On January 17, 1929, the sailor character Popeye made his first appearance in the comic strip Thimble Theater. He quickly became the star of the comic, which was eventually renamed for him, and went on to animated cartoons, comic books, and eventually a live-action feature film. To celebrate this anniversary, enjoy a list of trivia about Popeye the Sailor Man. Here's sample:
5. When Olive Oyl, Harold Hamgravy, and Castor Oyl needed to get to Dice Island in the January 17, 1929, edition of Thimble Theatre, they decided to recruit a sailor to help get them to the shady casino island. Castor approached a rough-looking character on the docks, and asked if he was a sailor. That character's response would end up being Popeye's famous first line: “D'ja think I'm a cowboy?”
9. While spinach is generally regarded as the source of Popeye's strength, a series of mini-comics published in the late '80s by Quaker Oatmeal featured Popeye powering up to fight villains by eating one of the company's four flavors of instant oatmeal. The marketing campaign ran into trouble, however, when Popeye's altered catchphrase, “I'm Popeye the Quaker Man!” offended members of the Quakers religious group. The group is a strong advocate for pacifism, and Popeye's two-fisted adventures prompted complaints from Quakers, and resulted in the line being removed from the comics.