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Complete Popeye #2
Popeye, Vol. 2: Well Blow Me Down!
Fantagraphics's second volume (of six) of the acclaimed hit series collecting the entirety of E.C. Segar's original Popeye (a.k.a. Thimble Theatre) comic strips begins with a foreword by Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker and continues with an introduction by noted film and cartooning critic Donald Phelps. This second volume features work from 1930 to 1932, and most notably includes the debut of Segar's second greatest character: J. Wellington Wimpy. Wimpy stands as a one-of-a-kind icon some 70 years after his creation, the most likeable lowdown cad ever to grace the comics page. Popeye Vol. 2 includes the stories: "Clint Gore" (continued from the cliffhanger last volume); "A One-Way Bank," in which Popeye opens a bank that allows withdrawals but no deposits; an extended war story featuring King Blozo that begins with "The Great Rough-House War"; and "Skullyville," which wraps up the daily strips for this volume. A 2008 Eisner Award Nominee: Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Strips; a 2008 Harvey Award Nominee: Best Domestic Reprint Project.
168 pages, Hardcover
First published December 17, 2007
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About the author
E.C. Segar
142 books34 followersElzie Crisler Segar was a cartoonist, best known as the creator of Popeye, a pop culture character who first appeared in 1929 in Segar's comic strip Thimble Theatre.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 18, 2017
Volume Two of this Fantagraphics reprint series collects THIMBLE THEATER daily and Sunday strips from 1930-1932. Immediately, you notice a big difference from Volume One: Popeye is now the true star of the strip and his former co-star, Castor Oyl, quickly fades into the background. Meanwhile, Castor’s sister, Olive – now fully established as Popeye’s “sweetie” – becomes a much more prominent supporting player.
Popeye’s characterization has also become much more consistent, and frankly, he’s kind of a fascinating character. It’s clear that he is indeed a precursor to the comic book super heroes who would arrive at the decade’s end. He’s not only super strong, but also essentially invulnerable (He shakes off bullets fairly easily.), and there’s a strong wish fulfilment element to Segar’s portrayal of him. Popeye casually ignores guns, bullies and stupid bureaucratic rules and simply punches things that bother him. Like Superman in later years, Popeye is shown to be noble and a friend to children. At the same time, he has personal flaws. He drinks, cusses and occasionally fights with Olive Oyl, and Segar gets laughs from his addiction to shooting craps. As I understand it, the King Features newspaper syndicate eventually ordered Segar to “soften” the sailor, as the character became more and popular with young readers. That’s too bad, as Popeye’s feet of clay make him far more interesting (Truthfully, if Segar lived today, he’d never get away with some of these gags. I can just imagine modern watchdog groups howling over the character’s use of violence to solve problems…and that’s in addition to all the gambling and such that he does!)
Olive Oyl, too, seems a more nuanced and funnier character than in the previous volume. She outwardly embraces the 1930s perception of femininity, but in actuality, she’s no damsel in distress. In one hilarious sequence, a Western outlaw kidnaps her, and she repeatedly pelts him with rocks while simultaneously calling Popeye for “help.” Later, she’s in the outlaws’ hideout, forced to cook for the villains, and as each outlaw goes in to check on her, she shoots him in the shoulder (Segar is careful to note that she didn’t kill anyone.) and then dumps him in the cellar.
This volume introduces yet another great character: J. Wellington Wimpy, or “Mr. Wimpy,” as he’s simply called in these early strips. Here, he appears only in the Sunday strips, and he debuts as a referee at one of Popeye’s prize fights. Later, he’s seen in the background of the “Rough House Cafe,” begging for hamburgers. Soon, he proves himself a genuine scoundrel, taking a bribe before refereeing a fight and repeatedly conning people into buying him the aforementioned sandwiches.
In fact, Segar’s THIMBLE THEATER is populated with scores of scoundrels and generally selfish characters. In the tradition of great American humorists such as Mark Twain and H.L. Mencken, Segar seems to have little regard for the human race. In one long story, Popeye and Olive Oyl become involved in a war between two fictional nations, and Segar uses the premise to skewer military and political leaders (At one point, a character complains that they have seventy-five generals and only seventy-four trees to hide behind!) and even the general populace, who prove cowardly in the face of danger. You wonder how Segar could make his selfish characters so lovable, and yet, he manages to do so. Often, it’s because their selfish motivations are hilariously transparent and the characters themselves do observe an odd form of civility. In many ways, I’d say that Segar was a genuine genius, and it’s a shame that he was taken from us so soon (He died of leukemia at the age of 43.).
Needless to say, I highly recommend this book. I have only one negative comment: The introduction, by Donald Phelps, is possibly the most pretentious and boring comics-related essay that I’ve ever read. I recommend skipping it. The rest of the book, however, is sheer gold.
Popeye’s characterization has also become much more consistent, and frankly, he’s kind of a fascinating character. It’s clear that he is indeed a precursor to the comic book super heroes who would arrive at the decade’s end. He’s not only super strong, but also essentially invulnerable (He shakes off bullets fairly easily.), and there’s a strong wish fulfilment element to Segar’s portrayal of him. Popeye casually ignores guns, bullies and stupid bureaucratic rules and simply punches things that bother him. Like Superman in later years, Popeye is shown to be noble and a friend to children. At the same time, he has personal flaws. He drinks, cusses and occasionally fights with Olive Oyl, and Segar gets laughs from his addiction to shooting craps. As I understand it, the King Features newspaper syndicate eventually ordered Segar to “soften” the sailor, as the character became more and popular with young readers. That’s too bad, as Popeye’s feet of clay make him far more interesting (Truthfully, if Segar lived today, he’d never get away with some of these gags. I can just imagine modern watchdog groups howling over the character’s use of violence to solve problems…and that’s in addition to all the gambling and such that he does!)
Olive Oyl, too, seems a more nuanced and funnier character than in the previous volume. She outwardly embraces the 1930s perception of femininity, but in actuality, she’s no damsel in distress. In one hilarious sequence, a Western outlaw kidnaps her, and she repeatedly pelts him with rocks while simultaneously calling Popeye for “help.” Later, she’s in the outlaws’ hideout, forced to cook for the villains, and as each outlaw goes in to check on her, she shoots him in the shoulder (Segar is careful to note that she didn’t kill anyone.) and then dumps him in the cellar.
This volume introduces yet another great character: J. Wellington Wimpy, or “Mr. Wimpy,” as he’s simply called in these early strips. Here, he appears only in the Sunday strips, and he debuts as a referee at one of Popeye’s prize fights. Later, he’s seen in the background of the “Rough House Cafe,” begging for hamburgers. Soon, he proves himself a genuine scoundrel, taking a bribe before refereeing a fight and repeatedly conning people into buying him the aforementioned sandwiches.
In fact, Segar’s THIMBLE THEATER is populated with scores of scoundrels and generally selfish characters. In the tradition of great American humorists such as Mark Twain and H.L. Mencken, Segar seems to have little regard for the human race. In one long story, Popeye and Olive Oyl become involved in a war between two fictional nations, and Segar uses the premise to skewer military and political leaders (At one point, a character complains that they have seventy-five generals and only seventy-four trees to hide behind!) and even the general populace, who prove cowardly in the face of danger. You wonder how Segar could make his selfish characters so lovable, and yet, he manages to do so. Often, it’s because their selfish motivations are hilariously transparent and the characters themselves do observe an odd form of civility. In many ways, I’d say that Segar was a genuine genius, and it’s a shame that he was taken from us so soon (He died of leukemia at the age of 43.).
Needless to say, I highly recommend this book. I have only one negative comment: The introduction, by Donald Phelps, is possibly the most pretentious and boring comics-related essay that I’ve ever read. I recommend skipping it. The rest of the book, however, is sheer gold.
August 20, 2008
What I learnt from this book: to eats me spinach.
The introduction by Donald Phelps is academese at its most heinous.
The introduction by Donald Phelps is academese at its most heinous.
April 3, 2008
In this volume Popeye meets Wimpy, continues his boxing “career” and gets more romantically involved with Olive Oyl (they fight a lot, too, don’t worry). I miss Bernice the African Whiffle Hen, but maybe she’ll make a return appearance in the next volume. This one took a long time in coming, I hope Volume 3 comes out sooner.
January 16, 2020
5 stars for the dailies! So much fun and adventure! But maybe 3 or 4 for the Sundays. Why? Because it seemed to be almost all one long and repetitive gag about Popeye and boxing matches. As much as I love Segar (and Popeye), not his best moment. The introduction is so tiresome and pretentious and does this book not favors. However, this is just a part of the Popeye series, and, having previously read some later strips, I know the best is yet to come, but I'm glad for this chance to read the Segar run in order and so well restored and presented.
January 10, 2011
If cumulatively George Herriman’s KRAZY KAT is one of the great art works of the 20th century, is THIMBLE THEATRE, once Popeye was introduced, far behind? From the deceptively simple (actually complex) drawings, to the richness of the characters, the infinite variety of the joke, the tender world view, the dance of humors, and so much more, this is a rich, rich reading experience. Segar’s work lacks Herriman’s visual anarchy and verbal rhythms, so on those counts his work is less, but it is much more than most other comic strips from this or any other era. It is much more than the majority of popular novels and popular poetry. It falls short of the best, but contends with much of the rest. Read this book.
November 2, 2012
Some great comics here. The Sunday strips don't work quite as well as the dailies. They don't build a story the way the dailies do, and they sometimes feel repetitive. But the daily strips are absolutely fantastic. One strip makes me laugh aloud every time I think of it. It's part of a sequence where the characters are out west. In it, a bandit is attempting to rob Olive, and it consists of six panels of Olive yelling "Help" while throwing increasingly large rocks/boulders at the bandit. No punch line, but really funny nonetheless.
July 26, 2025
This volume continues exploring the oddball, over-the-top energy that E.C. Segar bought to the comics section. It doesn't skimp on the action; Popeye punches his horse to death on the opening page, and it's rare to see two spreads go by without some kind of roughhouse action.
Popeye isn't just some brute. Sure, he likes mixing it up, and he isn't shy about using his firsts to settle a dispute. But the book is at its strongest when it's diving into the scrambled 1920s logic of this rough-hewn old sailor, the kind of guy who'll drink poison and muse that “I’ve drunk worse sutff’n this an’ paid money for it.”
Popeye's language and drive are grin-inducing, in a Joe-Dirt kind of way, but Segar manages to spotlight Popeye's inherent absurdity without making him the butt of the joke. It's wild to see some of the content here, including Olive Oyl shooting near a dozen cattle rustlers back to back (including one through her legs, trick-shot style). Some of the other material hasn't aged well; Popeye gives his gal a few throttlings, and his attitude about Native Americans is far from enlightened.
Segar isn't a master draftsman, but his drawings have energy and a leap-off-the-page style. "Well Blow Me Down!" is a time capsule from another era, but it does produce some contemporary delights. (A word to the wise, though: skip the intro.)
Popeye isn't just some brute. Sure, he likes mixing it up, and he isn't shy about using his firsts to settle a dispute. But the book is at its strongest when it's diving into the scrambled 1920s logic of this rough-hewn old sailor, the kind of guy who'll drink poison and muse that “I’ve drunk worse sutff’n this an’ paid money for it.”
Popeye's language and drive are grin-inducing, in a Joe-Dirt kind of way, but Segar manages to spotlight Popeye's inherent absurdity without making him the butt of the joke. It's wild to see some of the content here, including Olive Oyl shooting near a dozen cattle rustlers back to back (including one through her legs, trick-shot style). Some of the other material hasn't aged well; Popeye gives his gal a few throttlings, and his attitude about Native Americans is far from enlightened.
Segar isn't a master draftsman, but his drawings have energy and a leap-off-the-page style. "Well Blow Me Down!" is a time capsule from another era, but it does produce some contemporary delights. (A word to the wise, though: skip the intro.)
January 13, 2021
Segar's Popeye was almost certainly America's first, and greatest, super hero - yet he served no state or law enforcement agency, and answered only to himself ("I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam"). He's no Herriman when it comes to the illustrations, but the rich, consistent, and darkly humorous characterizations of the ever-expanding Thimble Theater cast make this book - covering the years when Segar really hit his stride with the Popeye character - appointment reading.
March 27, 2018
Popeye punches and kills, with one blow from his mighty fist, a horse on the first page of this book. It's the best thing I've ever read.
Want to read
August 30, 2019whasup everyone
May 14, 2016
Terrific presentation of the Thimble Theatre color full-page Sunday and black-and-white dailies. This is volume 2 and I wouldn't be reading it if volume 1 hadn't been so much fun. Here we mostly have jokes based on Popeye's unbeatability in the boxing ring and other sites of fights. The excursion in the dailies to Olive's ranch in the desert is probably the best of the bunch.
December 20, 2019
Lotta big larfs in this baby. The absolute highlight is a sequence were Olive Oyl gets captured by cattle rustlers how force her to cook for them. She finds a gun and every time a rustler comes to check on her, she shoots them in the shoulder and dumps the unconscious body in the cellar. I was holwin'.
October 4, 2025
This is the first star appearance of J. Wellington Wimpy, making history in the comics industry. Popeye slowly transforms into his well known self as he helps Nazalia in a war and deals with a ranch in Skullyville. Thimble Theatre is one of the only comics that make me laugh!
February 10, 2008
very funnay and very good!!!!! -_- :) :) :) :) :)!!! MISTER WHIMPY!!!!!!
March 1, 2014
Amazing, just like all of the volumes of this stellar collection.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews