#13: The Man, The Myth, The Legend
If you can’t tell from that headline, we’re talking about Popeye, obviously. Popeye, the cartoon sailor, debuted in the Thimble Theatre comic strip in 1929. Elzie Crisler Segar created the character of Popeye after meeting a very memorable real-life sailor named Frank “Rocky” Fiegel. Frank had a very different life than his cartoon counterpart, though.
Frank “Rocky” Fiegel was born in Poland in 1868 and moved to the United States in 1887. He went on to join the Navy and eventually retired to live in Chester, Illinois. Chester is where Frank lives and works when he meets Elzie. He was known in the neighborhood for always carrying a pipe in his mouth and getting into absurd fights. Of course, in true Popeye fashion, he won all of them hands down.