POPEYE FANS PICK CHESTER FOR NEW START

CHESTER, Ill. -- It didn't take a can of spinach to give Michael and Debbie Brooks and David and Laurie Randall the strength to give up their careers and move to Chester, Ill. The conviction that Popeye's hometown offered a chance for a new beginning was all it took.

The Brookses and Randalls, all Popeye enthusiasts, say living in Chester, a small Southern Illinois community of 7,000 -- "7,004 now," says Laurie Randall -- also will put them in the midst of their favorite hobby and provide a slower pace of life.

In keeping with the theme of their Popeye collecting, the couples have opened Spinach Can Collectibles in Chester's old Opera House, which they purchased recently.

"I've been working harder than I ever worked before," said Michael Brooks, who gave up his career as a computer programmer in the Memphis, Tenn. area. "But this is something I love doing."

Randall agreed.

"I was an auto technician in Danberry, Conn., 20 years," he said. "After visiting here several times, I decided to give small-town living a try."

Mrs. Brooks and Mrs. Randall also gave up careers to make the move to Chester. Mrs. Brooks was a chemist for Mabeline Cosmetics Co., at Memphis, and Mrs. Randall operated her own licensed day-care center for 16 years.

The Brookses and Randalls first met at Chester during the annual Popeye Festival celebration.

"I've been aware that the town existed for a number of years," said Brooks, a Popeye collector for more than 20 years and president of the national Popeye Fan Club.

Chester is the home of Popeye, the comic, movie and television cartoon character who was conceived by native Chester artist Elzie Crisler Segar some 65 years ago. Each year in September Chester hosts the Popeye Picnic, honoring the late Segar and Popeye.

"We have met a lot of people in Chester," said Michael Brooks. "We love the town."

"Our lives were in a rut," he said. "It was time for a new adventure. We just tired of what we were doing, decided to load up the truck and move to Chester."

The Brookses arrived in Chester on July 29.

"It is a change in lifestyles," said Mrs. Brooks. "But we love this town. We've visited it several times and the town has adopted us. Everybody here knows us now."

Brooks, who has more than 3,500 Popeye collectible items, was a co-founder of the Popeye Fan Club along with Fred Grandinetti of Watertown, Mass. The club now has more than 600 active members from all over the U.S. and Canada.

The Randalls traveled from the east coast to settle at Chester, arriving here for good Aug. 7.

The Randalls have been collecting Popeye memorabilia for 14 years.

"Popeye was his handle on the CB," said Mrs. Randall. "One day I found a Popeye doll and bought it for him. Since then we have accumulated more than 2,500 Popeye items."

David Randall, 11-year-old son of the Randalls, is looking forward to a visit to Metropolis.

"David is a Superman collector," said his father. "We'll be visiting the Supermen museum at Metropolis."

The Brookses and Randalls hope to establish a Popeye Museum at Chester. "A museum is in our future plans," said Brooks. "We have been in touch with Segar's daughter, who lives in Arizona. "She has 16 pieces of her late father's original art, which she is willing to place in the museum."

The Brookses and Randalls will have plenty of Popeye company when the 1994 Popeye Picnic opens here today for three days.

George Wildman, a cartoonist who did the Popeye character for 16 years for Charleton Comics, will attend the festivities. Also on hand will be representatives from King Features, which owns the rights to Popeye, and MGM Grand Movie Productions.

"We are expecting up to 175 Popeye Club members at the annual extravaganza," said Brooks. "We have reservations from 25 states and Canada for the Popeye Club dinner."

A special Popeye museum will be open during the event featuring Popeye collectibles by a number of collectors.

The first Popeye toy collectible was produced in 1932, three years after Popeye was created. The first toy features Popeye carrying two parrot cages. During the same year a Popeye alarm clock was produced.

Many other Popeye comic strip characters -- Wimpy, Olive Oyl, the Sea Hag, Brutus, and others -- are among Popeye collectibles.

Popeye has cleaned up his act since first being introduced as a pipe-smoking, cursing, drinking and gambling sailor created for the Depression Era comic and cartoon audience 65 years ago.

Popeye no longer smokes a pipe, he doesn't drink alcoholic beverages, and he doesn't gamble.

The sailor is still rough and ready but fights only for good nowadays. "He fights only for what is right," said Brooks.