He was a favorite among children, for he loved to tell stories and, even though it was difficult to understand him through his still-thick Norwegian accent, the joy and energy that he conveyed when he spun his yarns was infectious. It is no wonder, then, that when cartoonist and Santa Monica Pier-regular Elzie C. Segar needed a sea captain to take his Thimble Theatre characters, the Oyl family, on a journey to Dice Island in 1929, he chose Olsen as his model. The 40-fathom hat, bulging sailor forearms, white sailor’s shirt and corncob pipe gave him unmistakable appeal. Hence, “Popeye” was born, and soon after became so popular that Segar renamed the comic strip after his Olseninspired creation. The rest, as they say, is history. So when you see Popeye’s image on the Pier, or perhaps see a film loop of an old Popeye cartoon while dining in The Albright, or maybe even see a Popeye impersonator wandering around the Pier, know that we are not exploiting a cartoon character. Nope. Instead, we are honoring one of our own – a true Santa Monica Pier legend.