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Who Am I?
Celebrating a famous or infamous person born this month
New! - If you want, download this PDF slide presentation to go along with the discussion. Show it on
your widescreen TV. If this slideshow is useful and you would like to see more in the future, let us
know.
Print a "Who Am I?" sign. If this one is a little too obvious, use the generic sign. Add a "clue" in the
textbox, print, and post on your bulletin board. Post a different clue every day or so and see who can
guess the identity of the mystery person of the month. Then plan a "Who Am I?" discussion and
reminiscence activity. (See below for additional activity suggestions.)
Do you know who I am? Here are some clues:
1. I was originally created by a man who signed his name above a drawing of a cigar.
2. I first appeared as a character in a “theatre” whose name is an instrument used in sewing.
3. This “theatre” was first created for the New York Journal in 1919.
4. My character made his first appearance in 1929.
5. The first line I ever said was, “Ja think I’m a cowboy?”
6. People complained when my character left the “theatre,” so I made a comeback.
7. I became so popular that my name replaced that of the “theatre” in which I first appeared.
8. I have been portrayed in comic books.
9. My story was adapted to radio broadcasts from 1935 to 1938.
10. My character has also appeared in theatrical and televised animated cartoons.
11. The televised animations in which I starred in the 1960s are now on DVD.
12. I have my very own theme song.
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13. I am known for eating something else, but in radio broadcasts, I promoted a breakfast cereal.
14. I have a girlfriend whose name sounds like something used in a recipe.
15. Another character with whom I associate loves hamburgers.
16. I often contend with a big brute who wants my girlfriend.
17. I am known for using a pipe for many purposes other than smoking.
18. Children eat more vegetables after watching me.
19. A movie about me was made in 1980 starring Robin Williams.
20. A brand of spinach is named after me.
Do you know who I am? If you know, sing my theme song:
“I’m Popeye, the sailor man. I’m Popeye, the sailor man. I’m strong to the finich
‘cause I eats me spinach. I’m Popeye, the sailor man.”
Print a copy of the pictures to pass around as you share and discuss
the information in the article with your group.
The Cartoonist Behind the Cartoon
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In Chester, a small Illinois town near the Mississippi River, Elzie
Crisler Segar was born on December 8, 1894, and raised as the
son of a handyman. In addition to helping his father paint houses
and hang wallpaper, he played drums and provided music for
vaudeville acts and films at the local theater. He was given the job
of film projectionist and also did live performances at the Chester
Opera House. When he was 18 years old, Segar decided to study
cartooning and took a correspondence course.
Segar moved to Chicago, where another cartoonist introduced him
at the Chicago Herald. On March 12, 1916, Segar’s first comic
was published. Charlie Chaplin’s Comedy Capers ran for over a
year. In 1917, Barry the Boob was also created for the Chicago
paper. In 1918, Segar married and moved on to the Chicago
Evening American, where he created Looping the Loop. In 1919,
Segar created eight cartoons for the sports pages during that
year’s World Series.
Popeye Becomes Popular
The managing editor of the Evening American recognized Segar’s talent and sent him to King
Features Syndicate in New York. Segar created Thimble Theatre for the New York Journal. The
characters Olive Oyl, Castor Oyl, and Horace Hamgravy made their debut on December 19, 1919,
and were the main characters for almost ten years. In the January 1929 storyline, Castor Oyl needed
a seaman’s help to navigate his ship and so goes to the docks and asks a man there if he is a sailor.
Popeye’s first line was the response, “Ja think I’m a cowboy?” Popeye became the star of the strip.
Thimble Theatre was renamed Thimble Theatre Starring Popeye, and eventually became known as
Popeye.
Some of Segar’s early Popeye comics were signed with a cigar drawn below his name. He drew the
cigar because it represented a homophone of Segar’s last name. He developed leukemia and liver
disease and died October 13, 1938, at the age of 43. He was recognized for his talent of combining
humor with serial adventures. The Elzie Segar Award was created in 1971 by the National Cartoonists
Society. Before the award was discontinued in 1999, some of its honorees were Mort Walker, Al
Capp, and Charles Schulz.
Along with Segar’s assistant, Bud Sagendorf, several writers and artists kept the newspaper comic
series alive through 1994. In 1933, Popeye the Sailor cartoons were developed by Paramount
Pictures for short play before movies at the theater. These short cartoons were so popular that they
continued being produced through 1957.
Discussion Questions
•
Did you read Thimble Theatre in the comic pages?
•
Did you ever see the cartoonist’s cigar with his signature in the comics?
•
Do you think Olive Oyl is a funny name? Why or why not?
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Characters and Changes in Comics and Cartoons
Segar’s characters and storylines were different from other comics of his time. His stories were more
complex and had characters that never appeared in the animated cartoons. In Segar’s comic series,
Popeye’s use of spinach was rare, and the character Bluto appeared only once.
Popeye’s story changes, as do some of the characters associated with
him, depending on whether they appear in newspaper comics or
televised cartoons. In the comics, Swee’Pea is a foundling Popeye
finds in the mail and adopts as his ward. In cartoons, Swee’Pea is a
baby cousin of Olive Oyl. Also, in cartoons, Popeye has look-alike
nephews named Peepeye, Pupeye, Pipeye, and Poopeye who never
appeared in the comic strip.
Although the characters and situations may change regarding
Popeye’s adventures, one constant complication is an ongoing love
triangle with Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Bluto (or Brutus, as he becomes
known in later cartoon episodes). Popeye will do anything to please
Olive, and she is the only character who can thump on Popeye and get
away with it. Olive tends to be fickle and falls for Popeye’s nemesis;
yet, in the end, she always discovers that Popeye is the better person.
Popeye’s pipe is almost a character by itself. Popeye consumes spinach through the pipe; and it has
served him as a cutting torch, periscope, propeller, and a whistle through which he is able to sound
“toot-toot” while singing his theme song.
Another popular Popeye character was J. Wellington Wimpy. Segar originally created this soft-spoken
and cowardly character for Thimble Theatre. Wimpy made the transition to animation as a
hamburger-loving mooch, known for saying, “I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” An
international fast food restaurant borrowed this character’s name for their business, and their
hamburgers were featured as “Wimpy Burgers.”
In 1933, Sammy Lerner composed “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man” for the first Popeye the Sailor
cartoon. The song has been compared to one sung by the Pirate King in the Gilbert and Sullivan
operetta The Pirates of Penzance. A cover of Popeye’s theme song is performed by Face to Face on
the 1995 album entitled Saturday Morning: Cartoons’ Greatest Hits.
Discussion Questions
•
Do you prefer Swee’Pea to be Popeye’s ward or Olive Oyl’s cousin? Why?
•
Why do you think characters changed between newspaper comics and animated cartoons?
•
Have you ever known of a love triangle in real life?
•
Did you ever eat at a Wimpy’s Restaurant or eat one of their featured Wimpy Burgers? If so,
did you like it? Why or why not?
Popeye Sails on the Airwaves of Radio and Beyond
Popeye characters were adapted to several radio programs. Three different networks broadcast the
series from 1935 to 1938. For 15 minutes, three times each week, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto,
Swee’Pea, and Wimpy entertained the listeners of NBC Red Network with 87 episodes from
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September 10, 1935, to March 28, 1936. WABC listeners enjoyed 78 episodes from August 31, 1936,
to February 26, 1937. On the NBC and ABC broadcasts, instead of promoting spinach, Popeye
promoted a whole-wheat breakfast cereal called Wheatena. The words of his theme song were
changed to “Wheatena’s me diet/ I ax ya to try it/ I’m Popeye the Sailor Man.” The CBS broadcasts,
which aired three nights each week from May 2 through July 29, 1938, were sponsored by the
makers of Popsicles.
Popeye is considered the forerunner of the superheroes that became prevalent through comic books.
His popularity is marked by his appearance in television cartoons, arcade and video games,
advertisements, and other products and merchandise. In 1980, director Robert Altman made Popeye
a live-action film. Comedian Robin Williams, in his first movie role, was Popeye. In 2002, Popeye was
ranked by TV Guide as number 20 among the “50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time.” Popeye
has become a role model for healthy eating. In November 2010, a study indicated that children
consume more vegetables after watching Popeye cartoons. This is good news for the Allen Canning
Company, which produces canned varieties of “Popeye Spinach” with Popeye pictured on each can.
In November 2012, Sony Pictures announced plans for a 3-D computer-animated film about Popeye.
The release date for the film is September 26, 2014.
Discussion Questions
•
Was your radio tuned to any of the Popeye radio programs?
•
Did you ever eat Wheatena cereal?
•
Did you ever eat anything because it was being promoted by
someone you liked?
•
Did you like spinach when you were a child? Do you like it now?
Additional Activities
1. Rent the DVD and watch the movie Popeye.
2. If you love spinach, you might be interested in trying (or just reading
about) these delicious spinach appetizer recipes.
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