoon entitled “Popeye the Sailor.” The cartoon was produced by Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
• 1933 – Popeye adopts Swee’Pea.
• 1933 – The song “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man” was released in 1933. Composed by Sammy Lerner, the song gave birth to one of Popeye’s most famous catchphrases “I’m strong to da finich ‘cause I eats me spinach.”
• 1937 – Popeye is recognized for his influence on America’s spinach consumption, so much so that Crystal City, TX, the Spinach Capital of the World, erected a statue in his honor in 1937.
• 1938 – By 1938, the comic changed its name to “Popeye,” creating one of the most iconic cultural comic strips of all time.
• 1957 – Popeye’s balloon first appeared in the Macy’s Day parade. Interestingly, Olive Oyl became the first female balloon to join the parade in the early 1980’s.
• 1976 – In the Summer of 1976, Tokyo-based Magazine House launches the “Popeye” magazine. The magazine was the first fashion and lifestyle magazine to be published in Japan that targets young, Japanese men. The magazine is named “Popeye” because the creator’s son was a fan.
• 1978 – Popeye was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognizing his enduring popularity and cultural significance.
• 1980 – The Popeye Village in Malta was developed for the 1980 Popeye movie starring Robin Williams. The village still exists today and has grown into a major tourist attraction in the Maltese Islands.
• 2009 – Popeye was featured as the Google Doodle in 2009 to honor creator E.C. Segar’s birthday.
• 2024 – Good Housekeeping’s Nutrition Lab awarded Popeye the “Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved Emblem” in their January/February 2024 issue to celebrate his decades-long commitment to healthy eating, and fitness as well as his efforts in ocean conservation. Popeye is the first “person” to receive this honor.
• Popeye has appeared in 1000s of comic strips, over 600 cartoon episodes, and over 100 books since his creation.
• Today Popeye still has over 9.6 million followers on social media!
• Before spinach became the source of Popeye’s super strength, his power came from rubbing the head of a magical Whiffle Hen named Bernice!
• Olive Oyl, with her tall and lanky physique, is Popeye’s love interest. She often finds herself caught in the middle of Popeye’s adventures.
• Bluto, a burly and antagonistic character, continually challenges Popeye for the affections of Olive Oyl. Their rivalry often results in entertaining and action-packed clashes.
• Wimpy, a friend of Popeye’s, is famous for his insatiable appetite for hamburgers. His catchphrase, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today,” has become ingrained in popular culture.
• Popeye has inspired many iconic pop artists over the years, including Andy Warhol (1961), Roy Lichtenstein (1961) and Jeff Koons (2002).
• Chester, IL, the birthplace of Popeye creator, E.C. Segar, honors hometown hero the Popeye & Friends Character Trail. Every year, granite statues representing the wide cast of characters from Segar’s Thimble Theatre cartoon strips are added to the trail throughout the city.
• Why was Popeye banned? Popeye has been certified with an age rating of 18 because he smokes a pipe.
• How many Popeye TV shows are there? 220 episodes were made for television in two years.
• Popeye is the first cartoon character to have a public sculpture.
• Donkey Kong and its iconic character Mario almost never happened because of Popeye. When developing the game, Nintendo intended for it to be based on the Popeye comic strip (via Official Nintendo Magazine). The developers were unable to get the license for the comic strip property, so they decided to make up their characters for the game instead, culminating in the Nintendo icons everyone knows and loves today.

Sources: 

National Day Calendar

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