By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Hope you’ve been eating your spinach, because today (Jan. 17) is National Popeye the Sailor Man Day!
Popeye, as one of the most venerable and popular characters in American cartoon history, is celebrating his 95th anniversary this year, and it’s been marked with a pair of notable honors.
The first came from the official National Day Calendar Committee, making Jan. 17 a special day for the rollicking sailor, and only one of 20 new additions to the new observances in the 2024 calendar out of 20,000 proposed additions.
As well, Popeye has been recognized for his notable contributions to nutrition, being the first ‘person’ ever honored with The Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved Emblem. After all, there’s a reason Popeye the Sailor Man is still going strong to the finish, cuz he eats his spinach, and thanks to him, plenty of kids do too.
As brand owner King Features points out, “icons eat their greens,” and Popeye’s legendary love of spinach has influenced the public to make healthier food choices since the 1930s. Over the decades, the US spinach industry has actually credited Peope for boosting consumption and sales of the leafy green.
The honor was unveiled by Good Housekeeping’s Nutrition Lab, which awarded Popeye The Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved Emblem in their January/February 2024 issue. The emblem celebrates Popeye’s milestone anniversary and recognizes his decades-long commitment to healthy eating, fitness and his efforts in ocean conservation. Popeye is the first ‘person’ to receive this honor.
We have it on good authority that Popeye is a regular reader of Good Housekeeping, which also just published a list of easy spinach recipes … although none quite as simple as busting a can of spinach and swallowing the entire thing whole!
If you’re celebrating National Popeye the Sailor Man today, trying out a Popeye-approved recipe sounds like a good way to go.
In the meantime, Popeye is literally fighting the good fight with his list of partnerships that are helping the planet. Popeye has had a close relationship with the environmental organization The Sea Cleaners since 2020, and continues to fight plastic pollution in 2024.
King Features and Popeye have leveraged numerous partnerships to support his ongoing relationship with The SeaCleaners including an in-game integration with Angry Birds Friends, which included a week-long Popeye-themed tournament in support of The SeaCleaners. Additionally, last year Hollywood heritage brand, Von Dutch, teamed up with Popeye and The SeaCleaners for a sustainably sourced, custom apparel collection supporting the fight for a pollution-free ocean. To promote the collaboration, Von Dutch hosted an influential dinner, sparking the interest of many people in supporting the cause.
Most recently, during World Ocean Month, the video game World of Warships launched a limited run of Popeye themed in-game content to benefit the marine conservation and veteran’s charity organization, FORCE BLUE.
Popeye has also launched the most advanced, rewarding and sustainable boating club in the world. In partnership with Pick a Pier, the online platform that connects boaters and marinas, and Blue Flag, one of the most recognized sustainability award programs, Popeye Sail Club is now active in several European countries. Through the program, Popeye encourages boaters to commit to eco-friendly practices at sea and on shore.
Popeye is also surprisingly trendy for a 95-year-old, and has been gaining traction in the eco-conscious fashion space in recent years with partners like United Colors of Benetton, NOAH, Mey, Adam, Á La Garçonne, Brava Fabrics and more.
“Throughout his lifetime, Popeye the Sailor Man has been a symbol of strength, protection, resilience, and hope for generations of fans worldwide,” said King Features VP/GM, Global Head of Licensing, Carla Silva. “Inception of the first-ever National Popeye the Sailor Man Day and receipt of his Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved Emblem are incredible honors that only further his legacy. And this is just the beginning! 2024 has so much more to come for our spinach eating sailor. #95YearsStrong!”
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