With a mighty gulp of spinach, he may overcome any daunting process at hand. In any case, this was Popeye The Sailor Man.
The squinting underdog would puff on his corncob pipe, flex his mighty muscular forearms with two anchor tattoos and use his superhuman power for good.
Generally he would possibly mutter some phrases in his mangled English language reminiscent of, “That’s all I can stands, cos I can’t stands no extra” or “I yam what I yam an’ tha’s all I yam” and, in fact, “The place’s tha entrance to tha exit?”
When the American Queen stopped in Chester, Illinois, I used to be trying ahead to visiting the “House of Popeye.” Utilizing the cruise line’s hop-on hop-off river coach, we headed to the Chester Welcome Heart with its large statue of Popeye. Then to Spinach Can Collectibles and Museum with its mass of cartoon collectibles.
8 Evening – Memphis to St. Louis – American Queen
So why all of the Popeye paraphernalia on this metropolis that sits atop the bluffs overlooking the mighty Mississippi River? Easy. Elzie Crisler Segar, the person who created Popeye and his cohorts for his Thimble Theatre cartoon strip, was born in Chester on Dec. 8, 1894. Recognized by the pen identify E.C. Segar, the cartoonist modeled his cartoon characters after Chester townspeople.
At age 18, Elzie determined to develop into a cartoonist. He took a correspondence course in cartooning and in his early profession he lined the 1919 World Collection and created eight cartoons from the sport for a newspaper sports activities web page.
Delivery of Popeye
After different cartoon work, it was the delivery of Popeye that grew to become Elzie’s most well-known creation. On Jan. 17, 1929, when Castor Oyl wanted a mariner to navigate his ship, Elzie had Castor choose up a weather-beaten underdog sailor named Popeye within the docks.
The spinach connection was stated to be a part of Popeye’s persona as a result of Elzie had eaten spinach routinely as a toddler. Elzie suffered from leukemia and his dad and mom had been satisfied that spinach would possibly assist be a treatment.
Upon being requested if he was a sailor, Popeye’s first line within the Sunday newspaper cartoon, “Ja assume I’m a cowboy?” Initially supposed as a short-time character, Popeye grew to become the star when massive numbers of newspaper readers needed to see extra of the quirky sailor.
Elzie continued to supply Popeye and his sidekicks – Olive Oyl, Wimpy, Bluto, Ham Gravy, Swee Pea, Jeep, Sea Hag, Wiffle Hen, Alice the Goon, Poopdeck Pappy – whose exploits had been printed in 500 newspapers globally. After a protracted sickness, Elzie died of leukemia and liver illness on Oct. 13, 1938, at age 43.
Finish of my cruise
Following Elzie’s dying, the Popeye comedian was taken on by a number of totally different cartoonists. Popeye additionally was featured in cartoons, video video games, commercials and the 1980 live-action movie starring Robin Williams as Popeye.
Right now, Chester has 19 Popeye statues, plus billboards and indicators with the comedian’s likeness on the Popeye and Pals Character Path. Even the Chester Police Division and Hearth Division have proudly worn Popeye’s picture.
This was my final cease on my American Queen cruise. After disembarking, many passengers loaded right into a cruise line river coach to the St. Louis Lambert Worldwide Airport the place I had a rental automotive ready to drive residence. Fairly a cruise.
The American Queen, crew and shore excursions had been all fantastic and a cruise I might suggest. In any case, it was an American Queen cruise that took me to Popeye’s hometown and because the sailor himself would possibly say about cruising, “I ain’t no tailor however I do know what fits me.”
Photographs by Jackie Sheckler Finch
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8 Evening – Memphis to St. Louis – American Queen (cruisecompete.com)
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