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Jack Mercer

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Winfield Bennett Mercer (January 31, 1910 – December 7, 1984), professionally known as Jack Mercer, was a prolific American voice actor, animator and TV screenwriter. He is best known as the voice of cartoon characters Popeye the Sailor Man and Felix the Cat.

History at Paramount[]

Mercer began work in cartoons as a cel painter at Fleischer Studios in early 1932. At some point the following year Mercer was promoted to the ink-tracing division and from there to an in-between animator position. 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. His first known writer credit was The Spinach Roadster.

When William Costello, the original cartoon voice of Popeye (1933–1935), 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 theme song and gave him the job of doing the voice. Mercer's first cartoon was Betty Boop and Grampy. Prior to that, Mercer can be heard on the track of a few 1934 and 1935 Popeye cartoons.

Roles[]

From 1934 to 1964, Mercer voiced several characters include:

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