[SOC] Oh, Popeye! the Sailor Man Turns 75

[Reicher, James]

How many cans of spinach does it take for him to cut the cheese?

73 de N8AU, Jim in Raymore, MO


CHESTER, Ill. - Oh, Popeye! The sailor man is looking buff for a guy of
75. 
Fans of the spinach-eating comic hero will celebrate his 75th birthday
with a picnic this weekend in the Mississippi River hometown of his
creator. 
It's the 25th year of the picnic and organizers have said as many as
30,000 people once attended the event in Elzie Segar's hometown. But
those numbers have dwindled to just a few thousand in recent years. 
Picnic organizers say they hope those numbers will rebound this year. 
"If anybody's come before, they need to come back because it's really
going to be great," picnic chairman Mike McClure said. "It's a big
family fair this year. ... We have so much going on." 
The picnic will be held Friday through Sunday in locations throughout
Chester, which is 60 miles southeast of St. Louis. 
Popeye cartoonists Hy Eisman and George Wildman are expected to attend
this year and greet fans, event organizers said. 
Segar was born in Chester in 1894, and Popeye made his debut in a
cartoon in 1929. Many residents believe he based Popeye, Olive Oyl and
Wimpy on people he met in his hometown.