Elzie Segar and his 'Thimble Theater' cast

Olive Oyl's lesser known brother, Castor, has rightfully earned himself a place beside the fifth Beatle, LeToya and LeTavia (formerly of Destiny's Child) and Will Smith (who originally was offered the lead in The Matrix and turned it down). Here are a few reasons why:

1. Before there was Popeye, there was Thimble Theater, which began in 1919 and featured Olive, Castor and Ham Gravy (Olive's first boyfriend and Castor's best friend). This motley crew made a name for itself in the early days of Sunday strips, with a long and illustrious reign which lasted ten years.

2. In 1929, Segar cleverly decided to have Castor and Ham decide to seek the legendary Whiffle Hen on Dice Island. But because neither loafer was much of a boatman, they headed to the docks in search of a worthy seaman. Little did they know, that this seaman would steal all that they'd worked to build.

3. The one-eyed pipe-smoker with an anchor on his bulging bicep was Popeye. Though he was only meant to pass through the Thimble Theatre cast, in a plot arc that would end shortly after it began, Popeye promptly stole the show, as readers noticed that Popeye's appearances in the strip beginning to wane and complained to Segar about the spinach-chomping sailor's absence.

4. By 1930, Popeye beat up Ham Gravy, stealing Olive's heart in the process. Subsequently, with Ham out of the picture... and Olive in Popeye's arms, there was very little use for the previously pivotal Castor Oyl.

5. Oyl has been left to toil in obsurity, with the occasional cameo bone tossed his way, in the many decades since.

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Elzie Segar and his 'Thimble Theater' cast