Meet Scary Popeye: From Spinach-Loving Sailor to Sinister Psychopath

It may have happened to you as a child. Your mother served you spinach – with all due respect, a food that most children I know don’t connect with – and urged you to try it. “Eat this; it’s healthy,” I remember my mother saying after another spinach pie somehow made its way to my plate, turning my face into green. “If you eat it, you’ll be as strong as Popeye.” Since I was a bright, normal kid, I remember trying to make it difficult for her. “But spinach doesn’t taste good and has some disadvantages. And besides, Popeye is a raging bully who smokes a pipe and has tattoos. Do you want me to be violent, start smoking, and go get a tattoo?” I said, pleased with myself for my wit, sure that my natural charisma would make me accept French fries with lots of ketchup instead of spinach. It didn’t work, and between us – spinach pie is not horrible.

Today, of course, things have changed. Although spinach is far from my favorite food, I know that adding it to pastries, pies, and salads can be successful. Over the years, I’ve learned to be suspicious, even about Popeye. I know the urban legend about the (alleged) miscalculation that linked Popeye to spinach. He’s based to some extent on a real person and has some scary sides.

The recent entry into the public domain resulted in some pretty mediocre Popeye horror movies that have recently hit the screens (in which the character steps into the shoes of a brutal murderer). Therefore, we decided to hand you a full review that will present the real story, the false myths, the cultural side, and even a few tourist points of interest. Here are some scary and funny facts about Popeye that you might not have known, including sides you probably never thought you’d see.

Who Created Popeye?

Popeye, or more precisely Popeye the Sailor Man, is one of the most famous comic book and cartoon characters. Unlike some of the animated characters we grew up with, some of whom have already starred in horror movies (Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and so on), Popeye is not the product of a “children’s character factory” like Walt Disney, the Brothers Grimm, and everything in between. The creator of Popeye is American cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar (or, in short, E. C. Segar), the artist behind the comic strip “Thimble Theatre,” and Popeye is his most famous creation.

When Was Popeye Created?

Popeye’s first appearance was in 1929 when E. C. Segar added him as a full-fledged character to the “Thimble Theatre” series, which was then in its tenth year. The series was published in about a dozen magazines and was not a huge hit, but it did gain a readership. Even before Popeye appeared in it, viewers got to know Olive Oyl, who had a relationship with a man named Ham Gravy and was the sister of Castor Oil, a character who appeared in the series for several years.

On January 17, 1929, we saw Popeye as a relatively minor supporting character for the first time. When Castor Oil and Ham Gravey sailed on some adventure, Popeye was the ship’s captain who brought them there. Popeye said goodbye to the heroes at the end of the mission, but his story had only just begun. Readers were enthusiastic about the character and indicated this with their feet, in letters, or by other means available. Seger listened and, a few weeks later, brought Popeye back to the cheers of readers.

His place in the plot became wider, and at the same time, the popularity of the comic book increased. Perhaps because of this, Olive’s departure from her partner and the beginning of her relationship with Popeye was great news for readers. In 1948, Seger changed the comic’s name and named it after his new hero.

The Main Characteristics Of Popeye

The character of Popeye took shape in the comics, but of course, his later representations on the small and big screen made him a well-known name in almost every household in the world.

So, what does Popeye look like? Well, Popeye stands out in several ways. He wears sailor’s clothes, with a sailor’s hat on his head. One of his eyes is closed at any moment, and you will find the famous yellow pipe in his mouth. Popeye uses his pipe for smoking, but also as a whistle, and makes his speech far from clear. At least when he does speak, he does not choose to make the chuckle that we identify with him.

Continuing to Popeye’s sturdy arms. Luckily, both of Popeye’s arms are about the same thickness, which means the reason for this isn’t what you think. Our Popeye probably hasn’t been to the gym, but his muscular arms and thick palms show he’s firm, as evidenced by the many figures who’ve punched him. Popeye has an anchor tattoo on his forearm to add to his intimidating appearance.

Meet The Real Popeye (Maybe): Who Was Popeye Based On?

Ask the residents of Chester, Illinois, the small town on the Mississippi River where Segar was born, and they’ll proudly point out that Segar based Popeye and other characters on real people from the city. They claim that the real Popeye was a man named Frank “Rocky” Fiegel. Like Popeye, he also had one eye, a penchant for smoking, and a fondness for fights, most of which he came out with the upper hand. In some stories, Fiegel, who may also have been a boxer by trade, would distribute sweets to children, including young Seger.

The inspiration for Olive Oyl was a tall, thin woman from Chester named Dora Pasckel, who, like the cartoon representation of Olive, wore a kerchief around her neck and worked in a shop.

William “Windy Bill” Schuchert is the inspiration for the character of J. Wellington Wimpy, a well-educated and intelligent man who speaks in high terms that Segar added to the comic in 1932. In reality, Schuchert ran the local cinema, where Segar worked, while studying illustration by correspondence. Schuchert was very fond of hamburgers (in the comic, he is notable for his fondness for hamburgers, which gave rise to, among other things, the phrase “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today”) and would send his employees to bring him the beloved dish.

To this day, Popeye is a source of pride for the residents of the small town of Chester. Although the people supposedly behind the Popeye characters passed away sometime in the 1940s and 1950s, and even though Segar himself left town in the early 1920s, their legacy is still alive and well. In town, you’ll find a small museum dedicated to Popeye and Segar’s world, a museum where spinach takes center stage.

The Weird History Of Popeye And Spinach

If we ask you what Popeye ate, most of you will probably know the answer is spinach. Many of you, like mothers worldwide, will also point out that spinach made Popeye so strong, and therefore, everyone should eat spinach, which is full of healthy nutrients and vitamins, blah blah blah. The truth is that the connection between Popeye and spinach is a little looser than you think, and in general – it is not certain that spinach is what can explain why Popeye’s arms are so strong (and no, it is not what you think. What is wrong with you, people?).

In 1931, two years after the character of Popeye first appeared in the world of comics, he was seen eating spinach, and we learn he did it to gain strength. Swee’Pea – the baby Popeye received in the mail (!) and adopted a few years later – also ate spinach to strengthen. Despite this, spinach’s appearances in comics were quite limited. The cartoons and movies that followed in the decades made spinach a much more central feature and the principal object connected to Popeye the Sailor Man.

The assumption that spinach is the source of Popeye’s immense physical strength is fundamentally wrong. Segar is said to choose spinach mainly because of its impressive amount of Vitamin A, while spinach contains relatively small amounts of iron, even though iron (and physical strength) has become most associated with the food. Although spinach has a relatively good amount of iron – about 3.2-2.7 mg of iron in every 100 grams of cooked spinach – this amount is far from astronomical. You will find more iron in animal foods such as liver, boiled beef and meat, halva, black seeds, white seeds, and more. In addition, spinach contains oxalic acid, which interferes with the absorption of iron in spinach into the body.

According to Urban Legends, the connection between spinach and iron is due to a printing error in the study, when someone printed the decimal point incorrectly. This mistake caused the amount of iron attributed to spinach to increase: 3.5 mg of iron in 100 grams of spinach, and not 35 mg as in reality. The real reason may be that the method of measuring iron in the past was different than it is today, and the difference in iron amounts may relate to a difference in the measurement method, which has become irrelevant over time.

Segar Dies, But Popeye Lives On

Elsie Segar died of leukemia at only 43, but Popeye continued appearing in comic books. In 1938, Tom Sims replaced Segar as writer, and Doc Winner was responsible for the illustrations. After that, the duo Ralph Stein (writer) and Bella Zaboly (illustrator) took over the task. From 1959, Bud Sagendorf – Segar’s loyal assistant – took over the reins of writing and illustration. He did this for several decades, and later, Bobby London and Hy Eisman began to sign up for the work. From 2022, R. K. Milholland writes Popete at the Sunday strip.

What is even more important to mention is that Popeye had already broken the boundaries of comics long ago. Popeye the Sailor cartoons were produced as early as 1932, with about 230 cartoons produced for theaters over about 25 years (until 1952). Fleischer Studios initially created it in the distribution of Paramount Pictures, which, in the 1940s, also took over Fleischer Studios and changed its name to Famous Studios.

Most videos were in black and white and lasted about 6-10 minutes. Still, there were also special videos produced in color, which were longer (about 20 minutes) and included Popeye’s meeting with characters you probably know, such as Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and even Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.

The videos expanded the story of Popeye, not only around the more central spinach-eating but also in the supporting characters. The clips introduced Bluto as Popeye’s sworn enemy and introduced the theme song (“I’m Popeye the Sailor Man”), which became one of the symbols of the series. Popeye’s theme song appeared as the opening theme, in a faster version that expresses the power he received thanks to the spinach, and as the ending theme, in which Popeye sometimes changed the words to describe what happened in that episode. The videos had another pleasant folk tune, “The Sailor’s Hornpipe,” which sailors adopted earlier in the 19th century. It was incorporated into the opening of some of the cartoons, sometimes alongside the theme song.

The cartoons made Popeye a beloved and recognizable character all over the world. At the same time, various elements of the series changed (for example, the opening), such as the appearance of Popeye himself. If at first Popeye and his enemy Bluto stood out in their civilian uniforms, in shades of blue, red, and black, in 1941, they began to wear the white uniforms of the United States Navy as part of American patriotism during World War II.

Popeye Reaches Different Areas

Notice that in all these representations, Popeye fights much more than Brutus, Bluto, or whoever it may be. Suppose you examine the list of his opponents throughout history. In that case, you can also find interesting names such as bandits, ghost pirates, Martians, Billy the Kid, a wild elephant, the Greedy Giant, termites, the Imperial Japanese Army, and even members of the Nazi Party, including Adolf Hitler. Incidentally, we believe the classic computer game “Donkey Kong” was initially supposed to feature Popeye, but it never happened due to copyright issues.

Because of this, Popeye has a clear association with a power that goes far beyond the boundaries of comic books or the screen. All you have to do is add the word “Popeye” to something to create a mythology around it and make it powerful, with some of the most notable examples from recent years being:

• Popeye Missile is a surface-to-air missile that Rafael Advanced Combat Systems in Israel developed. The missile entered service in 1985, and its various versions are still in service with the Israeli Air Force and other armies worldwide.
• Operation Popeye – The operation, also known as “Project Controlled Weather Popeye,” was carried out by the US Air Force during the Vietnam War (1967-1972). The project is based on cloud seeding to extend the monsoon season. The assumption is that the consequences of this extension, such as flooding of river channels and landslides, will make it challenging to supply vehicles and local fighting forces.
• Athletes, not too well known, who were nicknamed “Popeye.” It’s probably because they were intense or violent on the field.

Popeye Movies Come Strong

In the 1950s, the Popeye cartoons came to television and were a success there. The popularity of Popeye gave rise to television series, and in the 1960s, new cartoons were also made for television. The animators simplified the characters’ illustrations to reduce production costs and shorten production times. For some reason, the company that produced the cartoons (King Features Syndicate) thought Bluto was a product of Fleischer’s copyrighted works and created a new character who resembles him in appearance and behavior. The antagonist got the name “Brutus” and replaced Bluto as Popeye’s sworn enemy.

Later, we also saw a television series called “Popeye and Son” (1987), the third in the series and the last to date to be produced based on the comic book story of the famous sailor. The series takes place after Popeye and Olive get married and deal with their relationship with their son Popeye Jr., who lives at a luxury resort next door to Bluto, his wife, and the boy Tank. The series focused on the rivalries between the families, various adventures, and spinach that can make people strong.

Here are the main Popeye movies:

Popeye (1980)

In 1980, Popeye first came to the big screen. The film “Popeye” was directed by Robert Altman (“M*A*S*H,” “Short Cuts,” “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” “The Player”) and he brought the original story. The sailor Popeye was played here by none other than the brilliant Robin Williams, who also sang the theme tune. Shelley Duvall (whose journey of hardships in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece “The Shining” we have already written extensively about) played Olive, Paul L. Smith played Bluto, and Paul Dooley played Wimpy.

The plot of “Popeye” is the main idea of ​​the series, with Popeye sailing to the town where he meets the other characters (including Olive, who will become his wife). Popeye uses the power of spinach to protect the city from the evil deeds of Captain Bluto and even manages to find his lost father. The film received very mixed reviews and was generally considered a failure.

Popeye’s Voyage: The Quest for Pappy (2004)

In 2004, we saw an animated film called “Popeye’s Voyage: The Quest for Pappy,” produced by Lionsgate to mark the 75th anniversary of the world-famous sailor. The film, about 47 minutes long, did not manage to leave a mark, was distributed quite limitedly, and received reasonable reviews.

The plot here takes place later, when Popeye (voiced by Billy West) sets out with his family on a search mission for his father, with the path there passing, among other things, by the Sea Witch (voiced by the legendary Kathy Bates).

The Sailor Becomes Slayer: Scary Popeye Movies Come Alive

If you’re a horror fan, you’ve probably heard of some of the latest versions of horror movies based on children’s fairy tales. The principle is that once they enter the public domain due to copyright and intellectual property laws, some of these stories are turned into horror movies, mainly to take advantage of the buzz and make “easy” money. We’ve seen or at least will see horror versions of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Bambi, Peter Pan… and Popeye the Sailor, who entered the public domain in early 2025.

So, how many Popeye horror movies are there? As of now, we’ve heard of three Popeye horror films. The movies are essentially very cheap to produce, very problematic in their quality (and that’s a subtlety), and don’t include any familiar names behind the camera or in the cast. However, since we’re a horror site that loves these stories that become silly movies, here are a few lines about scary Popeye movie.

Popeye’s Revenge (2025)

“Popeye’s Revenge” is a British slasher film directed by William Stead (“Children of the Night,” “All the Young Dudes.” That is, films you have not heard of). The film is a production of ITN Studios, which is behind the Twisted Childhood Universe (or “Poohniverse”) of Winnie the Pooh, Pinocchio, Bambi, and others. However, “Popeye’s Revenge” is not part of this cinematic universe.

The plot of “Popeye’s Revenge” centers on a boy born with powerful, even inhuman, arms. Due to his unusual appearance and the fact that he usually comes to school dressed as a sailor, he becomes a victim of school bullies. One day, things get out of hand, literally. The young boy strangles one of the bullies to death and gets the nickname “Popeye.” The problem is that the angry mob burns down young Popeye’s house and causes the death of his parents. The boy tries to escape, and according to the stories, he drowns in a nearby lake (and yes, the reference to the “Friday the 13th” movies is probably not coincidental). Anyway, this is the frame story if we correctly understand the rather childish drawings, combined with narration, that open the film.

Fifteen years later, friends arrive to renovate Popeye’s old house in the area. According to the well-known slasher narrative and the fact that the film appears on our website, you probably already understood that they will encounter the adult Popeye (Steven Murphy), who will start killing them one by one, using the original sailor’s tools and other killing accessories.

Here is the trailer of “Popeye’s Revenge”:

“Popeye’s Revenge” is, without a doubt, a film you should not take seriously. You know, a combination of a sexy, silicone-laden cast, bad acting by most of the characters, a rather sloppy representation of the villain, various and sometimes bizarre murders, and more. Expectations should be very low – the film currently has a 3.6 out of 10 on IMDB – but still, you can expect something somewhat fun with a lot of blood and gore. Maybe even a film that surpasses some of the horrors we mentioned earlier (say, the first Winnie the Pooh horror film).

Popeye the Slayer Man (2025)

“Popeye the Slayer” is another film that tries to ride on the hype of Popeye and the fact that horror creators can now murder the legacy of this character. The film, by director, producer, and B-movie actor Robert Michael Ryan, takes place in an abandoned spinach canning factory, believe it or not. This time, a group of friends who probably haven’t read our reviews of scary abandoned places decide to sneak into the factory to investigate the legend of “the sailor,” who, according to the stories, haunts the place. And guess what? They discover that there is something true in these stories, being murdered one after the other and so on.

“Popeye the Slayer Man” is low-budget, and it’s hard to see whether it surpasses “Popeye’s Revenge” or if you will find it enjoyable. The representation of Popeye’s character here seems more similar to the original (the slightly distorted look of the face and disproportionate arms), also because the actor who plays him (Jason Robert Stephens) is sturdy and quite scary. There’s enough fake blood and cut-off organs to please those who like their slashers low-budget, so the result can be enjoyable if you’re less looking for a logical plot or convincing acting, as you can tell from the trailer.

Shiver Me Timbers (2025)

The third and final (at least for now) Popeye horror movie is “Shiver Me Timbers,” which even manages to introduce Olive and Castor Oyl into its plot. Well, that’s not a surprise because the plot here also involves a meteor that enters a pipe and causes some old fishermen to change shape and become deadly.

The film takes place in 1986 when a group of friends, including Olive Oyl and her brother Castor, go camping in Northern California to see a meteor shower. The problem is that a small fragment of the meteorite falls into the pipe of an elderly local fisherman sailing nearby, turning him into a mighty and murderous killing machine. He is a man who will not hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way, as you can expect from a scary Popeye character.

The film combines a lot of blood and a bit of humor, all in an 80s atmosphere. Believe it or not – it manages to be, at least as of this writing, with a score higher than 4.0 on IMDB! If you’re looking for another movie about a scary Popeye who kills mostly sexy and stupid young people in strange ways, this could be a reasonable option.

Popeye As A Tourist Attraction

Popeye’s Journey

If you like theme parks, and even if you don’t, you’ve probably heard of the Universal Studios Orlando resort, home to Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The park is divided into six islands, including the “Cartoon Lagoon,” where you’ll find Popeye in several forms.

The Popeye and Bluto rafting facility will take you on a water ride around Popeye’s sea world, with waterfalls, water spouts, caves, characters from the story, and so on. The island also has Olive’s Ship, a children’s play facility. Interestingly, the initial plan was for Popeye’s Island to be a separate area, divided into the “Sweethaven” village where the story takes place and the docks, but in the end, we only got a few facilities.

Popeye’s Village In Malta

If you’re looking for a more pastoral and closer place, you’ll be happy to hear about Popeye’s Village, located on the charming island of Malta. If we go back to Robert Altman’s film “Popeye,” it was filmed in the village of “Sweethaven” which was built for production for about seven months.

The village consisted of about 20 colorful houses, and today, it is considered a very popular tourist site in Malta. You can visit the houses of the main characters and other important buildings in the town (such as the bakery or the school), dress up as your favorite characters, take part in a filming activity of “scenes” from the film with other participants (including co-filming and editing the movie), visit a small comic book museum, sail around the village, let the kids run wild in a park with a pool with small water slides, water inflatables, and a gymboree. Of course, you will also find a souvenir shop here with a significant representation of spinach, real or not.

Popeye Museum In Chester, Illinois

Remember Chester, where Popeye was born and where Segar drew inspiration? The town, as mentioned, is very proud of Popeye’s legacy. You can see evidence of this in what is known as the “Popeye Museum.” However, the more accurate name is “Spinach Can Collectibles,” a combination of a museum and a souvenir shop dedicated to Popeye.

Popeye Museum is located in a former opera house (where Segar worked in his youth), which was built in 1875 before it became a movie theater. It includes more than 2,000 memorabilia and collectibles related to the iconic character: toys, dolls, shirts, posters, collectibles, and, of course, spinach cans. There is a colorful souvenir shop on site and, occasionally, events dedicated to the world of Popeye.

The bottom line is that Popeye is here to stay. Almost 100 years after he first appeared in our lives, his character is finally coming to the world of horror. If a few more scary movies come out of this with a firm hand, maybe better than the ones we have already seen, who can resist?

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