The Real-Life Origins Of Popeye The Sailor – And The One Man He Was Actually Based On

You may have seen the picture going around online claiming to show the “real” Popeye. It’s of a sailor who looks exactly like the cartoon character. But, believe it or not, it was actually someone else who inspired the iconic spinach-eater. And he was far from being hailed a hero, that’s for sure!

The sailor man

You’d be forgiven for being taken in by the photo, though, as the fella in the snap looks just like how we’d imagine the real-life Popeye to look. Popeye is a scrappy sailor, and this dude clearly knows his way around a ship. He also looks a bit like he’s been hacked out of a block of wood – again, just like the cartoon character.

First impression

Yep, it’s no wonder people think this real-life sailor is the inspiration for Popeye. He’s got the outstanding chin, the signature expresssion and even the pipe. Plus, you can totally imagine him saying things like, “I yam what I yam an’ tha’s all I yam!” And what if we told you the lookalike had the nickname of “Popeye,” too? Yes, really!

The fake Popeye

This Popeye was, in fact, a seaman in the British Royal Navy. According to the Imperial War Museum, the famous picture of him is from 1940. It was taken when he was serving on H.M.S. Rodney – a battleship that a year later would help sink the Bismarck. And the tough look was no doubt down to being a stoker – a guy whose job was to shovel coal into a furnace all day. Pretty cool, right? Well, not literally, of course.

It's complicated

This version of Popeye had 21 years of service in the British military. He is, in a very real sense, an inspiration. But here’s where things start to get a little mixed up. The viral internet meme claims that the guy is called Frank “Rocky” Fiegel and that he inspired our favorite spinach-munching sailor. But the truth is more complicated than that, and Fiegel probably wasn’t someone we should admire.