Swee'Pea

Swee'Pea
Publication information
PublisherKing Features Syndicate
First appearanceThimble Theatre (July 24, 1933)
Created byE. C. Segar
Voiced by
In-story information
SpeciesHuman
Partnerships
  • Popeye (adoptive father)
  • Olive Oyl (adoptive mother)
  • Patcheye (adoptive great-great-grandfather)
  • Granny (adoptive great-grandmother)
  • Poopdeck Pappy (adoptive paternal grandfather)
  • Unnamed adoptive paternal grandmother
  • Cole Oyl (adoptive maternal grandfather)
  • Nana Oyl (adoptive maternal grandmother)
  • Castor Oyl (adoptive maternal uncle)
  • Pipeye, Peepeye, Poopeye and Pupeye (adoptive cousins)
  • Popeye Junior (adoptive brother)

Swee'Pea (alternatively spelled Swee'pea and Sweapea on some titles and once called Sweep 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.