A Croatian man is appealing his conviction on charges of promoting drug use after he used Facebook to depict Popeye the Sailor Man imbibing something a little stronger than his trademark spinach.

Stjepan Pavlekovic, a 49-year-old unemployed geologist, posted a picture of the cartoon strongman in front of a marijuana plant, with pot leaves tattooed on his forearms, and a pipe giving off green smoke.

He also posted a picture featuring Disney's Snow White being offered a marijuana leaf by a witch, instead of the usual poisoned apple.

Pavlekovic says he was just joking. Authorities in Varazdin, northern Croatia, didn't see the funny side, fining him 1,000 kunas ($148).

"This is absurd. I posted that as a joke. In no way did I intend to promote something," said Pavlekovic, who lives in the northern town of Lepoglava.

He filed an appeal against his conviction earlier this month.