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Popeye
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Creation & Design

Popeye was created by Elzie Crisler Segar and first appeared in the comic strip 'Thimble Theatre' in 1929. He was designed as a tough sailor with a distinctive appearance, including his squinty eye and anchor tattoos.

Early Years

Initially introduced as a minor character, Popeye quickly gained popularity and became the main character of the strip. His love for Olive Oyl and his battles with Bluto became central themes.

Character Development

Over the decades, Popeye has evolved from a comic strip character to a cultural icon, known for his catchphrases and his love for spinach, which symbolizes strength and resilience.

Cultural Reception

Popeye has been well-received by audiences, becoming a beloved character in American pop culture. His unique personality and humorous adventures have made him a staple in comic history.

Character Details

Real Name:
Popeye the Sailor Man
Aliases:
Popeye, Olive Oyl's boyfriend, Sailor Man
Species:
Human
Gender:
Male
Affiliations:
Olive Oyl, Swee'Pea, Wimpy, Bluto
Abilities:
Superhuman strength, Expert sailor, Combat skills
Equipment:
Spinach
Weight:
180lbs
Height:
5' 3"
Eye Color:
blue
Hair Color:
black

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King Comics #1

David McKay ⋅ 1936

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King Comics #1
 
Low
$3k
Mid
$10k
High
$30k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Popeye in standard comics - reprinted newspaper comic strips

1st appearance of Flash Gordon in standard comics - reprinted newspaper comic strips

1st appearance of Mandrake the Magician

1st appearance of Brick Bradford

Four Color #113

Dell ⋅ 1946

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Four Color #113
 
Low
$25
Mid
$90
High
$275

Key Facts

First original stories featuring Popeye created for the comic book format, previous publications were collected newspaper strips

Popeye #1

Dell ⋅ 1948

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Popeye #1
 
Low
$120
Mid
$400
High
$1.2k

Key Facts

First ongoing solo-titled Popeye series in standard comic format

Previous issues with Popeye headlining the title fell within a series like Feature Book, King Comics and Four Color

Popeye #66

Dell ⋅ 1962

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Popeye #66
 
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$10
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$30
High
$100

Key Facts

Gold Key/Western begins publishing Popeye

Tile changes from 'Popeye' to 'Popeye the Sailor'

Popeye #92

Dell ⋅ 1967

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Popeye #92
 
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$4
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$12
High
$40

Key Facts

Final issue with interior art and story by long-time Popeye creator Bud Sagendorf

The Popeye title continued with issue #94, published by Charlton Comics with interior art by George Wildman - issue number #93 was never published and issue #95 was the final consecutive Bud Sagendorf cover

Popeye #158

Whitman ⋅ 1980

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Popeye #158
 
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$30
Mid
$90
High
$300

Key Facts

Scarce Whitman edition, distributed in multi-packs

Whitman logo in upper left corner

Popeye #159

Whitman ⋅ 1980

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Popeye #159
 
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$10
Mid
$30
High
$100

Key Facts

Scarce Whitman edition, distributed in multi-packs

Whitman logo in upper left corner

Wedding of Popeye and Olive, The #1

Ocean Comics ⋅ 1999

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Wedding of Popeye and Olive, The #1
 
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$1
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$2
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$3

Key Facts

Marriage of Popeye and Olive Oyl

Popeye #1

IDW ⋅ 2012

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Popeye #1
 
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$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

IDW begins publishing Popeye with the first original story in over 30 years

Cover art inspired by Action Comics #1 (1938)

Popeye #6

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2012

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Popeye #6
 
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$3
Mid
$9
High
$30

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Dan Parent

Popeye #8

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2012

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Popeye #8
 
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$55

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Shawn Dickinson

Popeye #10

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2013

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Popeye #10
 
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$4
Mid
$12
High
$45

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Craig Yoe

Popeye #11

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2013

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Popeye #11
 
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$0
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$0
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$0

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Mitch O'Connell

Very scarce with only one known graded copy registered to the censuses

Value unknown

Popeye #12

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2013

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Popeye #12
 
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$3
Mid
$9
High
$35

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Dave Sim, creator of Cerebus

Popeye Classic Comics #41

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2015

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Popeye Classic Comics #41
 
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$10
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$30
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$100

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Kelley Jones

Popeye Classic Comics #47

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2016

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Popeye Classic Comics #47
 
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$8
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$20
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$80

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Bill Brewer

Popeye Classic Comics #55

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2017

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Popeye Classic Comics #55
 
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$5
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$15
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$50

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Sarah Rose

Popeye Classic Comics #61

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2017

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Popeye Classic Comics #61
 
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$4
Mid
$12
High
$45

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Sander Ettema

Popeye Classic Comics #65

1:10 ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2017

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Popeye Classic Comics #65
 
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$25
Mid
$80
High
$240

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Len Danovich

Eye Lie Popeye #2

WhatNot / Massive ⋅ 2024

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Eye Lie Popeye #2
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$5

Key Facts

1st appearance of Whaler Joe, Popeye’s guardian as a youth

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