The Man, The Myth, The Legend
If you can’t tell from that headline, we’re talking about Popeye, obviously. Popeye the cartoon sailor made his debut 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 was where Frank was living and working when he met Elzie. He was known in the neighborhood for always carrying a pipe in his mouth and getting into an absurd amount of fights. Of course, in true Popeye fashion, he won all of them hands down.