Conan the Librarian
Encyclopedia
Conan the Librarian is a perennial parody
of R. E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian
that has appeared in film
, television
, comics
, and fan fiction
.
in the 1982 episode "Heroes."
comic. A pig returning a book to the "Overdue Books" section faces across the desk a scowling and muscle-bound librarian, in typical Conan the Barbarian dress, who from the placard on the desk we know is "Conan the Librarian."
. Unlike the UHF Conan (see below), Conan the Librarian is helpful and shows someone how to get a library card.
film UHF
. In the segment, the exaggeratedly muscular Guardian of the Shelves
chastises—in German-accented English—a library
patron who is unsuccessful in finding a book and not knowing the Dewey decimal system. He then hefts his enormous sword and slices another patron in two for returning a book overdue.
library staff created the character Conan the Librarian for a talent show performance, and subsequently wrote The Adventures of Conan the Librarian. This was followed by The Return of Conan the Librarian and Conan the Librarian on the Information Highway. The author of these stories is the fictitious "Hadley V. Baxendale" (a pun on the famous law case Hadley v. Baxendale
).
This Conan is an ordinary librarian who lives in the mythical "Information Age
".
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of R. E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
that has appeared in film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
, and fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
.
You Can't Do That on Television
The first known appearance of Conan the Librarian is on the comedy show You Can't Do That on TelevisionYou Can't Do That on Television
You Can't Do That on Television is a Canadian television program that first aired locally in 1979 before ultimately airing internationally in 1981...
in the 1982 episode "Heroes."
Mother Goose and Grimm
Probably the first printed Conan the Librarian reference is in a 1987 Mother Goose and GrimmMother Goose and Grimm
Mother Goose and Grimm is an internationally syndicated comic strip by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Mike Peters. It was first syndicated in 1984 and is distributed by King Features Syndicate to more than 800 newspapers...
comic. A pig returning a book to the "Overdue Books" section faces across the desk a scowling and muscle-bound librarian, in typical Conan the Barbarian dress, who from the placard on the desk we know is "Conan the Librarian."
Reading Rainbow
Conan the Librarian appears in a sketch on a 1986 episode ("Alistair in Outer Space") of the children's television series Reading RainbowReading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow is an American children's television series aired by PBS from June 6, 1983 until November 10, 2006 that encouraged reading among children. The award-winning public television series garnered over 200 broadcast awards, including scores of Emmy Awards, many for "Outstanding Children's...
. Unlike the UHF Conan (see below), Conan the Librarian is helpful and shows someone how to get a library card.
UHF
Conan the Librarian also appears in a brief segment of the 1989 "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
film UHF
UHF (film)
UHF is a 1989 American comedy film starring "Weird Al" Yankovic, David Bowe, Fran Drescher, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Richards, Gedde Watanabe, Billy Barty, Anthony Geary, Emo Philips and Trinidad Silva, in whose memory the film is dedicated.The title refers to Ultra High Frequency...
. In the segment, the exaggeratedly muscular Guardian of the Shelves
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
chastises—in German-accented English—a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
patron who is unsuccessful in finding a book and not knowing the Dewey decimal system. He then hefts his enormous sword and slices another patron in two for returning a book overdue.
Hadley V. Baxendale fiction
In 1987, William Mitchell College of LawWilliam Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law, or WMCL, is a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Accredited by the American Bar Association , it offers full and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor degree....
library staff created the character Conan the Librarian for a talent show performance, and subsequently wrote The Adventures of Conan the Librarian. This was followed by The Return of Conan the Librarian and Conan the Librarian on the Information Highway. The author of these stories is the fictitious "Hadley V. Baxendale" (a pun on the famous law case Hadley v. Baxendale
Hadley v. Baxendale
Hadley v Baxendale [1854] is a leading English contract law case. It set the basic rule for how to determine the scope of consequential damages arising from a breach of contract, that one is liable for all losses that ought to have been in the contemplation of the contracting parties.-Facts:The...
).
This Conan is an ordinary librarian who lives in the mythical "Information Age
Information Age
The Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age or Digital Age, is an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously...
".