We are celebrating Popeye Day on January 17. Popeye made his debut appearance in a comic strip called “Thimble Theatre.” Elzie Crisler (E.C.) Segar created it on January 17, 1929. The comic was originally centered around Olive Oyl, but the popularity of Popeye changed that. By 1933, Popeye had his own cartoon series. “I Yam What I Yam” is the first cartoon with Popeye as the main character. Fleischer Studios released the cartoon between 1933 and 1942. Even after a century, Popeye remains one of the most popular comics ever produced.
History of Popeye Day
Elzie Crisler (E.C.) Segar — a cartoonist and writer from Illinois — created the Popeye masterpiece in 1919. However, Popeye was not part of the initial story. It took 10 years for the first appearance of Popeye. Seger published “Popeye in the Thimble Theatre.” The story initially revolved around the misadventures of Olive Oyl and her boyfriend, Harold Ham Gravy. The strong appeal of Popeye attracted the attention of readers and influenced the writer to shift the story into a Popeye-centric one. Olive became the love interest of Popeye.
The popularity of the comic increased steadily. Popeye made his silver screen debut on July 14, 1933. In the same year, Popeye also had his own cartoon. The journey of Popeye continued into radio, comic book series, magazines, and cartoon series in the 1960s. They introduced new characters and adventures in between these incidents. Bluto and Jeep brought a new flavor to the story.
An interesting detail about Popeye is his use of spinach. The story created a massive demand for spinach in the U.S. The creator of Popeye died 9 years after making his creation. The iconic character still dominates the cartoon industry thanks to the brilliant portrayal of the character and the depth of the story. Popeye is one of the most successful franchises to ever exist.
Popeye Day timeline
Elzie Crisler (E.C.)Segar, the creator of Popeye, is born.
Seagar launches “Thimble Theatre.”
“Thimble Theatre” launches its first Sunday episode with a wider cast.
The relationship between Olive and Popeye starts shifting to a romantic one.
Popeye adopts Swee'Pea.
Popeye Day FAQs
Why was Popeye banned?
Popeye has been certified with an age rating of 18 because he smokes a pipe.
Did Popeye only have one eye?
Yes, Popeye was a one-eyed, deformed-looking sailor with a speech impediment.
How many Popeye shows are there?
220 episodes were made for television in two years.
Popeye Day Activities
Watch and binge-watch
Spend your day watching the episodes of Popeye. You can also use this day to watch the live-action movie if you have not already seen it.
Read the comics
You can start by reading the most popular and successful comics of all time. You can purchase the books online. A deep search in Google can help you get a few free ebooks too.
Change your profile picture
There are filters available to make your pictures look like Popeye’s. Change your display picture to match Popeye’s look.
5 Important Facts About Popeye
The whiffle hen
Popeye gained power by rubbing the head of a rare whiffle hen.
Spinach sales
Popeye single-handedly boosted the sales of spinach in the U.S.
The Popeye deformity
A painful ball on the upper arm due to tendons in the biceps tearing is called the Popeye Deformity.
Public sculpture
Popeye is the first cartoon character to have a public sculpture.
Games and Popeye
Nintendo launched the Popeye arcade game.
Why We Love Popeye Day
It’s a day to celebrate our favorite sailor
We all grew up watching the tales of Popeye the Sailor Man. This amazing sailor deserves a day for all the long hours of entertainment he gave us.
We take a stroll through nostalgic memories
We still remember the theme song and we still sing it when someone starts to sing. Deep inside, we all have a nostalgic memory of Popeye the sailor man. Today, let us dedicate ourselves to the cartoon that we watched growing up.
It’s a day to revisit the classics
We might have forgotten about these fun and thrilling cartoons that we used to love. Use this day to rewatch and catch up.
Popeye Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | January 17 | Friday |
| 2026 | January 17 | Saturday |
| 2027 | January 17 | Sunday |
| 2028 | January 17 | Monday |
| 2029 | January 17 | Wednesday |
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