Real-Life Popeye the Sailor Man

The resemblance between the sailor in the photo and the iconic cartoon character Popeye is striking, to say the least. Yet, this burly seaman was not the creation of some imaginative artist but a real-life crew member aboard the HMS Rodney in 1940. With 21 years of service under his belt, he was known as one of the top stokers on board.

Interestingly, he earned the nickname “Popeye,” though the exact reason remains a mystery, as the Imperial War Museum noted. Surprisingly, the creator of Popeye, E.C. Segar, had never met this sailor; rather, his inspiration for the character came from another man in his hometown. Such coincidences make for fascinating tales indeed.