Cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar may have been born in Illinois, but Popeye the Sailor, the hero of his comic strip “Thimble Theater,” was born in Victoria, Texas!
The Victoria Advocate first ran the Popeye comic strip on January 17, 1929.
Segar acknowledged the Victoria Advocate as Popeye’s “hometown” in a special cartoon he contributed for the Advocate’s 1934 anniversary issue. According to the TSHA Handbook of Texas Online, Segar wrote (as Popeye) to the newspaper’s editor saying, “Please assept me hearties bes’ wishes an’ felitcitations on account of yer paper’s 88th Anniversity….Victoria is me ol’ home town on account of tha’s where I got born’d at.”
Happy birthday, Popeye!
Teacher Tips:
- Plan to watch a few of the old Popeye cartoons on his birthday.
- Celebrate this famous Texan by eating spinach on January 17.
- If you’re into off-beat trivia and field trips, you might like to view the statue set up to honor Popeye by his creator, E. C. Segar, in Crystal City, Texas–the “Spinach Capital of the World.” (That may sound like a dubious honor, but Popeye’s popularity boosted the spinach market and saved Crystal City from the worst effects of the Great Depression!)
