I know the only reason I ever ate spinach as a child was because Popeye did it! In fact, Wikipedia says that in 2010 studies show that even modern kids will eat more vegetables after watching Popeye cartoons. His example led a lot of kids to believe they would burst out in bully beating muscle immediately upon swallowing. In the years 1931 to 1936 Popeye saved the struggling spinach farming industry, increasing consumption by 33%.
Generally, Popeye is considered a highly moral character, and many of his fights are in defense of the defenseless, or himself. Olive Oil was constantly the victim of what would now be identified as sexual harassment, by the thug Bruno, thus forcing Popeye to defend her honor.
Some parents today may find the content of Popeye to be too violent for perhaps their younger children, but the basic message of Popeye is Good Guy versus Bad Guy, and eating your vegetables will make you stronger, though maybe not exactly the way it’s told in the cartoon.