Popeye and the time of the great depression

First c reated by : Elzie Segan

First published in King Features Syndicate

Don't you find it wired that Popeye
( the famous cartoonish character in America) was created in 1929-the time of the great depression! The perfect time for creating a new icon-aw gaining a huge destructive power by eating only one food ingredient ! Am not really sure if the massage to be addressed here is –come on people you can feed on only ingredient and you will become super strong ! ( a bit socialist I guess! But again we are talking about 1929! ) well any how this marvelous cartoon icon was a part of already published comic strip in 1919 and haven't appeared till 1929 as a minor character and then after the huge success-I suppose because of the economical situation-The character was associated with get rich schemes and moral and social behaviors . until that period he was merely a comic strip in a published magazine. His most evident characteristic was a simple sailor man seeking justice for the common people.!!!!

Of course in 1933 when actually Popeye became a filmic cartoon by fliecher Studios the whole epic story of the delight humble and ( socialist ) character depicting people's struggle at that time has mutated to a horny man following Olivia and fighting Bluto the villain who would steal her from him!

In 1948 –world war 2 Popeye becomes a celebrated soldier who actually joins the Navy and the animation shows him wearing the navy and fighting the Nazis and the Japanese. ( MM I wonder if he would now fight in Iraq!)

Any way telling the story of Popeye and the way it had evolved is like telling a story of the history of the unite-states and economical and political situation sometimes evens its stands towards certain ideologies. But at the current time it only represents consumer ship, entertainment, and the matcho powerful man. A sincere presentation of the utopia the state has created or a simple documentation of existing heterotopias! Am not really sure and I don't think that this the subject of discussion here , things now are much more simpler that it used to be and the whole issue of Mr Popeye invading Japan, Germany or Even Iraq! I bet he prefers to invade the Cartoon Network or more simply Olivia's panties.

Picture by Jeff Koons