Popeye

Baby Kermit yam what he yam in "The Great Muppet Cartoon Show"

Elmo as Popeye.

Popeye is a King Features Syndicate comic strip and cartoon character, a salty sailor known for his abnormally large arms, prodigious strength, and inexplicable adoration of the skinny, often shrewish Olive Oyl. Created by Elzie Segar, Popeye debuted in Segar's strip Thimble Theater as a supporting character in 1929, but soon took over the strip.

In 1932, Popeye made the transition to animation in a long-running series of Paramount cartoons, initially produced by Max Fleischer, which introduced spinach as the source of the sailor's strength and emphasized the romantic rivalry between the sailor and the burly bearded Bluto. Popeye went on to star on radio, in Robert Altman's 1980 film, and in several TV series and specials.

References

• In 1957, Sam and Friends utilized a recording of "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" by Spike Jones and His City Slickers, with Ginny Tyler as Olive Oyl.

• In the second season Muppet Babies episode "The Great Muppet Cartoon Show," the song "We Love Cartoons" features Baby Kermit as Popeye and Baby Skeeter as Olive Oyl.

• In the sixth season Muppet Babies episode "Comic Capers," Baby Fozzie manipulates Baby Scooter in a computer drawing program, at one point turning him into Popeye.

• A street insert involving Luis reading about the nautical adventures of pirate Captain Swashbuckle concludes with a musical button: the end of the theme song "Popeye the Sailor Man," with the addition of horse whinnies and a car horn. (First: Episode 2173)

• In Sesame Street Episode 3096, Telly Monster breaks his arm, which swells up. Elmo is amazed: "Wow, Telly has an arm like Popeye!"

• In a Twitter post dated March 8th, 2012, Elmo appeared as Popeye in a poster (illustrated by Diana Leto) promoting Elmo’s Learning Adventures Triple Feature DVD.

• Appearing in a video interview for the British magazine OK!, Pepe is asked what one of his favorite franchises is: "Popeye. We love Popeye. Is that a franchise?"

Baby Scooter as Popeye in "Comic Capers."

Muppet Mentions

• Though the Popeye dailies have been in reruns for years, the strip still features new Sundays, drawn by Hy Eisman. One strip referenced a classic Ernie and Bert skit, with Wimpy and Popeye.

Popeye, August 15, 2010

Connections

• Michael Christensen played Splatz the janitor in the 1980 film
• Paul Dooley played Wimpy in the 1980 film.
• Shelley Duvall played Olive Oyl in the 1980 film.
• Sandy Fox voiced Olive Oyl in various Universal Studios attractions and parades.
• Dennis Franz played Spike in the 1980 film.
• Bill Irwin played Ham Gravy in the 1980 film.
• Maurice LaMarche voiced Popeye and Poopdeck Pappy on Popeye and Son (1987)
• Richard Libertini played Geezil in the 1980 film.
• Van Dyke Parks played Hoagy the piano player in the 1980 film.
• Robin Williams played Popeye in the 1980 film.