Popeye the Sailor
"Thimble Theater" was a cartoon created by E. C. Cruler Segar in 1919 for the New York Evening Journal. The character of Popeye, The Sailer appeared on the strip a few years after its conception and is rumored to be based on Frank "Rocky" Fiegel, a barkeep from Chester, IL with a penchant for brawling. The animated series debuted on theaters on July 14, 1933 and began to be syndicated for television on the 50's.