--- title: "Popeye the Sailor Man was originally Popeye the Coast Guardsman" date: "2019-01-17" modified: "2020-10-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/popeye-sailor-man-originally-popeye-coast-guardsman/" categories: - "Coast Guard" - "Entertainment" - "History" - "Movies and TV" --- # Popeye the Sailor Man was originally Popeye the Coast Guardsman ![]() This may seem like blasphemy to some, but Popeye started his professional career as a civilian mariner and then Coast Guardsman. The famous sailor did join the Navy, but as of 1937, Popeye was firmly in the Coast Guard. A two-reel feature titled *Popeye the Sailor meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves* introduces Popeye serving at a Coast Guard station. The sailor man's creator did not live to see the United States enter World War II, but it was in 1941 that his creation joined the Navy and the legend of Popeye the rough and tumble U.S. Navy sailor was born. --- ![]() *Popeye the Sailor meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves* wasn't Popeye's first feature. He started life as a character in the comic strip *Thimble Theater* in 1929, a comic actually centered around his off-and-on girlfriend, Olive Oyl. When it became obvious that Popeye was the real star, he made a jump to feature films. In the aforementioned 1937 film is when we see Popeye in the Coast Guard, on guard duty and deploying to intercept "Abu Hassan" (aka Bluto), who is terrorizing the Middle East. ![]() Spoiler alert: Popeye saves the day, but not before telling Bluto to "[stop in the name of the Coast Guard.]()" It was during WWII that Popeye reached his incredible popularity. After [enlisting in the Navy]() in 1941's *The Mighty Navy*, Popeye's clothing changed and reflected his status as a U.S. Navy sailor, wearing the distinctive white crackerjack uniform. Popeye would remain in uniform until 1978, when new cartoons put him back in his original outfit, with one exception: the white yachting cap he used to wear was replaced with a standard issue Navy "Dixie Cup" cap. It should be noted that Popeye and Bluto once attempted to join the Army in a 1936 film short called *I'm In the Army Now*, but they really just ended up fighting in the recruiter's office. Popeye left the office after beating Bluto to a surrender, but without actually joining. Popeye also regularly beats Bluto to the tune of "The Army Goes Rolling Along." Despite his dedication to service, Popeye never once tried to join the Air Force. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()