Get ready to sing along because today is Popeye Day! (Words will appear during the second stanza)
.
During my youth, the Mr. Cartoon Show at 4 in the afternoon on WSAZ provided my weekday cartoon fix … and Popeye the Sailor was the star of the show. Once I learned about Saturday being Popeye Day (actually celebrating his comic strip debut in 1929), I delayed the next Explore post because this is the perfect opportunity to revisit some classic characters through past posts.
Here’s the main cast of characters
Popeye
Olive Oyl
Bluto
Wimpy
Which did you visit?
I love Popeyes and Olive. Moschino ( the Italian designer label) often uses Olive and I have several scarves with her on them.
LikeLike
Debra,
Cheers to your love for the Popeye cast. … thanks for adding the great tidbit about Moschino use of Olive … which I had to search .. lots of fun!
LikeLike
Oh cool, you had previously done posts about each of the characters! Popeye was part of my childhood viewing too, the colour version! I adore spinach and so like many people, I’m sure spinach is one of the first things I think of when popeye is mentioned. I bet that guy did a lot for spinach sales. I learned something about Wimpy from your Wimpy page – I hadn’t realised that he had inspired the name for the Wimpy hamburger chain, I assumed it was the other way around, that he had been named Wimpy because of the hamburger chain! I hadn’t really thought about the timing of it all. Also, I hadn’t realised the Wimpy chain started in the UK, I thought all hamburger chains had come from the US. So you’re giving me a history lesson here too Frank. Now I want a hamburger with a side of spinach, and it’s not even 7.30am here!
LikeLike
Vanessa,
Stimulating your desire for a hamburger and spinach is quite the praise – thus I am grateful. Considering that this is the 69th classic cartoon post, the number of classic characters that I’m willing to cover is getting very small. So hey … feel free to look around. Any favorites I should identify for you?
LikeLike
I remember watching him as a child (I’m the last if the baby boomers), and I always found it entertaining. I visited Olive Oyl first, then curiously got the better of me, and I read all.
LikeLike
Catherine,
Glad to know that curiosity got the best of you. 🙂
LikeLike
I re-visited Olive Oyl! Such fun. (toot, toot).
LikeLike
Patti,
Hooray for your love for Olive Oyl!
LikeLike
Happy Popeye Day, Frank! Oddly this was one cartoon I enjoyed much more reading on paper rather than watching on tv, just like most of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories. They were my favorite time of the day! Have a great weekend! 🙂
LikeLike
Marina,
Ah ha … so you were a comic reader … still? I wasn’t an avid reader of them, they probably why I loved cartoons so much.
LikeLike
Morning aFa…I spent a delusional childhood believing…spinach was tasty because Popeye ate bunches by the fistfuls…forgetting my mother was the worst cook ever. Spinach was not eaten with relish then…but now is. Popeye rules!
LikeLike
Raye,
I never liked the way my mother fixed spinach, probably still wouldn’t … and she was a wonderful cook! … but I would remain open to its possibilities. Gotta love uncooked spinach!!! Meanwhile, Popeye was in the upper echelon in my cartoon world!
LikeLike
PS: This is a must see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1CaEVY2SQ0 .. enjoy.
LikeLike
If we are going to win the Tango Contest, aFa, we’d better practice not only our routine…but a spinach dish, too! Uncooked is good…grinning from really soaked Portland!
LikeLike
I knew you would appreciate the combination of spinach and dance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My brother and I used to love this show when we were itty bitty. We’d get up super early on Saturday morning and wait for cartoons to start. That was back when they only showed cartoons at that time. Thanks for taking me back there. 🙂
LikeLike
Carrie,
As we know, that’s the way it was back in the day … and (to me) the classic cartoons were the best! Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Atlanta had “The Popeye Show with Officer Don” when I was a kid – also at 4pm. I rarely missed it! Popeye and Olive Oil were my favorites, Frank.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cathy,
A big hooray goes up from Cincinnati for Office Don hosting that show!
LikeLike
How can you not love Popeye, but Olive has it in my book! Happy Popeye Day Frank ~ wishing you a lovely weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary,
The dynamic between Popeye, Olive, and Bluto is classic! … and I hope you visited Olive’s post!
LikeLike
Love Popeye and all the characters!
LikeLike
Val,
Popeye lovers are uniting today! 🙂
LikeLike
I am so pleased I had my Spinach today in my smoothie.. 🙂 love Popeye.. I think I was very sympathetic to Olive.. .. Enjoy your weekend Frank..
Sue
LikeLike
Sue,
Hooray for your love for Olive. Spinach in your smoothie doesn’t surprise me. Cheers. Is spinach in your garden during the growing season?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes Frank.. along with Kale, Cabbages Broccoli, and you name it… we try to grow it.. 🙂
LikeLike
You are the Queen of the Garden!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pop-eye, was my grand dad’s favorite ….. thanks for giving me a smile and tears.
Olive – we call her Oliva … is my kind of girl. I wish you a pleasant weekend.
LikeLike
Viveka,
Rekindling memories is a good thing, even if a few tears come along. How’s your winter going up there?
LikeLike
Nothing yet …. only rain and wind … we got some massive snowflakes the other morning with thunder. But they are telling us that next week the winter will arrive here in the south. *smile
LikeLike
Oh my … winter has yet to arrive? … so it’s been mild so far!
LikeLike
Two days after I left Istanbul they had snow and frost. When I was there was it full spring. The weather is all over the place those days. I hope you get your bit of winter too, but just enough. *smile
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hooray for a trip that warmed the body!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it was truly nice … to think about granddad – he died when I was 8 years old. Long time ago, but he was the most wonderful person I ever known. Thank you!
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Frank, I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!
LikeLike
Elyse,
Did you realize that Wimpy is an elegant poet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9JD6W1PU-s
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t recall Popeye being a favorite cartoon of mine. I watched because my dad was a Popeye fan, and we watched whatever Dad was watching. My younger brother was called Wimpy for quite a while, because he did a fantastic impersonation of Wimpy. Thanks for a good memory, Frank!
LikeLike
Maddie,
Now that’s a good memory … and many cheers to your dad passing along his love for Popeye in the form of a nickname.
LikeLike
Popeye looked like my uncle Doug, Olive oyl was a terrible role model for women as she vacillated between men in a pathetic dithery sort of way and was prone to histrionics, Bluto was a brutish bully who resorted to violence at any given time so that leaves me with Wimpy, who although he was a bit of a freeloader, knew the ins and outs of a good burger and just how to get one so thus, Wimpy is my hero in this celebration.
LikeLike
Narf,
Well now .. this is the first time I’ve ever heard of someone resembling Popeye – so cheers to your Uncle Doug, but did you like spinach? Meanwhile, the Popeye cast is quite the assortment and worthy of a psychological assessment. Because of your fondness for Wimpy, you may enjoy this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9JD6W1PU-s … 🙂
LikeLike
Stevie-boy just told me that they had Wimpies hamburger franchises in the U.K. and he used to buy burgers from Wimpies 🙂 Thankyou for that link Mr Frank, I love a good burger but mine are all plant based these days 😉
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
I visited your original Popeye and Wimpy posts, not having seen those before, Frank. I prefer the Popeye cartoons that were released theatrically in the 1930s-40s-50s more than the ones made for the TV series. The earlier shorts had better animation. Even though the plot-lines adhered to the same formula: Popeye gets into a jam that requires he eats spinach to have the strength to escape, there were episodes of other characters eating the spinach to save his neck (like the one you published on your original post featuring his father; a short dripping with all kinds of sub-text). Overall, I always found Popeye’s crazy antics entertaining.
LikeLike
Lame,
Good news is that the Popeye I grew up with were the theatrical shorts you appreciate. Complaints from parental groups brought an end to the Popeye that I knew … but at least he still mumbles in the new ones.
LikeLike
Olive Oyl is my favourite ‘dumb blonde’ brunette of all time. Good job she had Popeye to keep her out of trouble. 🙂
LikeLike
Sylvia,
Well said because Olive wasn’t the brightest bulb in the pack. … but still a classic character!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was thanks to Popeye (Sorry, Mom) that I always ate my spinach as a little boy.
LikeLike
Cayman,
That a way to be a good boy!
LikeLike
I guess today is tomorrow since your post was yesterday so it is no longer Popeye day (and he was never one of my favorites.) Today though is playoff day. GO SEAHAWKS!
LikeLike
LB,
Watching the Seahawks as I type this … pulling for them, but it’s not looking good. … and it’s OK that Popeye wasn’t one of your favorites.
LikeLike
Not looking good most of the way through – but they pulled it out in the end and the final score is what counts.
LikeLike
Asked my teenage daughter whether she had heard of Popeye and she said no. I suddenly felt so old 😦
LikeLike
Malcolm,
Sad but understandable because (in my opinion) the old Popeye cartoons disappeared from television … but hey … at least there’s YouTube!
LikeLike
I loved Popeye. In the Los Angeles market we had the talented Tom Hatten (broadway, television & film) host the Popeye Show. He would draw squiggles and caricatures while talking about the cartoons. He was like a bonus to the wonderful cartoons. The show was a favorite of mine. I re-visited Wimpy and Olive. Favorites!
LikeLike
Debra,
I’ve got the feeling that late afternoon local shows featuring Popeye cartoons may have been more of a mainstay across the land than we imagine! Cheers to your love for Popeye!
LikeLike
Awww … I missed Popeye Day. But, Happy Popeye Day anyway !!!
You brought the biggest smile to my hubby’s face. He was and is a big fan of Popeye. Yes, he sang along. He enjoyed the movie when it was made with Robin Williams too. I watched them once in a while. We didn’t get too many hours of T.V. time growing up. I like the old time cartoons. Fun but if you look at Popeye there is a bit of violence between him and Bluto and over a woman. A little adult subject going on there. LOL : )
LikeLike
Isadora,
Cheers to hubby’s joy of Popeye. (Pass that along!) 🙂
The old ones used violence in a way that is unacceptable today. I’m one who believes that parental objections closed the curtain on the old versions, thus ushering in a new Popeye that we old timers didn’t accept … thus Popeye wouldn’t achieve the popularity of his predecessor.
LikeLike
I used to know someone who really looked so much like Olive Oyl. So much that she was in a Popeye Movie (Shelley Duvall – that wasn’t her 1st
marriage name.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRUa_E1CugU
LikeLike
I visited them all! Thanks for sharing this link on my humble post/photo of Popeye! I remembered these that you listed but had forgotten about others that were mentioned in the posts. Fun memories for us older folks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jo,
Thanks for visiting these classic characters. After all, they are from the Golden Age of Cartoons … which we got to experience!
LikeLike