Popeye’s 65th Anniversary of the TV Cartoon

By Fred Grandinetti | September 8th, 2025

A $20 million dollar gross earned champ status

To mark Popeye's 65th anniversary of his TV cartoon: A publicity photo used to help celebrate Popeye's 35th birthday in 1964. Programs, which aired his cartoons, celebrated with parties to honor the occassion.

To celebrate Popeye’s 65th anniversary of the TV cartoon, entertainment historian Fred Grandinetti provides a brief history and pictorial overview.

During the early 1960s, made for television cartoon series were all the rage. They were aired during all parts of the day. Viewers watched the antics of Mr. Magoo, Yogi Bear, Courageous Cat, Dick Tracy, and Bozo the Clown. Among the many that were broadcast, the most popular was Popeye theSailor. The June 10, 1964, edition of Variety carried a headline, “Popeye’s $20,000,000 Gross” and gave him “Champ Status as TV Grosser.”

This year marks the 65th anniversary of those famous television Popeye cartoons produced by Al Brodax for King Features Syndicate. The enormous success of the theatrical Popeyes on the smallscreen led to their creation. King Features wanted a series of Popeye adventures: they owned exclusivity and reaped all of the ﬁnancial gain. These cartoons garnered high ratings and, as Variety noted, were a huge money maker. However, due to the quick production pace, the quality, in many, suffered. The kids didn’t care. To them it was just more Popeye.

The history of this series is detailed in my revised book, “Popeye the Sailor: The 1960s Television Cartoons” from BearManor Media. It can be ordered from the BearManor Media website.

These TV Popeyes appeared on independent television stations until the mid-1990s. Today they’re found on Popeye’s Official YouTube Channel. To remember this anniversary, here are images relating to the series. (Images provided by Fred Grandinetti.)

FEATURE IMAGE, TOP: A publicity photo used to help celebrate Popeye’s 35th birthday in 1964. Programs, which aired his cartoons, celebrated with parties to honor the occasion.

Other images marking Popeye’s 65th anniversary

A newspaper advertisement from October, 1960 announcing All New Popeye cartoons for television — A newspaper advertisement from October 1960, announcing all new Popeye cartoons for television.

The new Popeye cartoons were promoted as the main attraction on different television programs.

Herb Messinger (Popeye) and Brett Pearson (Brutus) performed at various locations with a live act associated with the television cartoons.

The News Herald from Franklin Pennsylvania published a photo of television’s Popeye courting a different Olive Oyl on Jan. 19, 1970. — The News Herald from Franklin, Pennsylvania published a photo of television’s Popeye courting a different Olive Oyl on Jan. 19, 1970.

Examples of toys utilizing versions of the television cartoon cast.

Some television versions of Olive Oyl and Popeye promoted Start Orange juice in a commercial from the early 1970s. Image courtesy of Donald Pitchford. — Some television versions of Olive Oyl and Popeye promote Start Orange juice in a commercial from the early 1970s. Image courtesy of Donald Pitchford.

Entertainment historian Fred Grandinetti has been writing about Popeye since 1983 in numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites, including Boomer. Grandinetti also produces the award-winning cable access series, Drawing with Fred, for Massachusetts cable-access television, and published Popeye The Sailor, The 1960s TV Cartoons.