Is it true that the photo shows the real prototype of the sailor.

On the Web, you can stumble upon the image of a person who allegedly became a prototype of hitting - a fictional hero of American comics, games, animated and films. We checked whether the sailor is really in the photo is his prototype.

The viral picture captures a naval person with a smoking pipe in his mouth and with a remarkable squint. If you believe Internet publications, then this is the stoker of the British battleship "Rodney" Frank Fiegel (Frank Fiegel) The nickname Fuck, which served as the prototype of the same character. Moreover, the time of creating the picture is indicated in different ways: either 1920 year, either 1940. Similar publications are found on various entertainment sites, among which "Culturology" Abrakadabra.fun, "YaPlakal" And "Picabu", Where the post received more than 2700 pluses. This is the alleged photo of Frank Figi also walks along social networks - for example, on VKontakte, in such publics as "Science and technology"(23,000 views, 130 likes),"What inspires ..."(43,000, 820),"Picabu"(139,000, 1600),"Picabu is cognitive"(31 000, 180),"Yachtsman | Yachtsman"(12 000, 200),"Warships of Russia and the USSR"(6800, 240) and"Amazing stories"(320 likes), as well as in Livejournal And Twitter.

Fuck a sailor, a fan of spinach with disproportionate forearms and with a pipe in the mouth, was Created A native of the city of Chester, Illinois, cartoonist artist Elsi Chrysler Segar. The character's debut took place January 17, 1929 in the newspaper New York Journal in the daily comic straps Thimble Theatre. In 1933, get it for the first time appeared In the animation - in a short film from Fleischer Studios and Paramount Pictures, subsequently becoming one of the most famous cartoon characters of that time.

The publications of the prototype in question may contain both black and white photos and its colorized version from Romanian artist Jecinci. With the help of a reverse search for pictures, we found an initial photograph on the website of the Imperial Military Museum in London. There indicatedthat the picture was taken in September 1940 aboard the British warship of His Majesty "Rodney". According to the signature, a person in the photograph is the senior stoker, nicknamed, Process, the length of service is 21 years old. However, we were not able to find the name of this sailor.

At the same time, Frank Figl, according to most sources, is actually considered a prototype of hitting. How reports Associated Press (AP), when creating their heroes, Segar was inspired by the residents of Chester, where he grew up and where now located The museum is hit. According to the recollections of the locals, one -eyed Figl possessed remarkable power and a strong chin, and also loved to smoke the phone and fight. At the same time, in the article AP notes that residents do not know whether Segar someday the sources of their inspiration.

About the origin of the character in his book Popeye: An Illustrated Cultural History told Writer Fred Grandinetti. Below we give a transfer of the passage.

According to the history of the city of Chester, Illinois, the image was inspired by the local resident Frank Figl, nicknamed Rocky (can be translated as “strong” or “hard”. - approx. Ed.). Lee Huffstatler herself comes from Chester and adheres to the same point of view. According to her, Rocky Figl was of Polish descent and lived with his mother in the house near the Evergrin cemetery. Huffstatler described him as "tall, strong, always ready for battle and the eternal winner." <...> Moreover, Rocky (or get) won even without spinach.

Rocky worked part -time in George's saloon. Having finished his work and drinking a couple of mugs of beer, he took a chair on the street, sat down, leaned back and began to doze in the sun with a pipe in his mouth. Of course, the sleeping Rocky became an attractive target for schoolchildren passing by. They crept up to him, shouted loudly and ran away. Rocky woke up and jumped up from his chair, waving his arms and preparing for a fight, but, alas, there was no enemy anymore. By that time, the children were in the quarter from there.

In the newspaper Chester Herald Tribune, on March 28, 1947 there is a Figi necrologist who died in his house in Chester on March 24, 1947. He was born on January 27, 1868, and at the time of his death he was 79 years old.

The editor wrote that Rocky was a famous character in Chester and that he was considered a person who inspired Elsi Segar to create a priest. The article says: “In his youth, he demonstrated miracles of physical training. Due to a strong physique, Rocky was kindly called him. ” His angular jaw and the famous tube of corn cobs, apparently, impressed the young Segar.

It turns out that at the time of shooting the viral photograph of the sailor, Figil was already 72 years old. Despite the statements in posts from social networks, Figl did not serve in the Navy at all reported In the newspaper Southern Illinoisan for April 8, 1979.

In Chester, it is generally accepted that Figl served the Segar as the basis for the character. Although Figl was not a sailor and was more inclined to drink alcohol than spinach, he had a reputation as a strong and fearless person as the hero of the cartoon. “He was never afraid of anything that went on two legs,” said the nephew of Figig, 79-year-old Clyde Figle. “Ed.) From St. Louis.

<...>

Figl, a bartender and a handyman from Chester, was rarely arranged for a permanent job, and he was often seen wandering in city salons.

The same newspaper said that Figl did not know about his role in creating a hit, up to the last years of his life, although in some Internet publications Approved The opposite: as if Segar asked the Figil permission to create a character.

He lived with his mother to her death, then continued to live in the house alone, and later, already at an old age, he lived with his elderly friend. Only in 1938, nine years before his death, did he learn that he was a prototype. In the same year, the author of the comics of Segar died. Newspaper St. Louis Post-Dispatch published a photograph of a fig, sitting in a penny chair and smoking a pipe, saying that he was a source of inspiration for the character.

Figl died in 1947, two days after moving to the nursing home. He was buried in a nameless grave next to his mother, but he was not forgotten in Chester.

According to Grandinetti, on September 7, 1996, thanks to members of the official fan club, it was a hing Installed The tombstone, on which the classic image is also knocked out, hit the 1929.

Thus, Frank Figl from the United States is really considered a real prototype of the sailor, but he himself did not serve in the Navy, and a sailor of a British warship is depicted in a viral photo, probably just a malling image of a famous character.

Photo on the cover: social networks

Not true

What do our verdicts mean?

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