# A Secret Polish History: The Polish Roots of Popeye



## Meanderer (Nov 18, 2020)

The Polish Roots of Popeye   (Link)

‘Oh, I’m Popeye the Sailor Man!’ Most people know Popeye as a tough, spinach-eating sailor, a cartoon character created by American cartoonist E. C. Segar. But did you know who the real-life inspiration behind the strong sailor was? Culture.pl explores the sailor man’s Polish roots!

The character of Popeye was created by Elzie Crisler Segar, an American cartoonist from the town of Chester, Illinois. In 1919, the draughtsman created a comic strip in New York’s Evening Journal, called Thimble Theatre. In 1929, Popeye made his debut as a new character in the strip.









Portrait of Frank ‘Rocky’ Fiegel, image: Dagmara Smolna

The 1979 article *Chester Man Accepted as Real-Life Popeye was a Brawler, Loved Kids *ran by the Southern Illinoisan newspaper mentions that some citizens of Chester considered Rocky ‘a bum.’ It goes on to explain how this came to be:
Fiegel, a bartender and general laborer around Chester, seldom had steady work and was often seen loafing around the town’s saloons. He lived with his mother until she died, then continued living in the house alone (…)

But it isn’t, of course, the lack of regular employment that’s said to have inspired E.C. Segar. Frank Fiegel was a local brawler, famous for his fist-fighting skills and this is where we really start seeing resemblance to the cartoon Popeye. In the article Rocky’s nephew, Clyde Feegie, recounts a story of his uncle visiting a saloon:

_"They had two big guys inside who said you had to buy drinks for the house or put on the gloves. They had a big bruiser waiting to fight, but he (Fiegel) put on the gloves and knocked their guy out".




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## Aunt Marg (Nov 18, 2020)

I still remember it like yesterday, my baby brothers Popeye lunchbox he had when he started kindergarten.

He was so proud of it.

I don't remember the exact picture on the front of his lunchbox, but I do remember the box was plastic and it was red.


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## Meanderer (Nov 18, 2020)




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## Aunt Marg (Nov 18, 2020)




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## Meanderer (Nov 18, 2020)

So....WHY spinach?   (LINK)




_"So when Popeye was created, studio executives recommended he eat spinach for his strength, due to its vaunted health properties. Apparently Popeye helped increase American consumption of spinach by a third! This error was eventually corrected in 1937, when someone rechecked the numbers"._


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## Meanderer (Nov 18, 2020)

Sailors Hornpipes The Voices of Popeye​"Popumentary" that covers all the voice artists that provided the voice for Popeye.


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## Meanderer (Nov 18, 2020)

Olive Oyl
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	








Olive was created by E. C. *Segar* and was said to have been inspired by real-life Chester, Illinois local *Dora Paskel*. Olive would make her debut in the first strip of Thimble Theatre, dated December 19, 1919 and she continued to be a main character for the 9 years that predated Popeye's introduction in January 1929.


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## Chet (Nov 18, 2020)

I liked Popeye, but not spinach. I yam what I yam.


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## DaveA (Nov 18, 2020)

Meanderer said:


> Olive was created by E. C. *Segar* and was said to have been inspired by real-life Chester, Illinois local *Dora Paskel*. Olive would make her debut in the first strip of Thimble Theatre, dated December 19, 1919 and she continued to be a main character for the 9 years that predated Popeye's introduction in January 1929.
> View attachment 134001


Oooo!! Olive oil - - - she was HOT!!


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## Meanderer (Nov 19, 2020)

GORSH!


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## Meanderer (Nov 19, 2020)

Chet said:


> I liked Popeye, but not spinach. I yam what I yam.







...CAUSE, I EAT MY SPINACH!


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## Damaged Goods (Nov 19, 2020)

Wonder why it didn't help his upper arms which look like pipe stems and his neck which is skinnier than a turkey's.

https://goodhealthall.com/10-major-side-effects-of-eating-too-much-spinach/


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