Comic Strip Character Popeye Turns 75

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 19, 2004

Comic Strip Character Popeye Turns 75

The "Ugg, ugg, ugg"-ing cartoon sailor man who gets his superior punching power by guzzling greens from a tin can is celebrating his 75th anniversary on Saturday.

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The "Ugg, ugg, ugg"-ing cartoon sailor man who gets his superior punching power by guzzling greens from a tin can is celebrating his 75th anniversary on Saturday.

King Features Syndicate, which owns the rights to Popeye, is planning a yearlong series of events to relaunch interest in the pipe-tooting mariner, including a new 3-D animated TV special written by "Mad About You" comedian Paul Reiser.

The special is scheduled for broadcast next holiday season.

This weekend in New York, the Empire State Building plans to shine its tower lights green from sundown to midnight "in honor of Popeye's enormous love of spinach," according to King Features.

Popeye began life in 1929 in the popular "Thimble Theater" comic strip as a limited story line guest. He graduated to movie shorts, many by the renowned animator Max Fleischer.

Popeye battled everything from sassy goats to the bloated bad-guy Bluto while pursuing the affection of bamboo-thin girlfriend Olive Oyl. He even appeared in a video game in the 1980s, collecting falling hearts from his rail-shaped love.

The beloved sailor man suffered a near-death experience in 1980, when Robin Williams played the bulging-armed character in director Robert Altman's critically lambasted musical movie "Popeye."

Source: Agencies

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