Wimpy

J. Wellington Wimpy is Popeye's rotund, hamburger-obsessed acquaintance, known for his genteel manner, chronic freeloading, and his famous offer to "gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." He originated in E.C. Segar's Thimble Theatre newspaper strip before transitioning to comics.

Few comic characters have enjoyed a run quite like Wimpy's — debuting in Dell's Four Color #17 back in 1943, this Golden Age stalwart has been gracing the pages of Popeye and Popeye the Sailor for a remarkable eight decades, racking up 124 catalogued appearances and four collector-significant key issues along the way. Brought to life by artist Bill Zaboly, Wimpy has kept wonderfully eccentric company throughout his long comics life, sharing pages with the likes of Swee'Pea, Brutus, Poopdeck Pappy, and the magnificently named O. G. Wotasnozzle and Sappo. That kind of enduring presence — spanning from the Golden Age all the way to 2023 — speaks to a character with genuine staying power in the hearts of fans and collectors alike. If you've never dug into this corner of classic comics, Wimpy's long and lovable history is a very fine place to start.