With a mighty gulp of spinach, he might overcome any daunting process at hand. After all, 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.
Sometimes he may mutter some phrases in his mangled English language resembling, “That’s all I can stands, cos I can’t stands no more” or “I yam what I yam an’ tha’s all I yam” and, in fact, “Where’s tha entrance to tha exit?”
When the American Queen stopped in Chester, Illinois, I used to be trying ahead to visiting the “Home of Popeye.” Using the cruise line’s hop-on hop-off river coach, we headed to the Chester Welcome Center with its large statue of Popeye. Then to Spinach Can Collectibles and Museum with its mass of cartoon collectibles.
8 Night – 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? Simple. 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. Known by the pen identify E.C. Segar, the cartoonist modeled his sketch 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 Series and created eight cartoons from the sport for a newspaper sports activities web page.
Birth of Popeye
After different cartoon work, it was the beginning of Popeye that turned Elzie’s most well-known creation. On Jan. 17, 1929, when Castor Oyl wanted a mariner to navigate his ship, Elzie had Castor decide 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 baby. Elzie suffered from leukemia and his mother and father had been satisfied that spinach may assist be a treatment.
Upon being requested if he was a sailor, Popeye’s first line within the Sunday newspaper sketch, “Ja think I’m a cowboy?” Originally supposed as a short-time character, Popeye turned the star when giant numbers of newspaper readers needed to see extra of the quirky sailor.
Elzie continued to provide 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 revealed in 500 newspapers globally. After a protracted sickness, Elzie died of leukemia and liver illness on Oct. 13, 1938, at age 43.
End of my cruise
Following Elzie’s loss of life, the Popeye comedian was taken on by a number of completely different cartoonists. Popeye additionally was featured in cartoons, video video games, commercials and the 1980 live-action movie starring Robin Williams as Popeye.
Today, Chester has 19 Popeye statues, plus billboards and indicators with the comedian’s likeness on the Popeye and Friends Character Trail. Even the Chester Police Department and Fire Department 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 International Airport the place I had a rental automotive ready to drive house. Quite a cruise.
The American Queen, crew and shore excursions had been all great and a cruise I might advocate. After all, it was an American Queen cruise that took me to Popeye’s hometown and because the sailor himself may say about cruising, “I ain’t no tailor but I know what suits me.”
Photos by Jackie Sheckler Finch
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8 Night – Memphis to St. Louis – American Queen (cruisecompete.com)
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