The pipe-smoking naval salty dog can indirectly thank newspaper-chain mogul William Randolph Hearst for his existence in his animated cartoon debut, July 1933 "Popeye the Sailor." Hearst asked comic strip artist E. C. Segar back in 1919 to draw up a new series for his New York Journal and King Features papers. Segar introduced 'Thimble Theatre,' with Olive Oyl as a tall, skinny flapper. Ten years later, he first drew a sailor called Popeye, and soon Olive and he became an item in Segar's comic strip.
Animated cartoon producer Max Fleischer purchased the film rights to Popeye and released into the theaters the first of 231 cartoons of the pipe-chomping man in "Popeye the Sailor." Fleischer insured Popeye's popularity by having it part of his Betty Boop Cartoon series, the studio's big star attraction. Betty has a cameo as a hula dancer in a carnival show. Bluto, Popeye's arch-nemesis who appeared only once in 'Thimble Theatres,' also made his screen debut in "Popeye the Sailor."
Spinach as a fortifying strength food took a more prominent role in the animated Popeye cartoons than in the comic strip. The sailor man eats the vegetable towards the end of almost every cartoon. Spinach sales gained over 30% in 1934 alone as Popeye became more popular. The animated Popeye cartoons adopted the comic strip's violence, a trait Hearst had asked Segar to tone down years earlier because the strip's main readers were children. The artist didn't, telling the publisher there was 'nothing funny about a sissy sailor."
Segar patterned Popeye's appearance after French boxer 'Rocky' Fiegel, and paid him a small fee for his caricature. Actor William Costello, known as 'Red Pepper Sam,' was the first voice of Popeye, who spoke in a raspy delivery. He did the first 24 Popeye shorts, ending in 1935 with 'You Gotta Be a Football Hero." Costello's strike for a raise had the Fleischers steaming when he took days off in the middle of recording sessions. He was eventually shown the exit door. The catchy "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" theme song was written spontaneously by Sammy Lerner in a couple of hours just to show studio co-owner Dave Fleischer how a tune could be used to complement the cartoon. Fleischer loved the song so much he paid Lerner to use it.
Animated cartoon producer Max Fleischer purchased the film rights to Popeye and released into the theaters the first of 231 cartoons of the pipe-chomping man in "Popeye the Sailor." Fleischer insured Popeye's popularity by having it part of his Betty Boop Cartoon series, the studio's big star attraction. Betty has a cameo as a hula dancer in a carnival show. Bluto, Popeye's arch-nemesis who appeared only once in 'Thimble Theatres,' also made his screen debut in "Popeye the Sailor."
Spinach as a fortifying strength food took a more prominent role in the animated Popeye cartoons than in the comic strip. The sailor man eats the vegetable towards the end of almost every cartoon. Spinach sales gained over 30% in 1934 alone as Popeye became more popular. The animated Popeye cartoons adopted the comic strip's violence, a trait Hearst had asked Segar to tone down years earlier because the strip's main readers were children. The artist didn't, telling the publisher there was 'nothing funny about a sissy sailor."
Segar patterned Popeye's appearance after French boxer 'Rocky' Fiegel, and paid him a small fee for his caricature. Actor William Costello, known as 'Red Pepper Sam,' was the first voice of Popeye, who spoke in a raspy delivery. He did the first 24 Popeye shorts, ending in 1935 with 'You Gotta Be a Football Hero." Costello's strike for a raise had the Fleischers steaming when he took days off in the middle of recording sessions. He was eventually shown the exit door. The catchy "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" theme song was written spontaneously by Sammy Lerner in a couple of hours just to show studio co-owner Dave Fleischer how a tune could be used to complement the cartoon. Fleischer loved the song so much he paid Lerner to use it.