Popeye was inspired by a real man who never backed down from a fight

Creator E.C. Segar based his character on the toughest man in his hometown.

The Everett Collection

Elzie Crisler Segar was born in 1894 in the southern Illinois town of Chester. He grew up in the new century assisting his handyman father paint houses and working as a projectionist at a movie theater.

At the time, Chester had a local hero — or antagonizer, depending on your point of view. A man named Frank Fiegel, better known as Rocky, worked odd jobs around town and had a knack for getting into fistfights. Despite his violent nature, he loved kids and handed out candy whenever he got the chance.

Young Segar couldn't help but be inspired. Fiegel protected kids from any adults trying to harm them, even when it cost him. Fiegel's nephew told the Southern Illinoisan in 1979 about one encounter with a bully: "When Rocky started coming after him, he pulled a knife, but Rocky kept coming." Fiegel didn't let any cuts or bruises stop him from protecting anyone who was in trouble.

Fiegel wasn't exactly like Popeye. He was never a sailor and was "more inclined to guzzle liquor than spinach." But he did look a bit like the cartoon character (you can see a photo of him here in the upper right) and was inclined to fisticuffs. Unsurprisingly, many of his brawls happened in bars. Fiegel's nephew recalled a certain establishment that "had two big guys inside who said you had to buy drinks for the house or put on the gloves. They had a big bruiser waiting to fight." Not afraid of anything, Fiegel "put on the gloves and knocked the guy out."

While the spinach and the seafaring occupation may have been added fictions, Fiegel did indeed smoke a pipe. Plus, the most important aspect of Popeye's character is his attitude and willingness to stand up to a bully. By all accounts, Segar took those aspects directly from Rocky Fiegel.

Originally laid to rest in an unmarked grave next to his mother's, Fiegel now has a headstone in Chester inscribed with an image of the original 1929 comic strip iteration of Popeye — the one said to bear the most resemblance to the real-life inspiration.

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29 Comments

Pax 29 months ago
There actually is a guy that is living right now that is in the Twin Cities area that is named Jeff Dabe that is a very famous arm wrestling champ and he has won titles all over the world. He also tends to have big Popeye-type forearms, as well as is somewhat short and stocky, yet he does not eat spinach, sniff Wiffle Bird eggs, use a pipe, or speak like a rough sailor, as far as I know. Also, he does not have a wife that is named Olive Oyl, nor is she tall, skinny, and have black hair.
Dario 37 months ago
I have that book about Popeye called Popeye - The First Fifty Years(1979), by Budd Sagendorf, E.C. Segar's protégé and successor, which has that picture of Rocky in the book. The book also claims that Rocky never lost a fight. Plus, there's a story about Rocky being taken to a nearby forest(🌲) by two guys who planned to rob him. According to the story, the robbery attempt in question didn't even last two minutes, as Rocky(who quickly figured out what was about to happen) came back to town as if nothing happened, while the two would-be robbers went to a local doctor to get their injuries attended to. 🥊💪 😁
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CelticTwilight 44 months ago
Your mommy and daddy must have neglected you as a child, that's why you act out with your troll posts. You crave attention, negative or positive it doesn't matter does it? Just as long as someone pays attention to you. It's kinda sad when you think about it.
Wiseguy 44 months ago
Loose and lose are two different words, moron.
44 months ago
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Moody 44 months ago
You seem to misspell a lot of words. Learn how to write.
Pax 29 months ago
Who was trolling and what did they say?
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CelticTwilight 44 months ago
You really like having your posts deleted dontcha you little Qanon troll? LOL! 😆😆😆
Wiseguy 44 months ago
Bought and brought are two different words, moron. You misspelled Hillary. You misspelled Wuhan. Nobody has to help Trump look bad, moron. Biden won, moron. Deal with it.
Moody 44 months ago
She even misspelled CNN & MSNBC. We're not dealing with a genius here.
Pax 29 months ago
Knock it off with your own political activism as well! You are ironically no better than the person that you are condemning.
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Wiseguy 44 months ago
Nobody ordered you to wear a mask, moron. You misspelled Democrats, moron.
44 months ago
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Moody 44 months ago
He's just calling like he sees it.
Pax 29 months ago
All of you political activists knock it off! Seriously, idiots like you lot are why we no longer HAVE cartoons on Saturday mornings on other channels! If we had them, then this world would be a better place to live.
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Wiseguy 44 months ago
You are being controlled by big baby Trump and lying FOX news, moron.
Pax 29 months ago
What did I say to you? Knock it off, polititard!
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Wiseguy 44 months ago
You don't have to be from Qanon to be stupid, moron.
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CelticTwilight 44 months ago
Crawl back into your Qanon hole you waste of skin.
44 months ago
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CelticTwilight 44 months ago
LOL! Your Q conspiracy bs got deleted. How ya like them apples? 😆😆😆
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Wiseguy 44 months ago
How many people, how many courts have to tell you there was no election fraud, moron? Stop watching fake FOX news before your mind is gone...oh, too late.
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Pax 29 months ago
Pacifism is merely acting like a mob boss in outsourcing the violence to other people, thus they are not really peaceful in the end. However, violence to evildoers DOES, in fact, bring peace, as it would make evil people reassess their penchant for committing evil in this world.
ERROL 44 months ago
There is another story of Popeye being created by a lock & dam worker on Coosa river in Alabama
Pax ERROL 29 months ago
Ooh, finally, a comment that is actually about the source material. Please let me know some more details on your story because that also seems like an interesting story.
dmagoon209 44 months ago
BTW, does Popeye spike his spinach with steroids? LOL!
AgingDisgracefully 44 months ago
He came. He mumbled. He drifted into the fog.
HulkFan02 44 months ago
I didn't know that, thanks for this fact
ScoobyDoo169 44 months ago
I really enjoyed that story, that was cool. I love how he loved kids and went through any danger to protect them. He does look a lot like Popeye.😊
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