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Popeye the Sailor - Wrigley's "Comic Club" King Features Syndicate - Einson Freeman Co. Mask (1933)

$1,400.00
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Made by Einson-Freeman Co. • Licensed by King Features Syndicate

Issued for Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Chewing Gum Promotion

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In 1933, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. took gum marketing to absurd levels at the time, with The Comic Club — a short-lived mail-away offer where kids could trade Juicy Fruit wrappers for a free paper mask of their favorite funny-page hero.

Printed by Einson-Freeman Co. of Long Island City, NY, these lithographed masks captured icons from the Sunday comics at the height of the Great Depression. This Popeye the Sailor example is one of the earliest licensed Popeye premiums ever produced — right around the time he first hit animation fame.

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Character: Popeye the Sailor

Year: 1933

Maker: Einson-Freeman Co. (for Wrigley’s)

License: King Features Syndicate (clearly marked on back)

Material: Lithographed heavy paper with partial original strap still present

Dimensions: Approx. 9½ inches tall

Condition: Strong color and surface with expected age toning, small creases, and minor edge wear — an honest survivor with all the right 1930s patina.

(Newspaper ad image shown for historical reference only — not included with this listing.)

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Rarity & Known Survivors

The 1933 Wrigley’s Comic Club series featured about 18 different characters, from Barney Google to Krazy Kat, Tillie the Toiler, Jiggs, and Popeye. These were never sold in stores and were available only for a few months through the gum-wrapper mail-in offer.

Few made it past childhood playtime. Surviving examples of this Popeye mask number fewer than 30 known worldwide, making it one of the top three rarest and most desirable in the entire set.

Character Est. Surviving Examples Rarity Tier

Popeye < 30 known
Barney Google 25–35
Krazy Kat 30–40
Jiggs / Maggie 40–50
Others (Tillie, Hans, Fritz, Bimbo, etc.) 50–80

Depression-era pop culture in pure form — where comics, gum, and mass-marketing first collided. Popeye was just starting to become a global icon, with this mask capturing that moment.