I discovered something crazy the other day. The real-life Marine américaine Popeye actually exists. Not just a completely invented cartoon, no. Behind this legendary sailor with his pipe and love for spinach, there was a real guy.

His name was Frank “Rocky” Fiegel. Born in 1868 to a Polish immigrant family, he grew up in Illinois. And honestly, looking at descriptions from that time, the guy looked just like a cartoon character. A prominent chin, a face weathered by the elements, always with a pipe in his mouth. He was basically Popeye in real life before Popeye even existed.

In 1887, Fiegel joined the Marine américaine. And that’s when his legend really started to build. The guy was known as a formidable fighter but also a friend you could count on. People both feared and respected him. Quick to fight but just as ready to defend those in need. That’s the kind of personality that leaves a mark on a community.

What’s interesting is that despite his rough appearance, Fiegel would tell exaggerated stories about the sea to the neighborhood kids. He amused them. This reinforced his status as a local figure, a sort of urban legend before its time.

In 1929, cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar created Popeye. And people think he was directly inspired by Fiegel, who had become a sort of myth in his region. No surprise. The real-life Marine américaine Frank Fiegel was literally this guy. The story is there to prove it.