What was the Military Rank of Popeye the Sailor?

Answer 1

Popeye the Sailor Man came into existence under the Thimble Theater Cartoon Strip in 1919. This was right after World War I. So his uniform was modeled from that era. In 1894 the rank of chief petty officer was established. Chief's originally wore the same uniforms as the other enlisted Sailors, which are better known as "Cracker Jacks." It is interesting to note that the uniform specifications, except for the length of the Cracker Jack jumper, did not drastically change from 1894 through 1973. This is the Jumper you see on Popeye, except his has buttons and at times a red trim which are not regulation. At the same time a need arose to provide a distinctive cap and device for chief petty officers which would not utilize the eagle which was considered the symbol of officer rank. In 1897 we saw the incorporation of a chief's cap device similar to the present design, a gilt fouled anchor with USN superimposed in silver on a billed cap similar to what officers wore. Popeye wears a Chief's Cap but the cap color during this period of time should be the same as the uniform color being worn (white for white, Blue for blue, etc).

So the answer is the comic strip never really addresses his rank. He is either a Seaman wearing an improper cover or a Chief who who is not clear on the uniform regulations (unlikely!)...or an Able Bodied Seaman in the Merchant Marines who wore what ever he felt like.

CDR Ray (Retired)