Eugene the Jeep
Encyclopedia
Eugene the Jeep is a character
in the Popeye
comic strip
. A mysterious animal with magical abilities, the Jeep first appeared in the March 16, 1936, appearance of Thimble Theatre strip (now simply Popeye). He was also present in animated
versions of Popeye's adventures, including three appearances in the Fleischer Studios
shorts
of the late 1930s/early 1940s, with more extensive appearances in later Popeye cartoons produced for TV.
When asked if he had any further questions, Popeye, totally unenlightened by this explanation, repeated, "Wha's a Jeep?"
The animated cartoons took the straightforward approach of defining the character as some type of dog
. In The Jeep (1938), Popeye presents the animal to Olive Oyl
and Swee'Pea
with the simple explanation, "The Jeep's a magical dog and can disappear and things." In Popeye Presents Eugene the Jeep (1940), it is Popeye who receives the creature from Olive, in a box via a special delivery man (voiced by Pinto Colvig
), and with the premise that he had never seen the creature before: "Well, blow me down! A baby puppy!"
Eugene the Jeep appeared in The All-New Popeye Hour
and Popeye and Son
, voiced by Don Messick
.
Eugene the Jeep did not appear in the Popeye
movie.
As his language is limited to the word "jeep," Eugene primarily communicates through body language
. Eugene always tells the truth, even to crooks. He possesses high intelligence, so is able to help humans such as Popeye and Olive Oyl solve complex problems. He makes use of a limited form of teleportation
: he can disappear from one place and reappear in another, and can walk through and on walls and ceilings. These teleportation powers are said to stem from the Jeep's ability to cross into the fourth dimension.
mascot
for Northeast Dubois High School
in Dubois, Indiana and at South Webster High School
in South Webster, Ohio
, although the Jeep for Northeast Dubois is blue and gray, while South Webster's is red instead of yellow. An old elementary school in Wheatland, Indiana
also used the Jeep as its mascot, but this school was consolidated and is no longer in use.
Many, including R. Lee Ermey
, suggest that soldiers of World War II
were so impressed with the new Jeep
vehicle
that they informally named it after Eugene the Jeep as "small, able to move between dimensions and could solve seemingly impossible problems."
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
. A mysterious animal with magical abilities, the Jeep first appeared in the March 16, 1936, appearance of Thimble Theatre strip (now simply Popeye). He was also present in animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
versions of Popeye's adventures, including three appearances in the Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
shorts
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
of the late 1930s/early 1940s, with more extensive appearances in later Popeye cartoons produced for TV.
Origin
In the August 9, 1936, strip, headlined "Wha's a Jeep?" Popeye asks Professor Brainstine what exactly a Jeep is. He gets the following response:When asked if he had any further questions, Popeye, totally unenlightened by this explanation, repeated, "Wha's a Jeep?"
The animated cartoons took the straightforward approach of defining the character as some type of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
. In The Jeep (1938), Popeye presents the animal to Olive Oyl
Olive Oyl
Olive Oyl is a cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar in 1919 for his comic strip Thimble Theatre. The strip was later renamed Popeye after the sailor character that became the most popular member of the cast; however Olive Oyl was a main character for 10 years before Popeye's 1929...
and Swee'Pea
Swee'Pea
Swee'Pea is a character in E.C. Segar's comic strip Thimble Theatre/Popeye and in the cartoon series derived from it. His name refers to the flower known as the Sweet Pea...
with the simple explanation, "The Jeep's a magical dog and can disappear and things." In Popeye Presents Eugene the Jeep (1940), it is Popeye who receives the creature from Olive, in a box via a special delivery man (voiced by Pinto Colvig
Pinto Colvig
Vance DeBar "Pinto" Colvig was an American vaudeville actor, radio actor, newspaper cartoonist, prolific movie voice actor, and circus performer whose schtick was playing clarinet off-key while mugging....
), and with the premise that he had never seen the creature before: "Well, blow me down! A baby puppy!"
Eugene the Jeep appeared in The All-New Popeye Hour
The All-New Popeye Hour
The All-New Popeye Hour is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and King Features Syndicate. Starring the popular comic strip character Popeye, the series aired from 1978 to 1983 on CBS.-Production:...
and Popeye and Son
Popeye and Son
Popeye and Son is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and King Features Entertainment, and aired for one season and thirteen episodes on CBS. Maurice LaMarche supplied the voice of Popeye in this series, succeeding Jack Mercer in that role...
, voiced by Don Messick
Don Messick
Donald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
.
Eugene the Jeep did not appear in the Popeye
Popeye (film)
Popeye is a 1980 live-action film adaptation directed by Robert Altman and adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre aka Popeye comic strip.Marketed with the tagline, "The sailor man with the spinach can!", the film is a musical...
movie.
Attributes and abilities
In the context of the comic strip, Eugene the Jeep was a gift to Popeye's girlfriend Olive Oyl from her Uncle Ben who found Eugene in Africa. The Jeep is a yellow creature about the size of a dog who walks on his hind legs. He has a bear-like head and ears but a large nose, long tail, and protruding belly. The Jeep's diet consists only of orchids.As his language is limited to the word "jeep," Eugene primarily communicates through body language
Body language
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously....
. Eugene always tells the truth, even to crooks. He possesses high intelligence, so is able to help humans such as Popeye and Olive Oyl solve complex problems. He makes use of a limited form of teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
: he can disappear from one place and reappear in another, and can walk through and on walls and ceilings. These teleportation powers are said to stem from the Jeep's ability to cross into the fourth dimension.
Other uses
Eugene the Jeep is the schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for Northeast Dubois High School
Northeast Dubois High School
Northeast Dubois High School is a high school in Dubois, Indiana. Its athletic nickname is the "Jeeps", Named after the Popeye Character , and it participates in the Blue Chip Conference. Northeast Dubois is known for its athletics programs which include in the past 4 years: 13 sectionals, 5...
in Dubois, Indiana and at South Webster High School
South Webster High School
South Webster High School is a public high school in South Webster, Ohio in Scioto County in Southern Ohio. It is the only high school in the Bloom-Vernon Local Schools district. Their mascot/nickname is the Jeeps, based on Eugene the Jeep...
in South Webster, Ohio
South Webster, Ohio
South Webster is a village in northeast Scioto County, Ohio, United States. It lies along State Route 140, and the population was 764 at the 2000 census.South Webster was platted by John Bennett in 1853...
, although the Jeep for Northeast Dubois is blue and gray, while South Webster's is red instead of yellow. An old elementary school in Wheatland, Indiana
Wheatland, Indiana
Wheatland is a town in Steen Township, Knox County, Indiana, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census.-History:Wheatland was founded in 1806. James D...
also used the Jeep as its mascot, but this school was consolidated and is no longer in use.
Many, including R. Lee Ermey
R. Lee Ermey
Ronald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
, suggest that soldiers of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
were so impressed with the new Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
vehicle
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
that they informally named it after Eugene the Jeep as "small, able to move between dimensions and could solve seemingly impossible problems."
External links
- Popeye at Don Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's Toonopedia was a web encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation. Don D...