Swee'Pea
Encyclopedia
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
. Before his addition to the animated shorts, the name "Sweet Pea" was a term of affection
used by main character Popeye. In the cartoon We Aim to Please he addressed girlfriend Olive Oyl
that way.
In the comics, Swee'Pea is a baby found on Popeye's doorstep (actually delivered to him in a box) in a 1933 strip. Popeye adopts and raises him as his son, or, as he puts it "boy-kid". Initially, Swee'Pea's speech consisted entirely of the sound "glop". As the years went on, Swee'Pea apparently aged enough to speak normally, and could throw punches if necessary; however, his appearance remained that of a crawling baby. In the strip for August 17, 1933, Popeye christens Swee'Pea as 'Scooner Seawell Georgia Washenting
Christiffer Columbia
Daniel Boom
'. Although Swee'Pea remains his most common sobriquet
, he is occasionally referred to as Scooner by Popeye and others in later strips.
and later by Famous Studios
, Swee'Pea was portrayed as being in the care of Olive Oyl, although it was unclear whether he was her own child (in the King Features cartoons of the early 1960s, it is implied that Swee'Pea is Popeye's nephew
). From 1938 to 1943, voice actress Margie Hines
voiced both Olive Oyl and Swee'Pea.
In the feature film
Popeye
, Swee'Pea is found on the doorstep of the Oyl home where Popeye lives as a boarder. Popeye proposes the name Swee'Pea for the child; Olive objects, saying it sounds ridiculous, and he retorts "Well, what were you going to call him? Baby Oyl?" In the film, Swee'Pea can also foretell the future; answering questions in the affirmative by a quick rising whistle.
In other accounts, Swee'Pea is depicted as royalty
. After Swee'Pea's birth father is killed, Swee'Pea is made the Crown Prince
of Demonia. As Swee'Pea is of royal birth, he needed protection from an evil uncle who wanted to eliminate him and take control of the country. Swee'Pea's mother left him on the doorstep of the Oyl home, knowing Popeye the trustworthy sailor would protect him. Alice the Goon
(originally depicted as a slave of the Sea Hag
) reappeared in a flower dress and hat and officially became Swee'Pea's babysitter after protests by parents who said the hairy monster frightened children.
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 E.C. Segar's 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....
Thimble Theatre/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...
and in the cartoon
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...
series derived from it. His name refers to the flower known as the Sweet Pea
Sweet pea
Sweet pea is a flowering plant in the genus Lathyrus in the family Fabaceae , native to the eastern Mediterranean region from Sicily east to Crete....
. Before his addition to the animated shorts, the name "Sweet Pea" was a term of affection
Term of endearment
A term of endearment is a word or phrase used to address and/or describe a person, animal or inanimate object for which the speaker feels love or affection...
used by main character Popeye. In the cartoon We Aim to Please he addressed girlfriend 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...
that way.
In the comics, Swee'Pea is a baby found on Popeye's doorstep (actually delivered to him in a box) in a 1933 strip. Popeye adopts and raises him as his son, or, as he puts it "boy-kid". Initially, Swee'Pea's speech consisted entirely of the sound "glop". As the years went on, Swee'Pea apparently aged enough to speak normally, and could throw punches if necessary; however, his appearance remained that of a crawling baby. In the strip for August 17, 1933, Popeye christens Swee'Pea as 'Scooner Seawell Georgia Washenting
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
Christiffer Columbia
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
Daniel Boom
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
'. Although Swee'Pea remains his most common sobriquet
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
, he is occasionally referred to as Scooner by Popeye and others in later strips.
Animation
In the animated Popeye cartoons produced by Max FleischerMax Fleischer
Max Fleischer was an American animator. He was a pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon and served as the head of Fleischer Studios...
and later by Famous Studios
Famous Studios
Famous Studios was the animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was founded as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount acquired the aforementioned studio and ousted its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1941...
, Swee'Pea was portrayed as being in the care of Olive Oyl, although it was unclear whether he was her own child (in the King Features cartoons of the early 1960s, it is implied that Swee'Pea is Popeye's nephew
Nephew
Nephew is a son of one's sibling or sibling-in-law, and niece is a daughter of one's sibling or a sibling-in-law. Sons and daughters of siblings-in-law are also informally referred to as nephews and nieces respectively, even though there is no blood relation...
). From 1938 to 1943, voice actress Margie Hines
Margie Hines
Margie Hines is an American film actress. She is best known for her work as a voice artist at Fleischer Studios, where she voiced Olive Oyl in the Popeye the Sailor cartoons from 1938 to 1943....
voiced both Olive Oyl and Swee'Pea.
In the feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
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...
, Swee'Pea is found on the doorstep of the Oyl home where Popeye lives as a boarder. Popeye proposes the name Swee'Pea for the child; Olive objects, saying it sounds ridiculous, and he retorts "Well, what were you going to call him? Baby Oyl?" In the film, Swee'Pea can also foretell the future; answering questions in the affirmative by a quick rising whistle.
In other accounts, Swee'Pea is depicted as royalty
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
. After Swee'Pea's birth father is killed, Swee'Pea is made the Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
of Demonia. As Swee'Pea is of royal birth, he needed protection from an evil uncle who wanted to eliminate him and take control of the country. Swee'Pea's mother left him on the doorstep of the Oyl home, knowing Popeye the trustworthy sailor would protect him. Alice the Goon
Alice the Goon
Alice the Goon is a fictional character in E. C. Segar's comic strip Thimble Theatre and in the Popeye cartoon series derived from it.-History:...
(originally depicted as a slave of the Sea Hag
Sea Hag
The Sea Hag is a fictional character owned by King Features Syndicate. She is a tall, masculine looking witch featured in comics/cartoons as a nemesis to the character Popeye. The Sea Hag was created by Elzie Crisler Segar in 1929 as part of the Thimble Theater comic strip.-Character history:The...
) reappeared in a flower dress and hat and officially became Swee'Pea's babysitter after protests by parents who said the hairy monster frightened children.