Popeye Day 2024

On 17th January every year, Popeye Day is celebrated worldwide in honour of the beloved fictional character, Popeye the Sailor Man. Created by E.C. Segar in 1929, Popeye started as a side character in the Thimble Theatre Comic Strip. This comic strip centred around another beloved cartoon character called Olive Oyl. However, Popeye became a fan-favourite character and was given his own comic strip within the next few years. In 1933, a short movie named I Yam Who I Yam was released with Popeye as the main character. The journey of Popeye continued into radio, comic book series, magazines, and cartoon series.

E.C. Segar was inspired to create Popeye after meeting a fisherman named Frank ‘Rocky’ Fiegel in his hometown. Popeye was portrayed as a headstrong sailor with bulging biceps and a pipe in his mouth at all times. One of his famous traits was gaining super strength by eating spinach, which encouraged young kids watching the show to eat their vegetables. This increased the demand for spinach in the United States of America (USA). 

Popeye’s adventures included sailing the seas with his friends Olive Oyl, Sweet Pea, and Wimpy and dealing with his arch-enemy Brutus. In 2024, we are celebrating the 95th anniversary of Popeye’s first appearance, recognizing the lasting impact he and his companions have had on popular culture for almost a century.