Is Popeyes nemesis named Bluto or Brutus?
Dear Straight Dope: Why is Popeye’s nemesis sometimes called Brutus, and other times called Bluto? — MikeHutson@juno.com The short answer: lawyers. For the long answer, we need to look at some history. E.C. Segar was assigned to draw Thimble Theater for King Features Syndicate in 1919. Popeye was introduced in 1929, and quickly became the protagonist. Bluto, introduced in 1932, was one of many villains Popeye faced, but had the good fortune to appear in the strip at the time that Max Fleischer, riding the success of Betty Boop, made the decision to animate the strip. The first cartoon, “Popeye the Sailor” (1933), featured Bluto as the heavy (with a cameo by Betty Boop herself), in the now-familiar “Bluto harasses Olive until Popeye, under the influence of spinach, whomps his butt and saves the day, then sings his song” formula. Forward to 1956. Fleischer Studios, later Famous Studios (under the auspices of Paramount Pictures), having produced 234 films, began to realize that they had r
