Winfield B. Mercer (January 31, 1910 â€" December 7, 1984),
professionally known as Jack Mercer, was a prolific American voice
actor, animator and writer. He is best known as the voice of cartoon
characters Popeye the Sailor and Felix the Cat. The son of vaudeville
and Broadway performers, he also performed on the vaudeville and
legitimate stage.Mercer began his work in cartoons as an
"inbetweener", an apprentice animator at Fleischer Studios. Mercer
liked to imitate voices, including one close call when he mimicked the
high-pitched and loud voice of the wife of one of the Fleischers after
he mistakenly thought she had left the studio.When William Costello,
the original cartoon voice of Popeye (1933â€"1935), became difficult
to work with, he was dismissed. Mercer had begun imitating Costello's
interpretation of Popeye, and he practiced it until his voice
"cracked" just right and he had it down. Searching for a replacement
for Costello, Lou Fleischer heard Mercer singing the Popeye song and
gave him the job of doing the Popeye voice. Mercer's first cartoon was
1935's King of the Mardi Gras.
professionally known as Jack Mercer, was a prolific American voice
actor, animator and writer. He is best known as the voice of cartoon
characters Popeye the Sailor and Felix the Cat. The son of vaudeville
and Broadway performers, he also performed on the vaudeville and
legitimate stage.Mercer began his work in cartoons as an
"inbetweener", an apprentice animator at Fleischer Studios. Mercer
liked to imitate voices, including one close call when he mimicked the
high-pitched and loud voice of the wife of one of the Fleischers after
he mistakenly thought she had left the studio.When William Costello,
the original cartoon voice of Popeye (1933â€"1935), became difficult
to work with, he was dismissed. Mercer had begun imitating Costello's
interpretation of Popeye, and he practiced it until his voice
"cracked" just right and he had it down. Searching for a replacement
for Costello, Lou Fleischer heard Mercer singing the Popeye song and
gave him the job of doing the Popeye voice. Mercer's first cartoon was
1935's King of the Mardi Gras.
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