Popeye has been a staple in the world of animation since 1933 and is commonly remembered as Fleischer Studios’ magnum opus. However, Popeye was a widely popular comic strip before it was ever animated. It’s creator, E.C. Segar, had been making a comic strip with Olive Oyl, Popeye’s love interest, for years by the time that he introduced Popeye in 1929.

Popeye ended up stealing the show and Segar shifted the focus onto him in the following issues. Segar was a true innovator in the world of comics, as he brilliantly merged the genres of comedy and adventure to make something that had never been seen before. By 1937, Popeye was second only to Little Orphan Annie in terms of popularity.

E.C. Segar was born in Chester, IL, so his works have a particular significance in this town. After all, it makes sense for a town to be proud of being the childhood home of someone who completely revolutionized a genre! One of the most interesting monuments to his life is the Popeye Character Trail.

Since 2006, a new granite statue of one of Segar’s characters has been added to the trail every year. This is a great experience for fans of the comic and show to see works of art based on the beloved characters from Popeye and to get a good look at the town that its creator grew up in.