Swee'Pea
Swee'Pea is a character in E. C. Segar's comic strip Thimble Theatre / Popeye and in the cartoon series derived from it. His name refers to the flower known as the sweet pea. Before his addition to the animated shorts, the name "Sweet Pea" was a term of affection used by main character Popeye. In the cartoon We Aim to Please, he addressed girlfriend Olive Oyl that way.
As the years went on, Swee'Pea apparently aged enough to speak normally, and could throw punches if necessary; however, his appearance remained that of a crawling baby. In the strip for August 17, 1933, Popeye christens Swee'Pea as "Scooner Seawell Georgia Washenting Christiffer Columbia Daniel Boom". Although Swee'Pea remains his most common sobriquet, he is occasionally referred to as Scooner by Popeye and others in later strips. In the Sunday strips, which did not coordinate with the dailies, Swee'Pea is not introduced until 1934.
Film
In the animated Popeye cartoons produced by Max Fleischer and later by Famous Studios, Swee'Pea was portrayed as being in the care of Olive Oyl, although it was unclear whether he was her own child. In Baby Wants Spinach Olive Oyl asks Popeye to watch her “cousin Swee’Pea.”. From 1936–1938 Mae Questel provided the voice for Swee'Pea which was then taken over by voice actress Margie Hines from 1938 to 1943. Mae Questel was recast as Swee'Pea in the Popeye shorts. Marilyn Schreffler replaced Mae Questel as the voice of Swee'Pea in the 1970s and 80s, Corinne Orr also did the role as Swee'Pea in Popeye Meets The Man Who Hated Laughter. Swee'Pea was also voiced by Tabitha St. Germain in Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy.In the feature film Popeye, Swee'Pea is found inside a basket that his mother has secretly switched with an identical one belonging to Olive Oyl; a note attached to him asks Popeye to look after Swee'Pea until his mother can return to claim him. Popeye proposes the name Swee'Pea for the child; Olive objects, saying it sounds ridiculous, and he retorts, "Well, what were you going to call him? Baby Oyl?" In the film, Swee'Pea can also foretell the future; answering questions in the affirmative by a quick rising whistle. In the film he was played by Wesley Ivan Hurt.
In other accounts, Swee'Pea is depicted as royalty. After Swee'Pea's birth father is killed, Swee'Pea is made the Crown Prince of Demonia. As Swee'Pea is of royal birth, he needed protection from an evil uncle who wanted to eliminate him and take control of the kingdom. Swee'Pea's mother left him on the doorstep of the Oyl home, knowing Popeye the trustworthy sailor would protect him. Alice the Goon reappeared in a flower dress and hat and officially became Swee'Pea's babysitter after protests by parents who said the hairy monster frightened children.
Appearances
- Popeye the Sailor with Little Swee'Pea
- Lost and Foundry
- I Likes Babies and Infinks
- The Football Toucher Downer
- Popeye the Sailor with the Jeep
- Wotta Nitemare!
- Never Sock a Baby
- Nurse Mates
- Doing Imposskible Stunts
- Puttin' on the Act
- Child Psykolojiky
- Baby Wants a Bottleship
- Baby Wants Spinach
- Thrill of Fair
- Child Sockology
- Nurse to Meet Ya
- Popeye
- ''Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy''
Parodies