Hal and Roger Hunt
Encyclopedia
| Literary characters | |
| Names: | Hal hunt and Roger Hunt. |
| Home: | Long Island Long Island Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban... . |
| Gender: | Male. |
| Height: | Hal: 6'3. Roger: 5'6. |
| Relatives: | John Hunt, father. |
| Age: | Hal: 20. Roger: 15. |
| Occupation: | Capturing animals for their father's wildlife business. |
| Traits / Skills | Hal: An extensive knowledge of wildlife and their behaviour Roger: Can tame any wild beast with a few softly-spoken words. |
| Debut: | Amazon Adventure Amazon Adventure Amazon Adventure is a 1949 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to the Amazon River to capture animals for their father's wildlife collection business.-Allies:* Terry- The... . |
| Creator: | Willard Price Willard Price Willard DeMille Price was a Canadian-born American natural historian and author of children's fiction.Price was born in Peterborough, Ontario, and his family subsequently moved to the United States when he was four. He acquired his MA and Litt.D from Columbia University, before going on to edit... . |
Hal and Roger Hunt are fictional characters appearing in the children's Adventure
The Adventure Series (Willard Price)
The "Adventure" series is a collection of children's adventure novels by Canadian-born American author Willard Price. The fourteen-book series chronicles the exploits of budding teenage zoologists Hal and Roger Hunt, as they travel around the world capturing exotic and dangerous animals for their...
novel series, by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-born American author Willard Price
Willard Price
Willard DeMille Price was a Canadian-born American natural historian and author of children's fiction.Price was born in Peterborough, Ontario, and his family subsequently moved to the United States when he was four. He acquired his MA and Litt.D from Columbia University, before going on to edit...
. The sons of world-renowned animal collector John Hunt, Hal and Roger have grown up alongside exotic and dangerous wildlife. In Amazon Adventure
Amazon Adventure
Amazon Adventure is a 1949 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to the Amazon River to capture animals for their father's wildlife collection business.-Allies:* Terry- The...
, the boys' literary debut, Hal is 19 years old and Roger is 13 years old.
The boys have taken a year off school to help capture animals for their father's collection on Long Island, after which the captive specimens are sold to zoos, circuses and nature parks. Their father's wildlife business, "John Hunt- Wildlife" was renamed "John Hunt and Sons" after the boys proved themselves once again in Gorilla Adventure
Gorilla Adventure
Gorilla Adventure is a 1969 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to capture a giant mountain gorilla for a circus....
.
Hal Hunt
Hal Hunt is the typical hero: tall, handsome and muscular, but still fast on his feet despite his broad build. He has survived an attack by a Portuguese man o' warPortuguese Man o' War
The Portuguese Man o' War , also known as the Portuguese man-of-war, man-of-war, or bluebottle, is a jelly-like marine invertebrate of the family Physaliidae...
and fought and defeated a panther
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
unarmed and single-handedly. With remarkably little practice, he learns to hold his breath underwater for more than a minute while diving for pearls in the South Seas. He also has a scar on his shoulder blade caused by a spear, courtesy of Merlin Kaggs
Merlin Kaggs
Merlin Kaggs is a fictional character in Willard Price's Adventure Series.-Character overview:Merlin Kaggs worked along the Australian coast as a pearl smuggler and thief while maintaining his image as a legitimate businessman...
. He’s the older and more mature of the two brothers, and is often left in charge of the mission when their father is absent.
Hal is also very caring and trusting. During his travels in the South Seas he became blood brothers with a Ponapean
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
called Omo and this bond was so strong Omo once took a bullet for him. He also reformed a character called Vic Stone in Tiger Adventure
Tiger Adventure
Tiger Adventure is a 1979 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to India to capture animals, including tigers, for a zoo. They encounter an annoying city boy, named Vic Stone, who...
after saving his life. Hal also considers it his responsibility to look after his younger brother.
Hal possesses a near limitless store of knowledge about virtually any subject or animal species they encounter, as well as being a skilled doctor. This is because he often takes the role of narrator for the parts of the book where vast volumes of explanations are needed for what is occurring. Despite being a genius, he has a poor grasp of human nature that borders on naiveté which was best demonstrated in Cannibal Adventure
Cannibal Adventure
Cannibal Adventure is a 1972 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to New Guinea in search of such exotic creatures as Komodo dragons, bandicoots and dinosaur lizards, Hal and...
, where he could not understand why Merlin Kaggs - whom he had imprisoned for life - would want to kill him.
Roger Hunt
Roger is the archetypical little brother as he often argues with, and yet admires, Hal. Although he does not have the build of his brother, being shorter as well as more slim and wiry rather than muscular, he’s strong enough to survive a direct hit from an adult silverback gorillaGorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
, temporary blinding from a spitting cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
, a fight with an octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
and a near drowning from a salt water crocodile.
Roger is a diligent practical joker who is always playing pranks on his brother Hal, many of which, like the one he played in Amazon Adventure
Amazon Adventure
Amazon Adventure is a 1949 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to the Amazon River to capture animals for their father's wildlife collection business.-Allies:* Terry- The...
, got out of hand and almost killed someone. Despite this Roger is not evil, just young and mischievous, with an insatiable thirst to prove his own worth.
Roger has, on four occasions, proved his manhood to his overprotective brother. The first was in African Adventure
African Adventure
African Adventure is a 1963 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt....
where he captures a buffalo
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
, in Whale Adventure
Whale Adventure
Whale Adventure is a 1960 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt....
where he is forced to fend off a pod of killer whales, in Diving Adventure
Diving Adventure
Diving Adventure is a 1970 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts their exploits in a futuristic underwater city....
where he defeats a Mako shark and rescues a beautiful maiden in the process and in Lion Adventure
Lion Adventure
Lion Adventure is a 1967 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt...
where he kills a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
with nothing more than a wooden spear.
Roger has the power to attract and tame virtually any animal. This is sometimes played for laughs such as when was attacked by ants in Amazon Adventure
Amazon Adventure
Amazon Adventure is a 1949 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to the Amazon River to capture animals for their father's wildlife collection business.-Allies:* Terry- The...
or seriously when he has to take care of a valuable animal. The most prominent examples of his ability is when he tames a furious man-eating lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
in Lion Adventure
Lion Adventure
Lion Adventure is a 1967 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt...
with a few softly-spoken words. He has also tamed crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s, infant gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s, polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
s and a killer whale, to name a few, during the course of their adventures.
The Adventures of Hal and Roger
- Amazon AdventureAmazon AdventureAmazon Adventure is a 1949 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to the Amazon River to capture animals for their father's wildlife collection business.-Allies:* Terry- The...
(1949) - South Sea AdventureSouth Sea AdventureSouth Sea Adventure is a 1952 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt....
(1952) - Underwater AdventureUnderwater AdventureUnderwater Adventure is a 1954 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt....
(1954) - Volcano AdventureVolcano AdventureVolcano Adventure is a 1956 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts a journey to several of the world's most dangerous volcanoes. The story involves the brothers meeting a volcanologist and deals...
(1956) - Whale AdventureWhale AdventureWhale Adventure is a 1960 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt....
(1960) - African AdventureAfrican AdventureAfrican Adventure is a 1963 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt....
(1963) - Elephant AdventureElephant AdventureElephant Adventure is a 1964 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It is set in the Mountains of the Moon in Uganda and depicts Hal and Roger's attempts to capture elephants for a zoo.-Enemies:Their...
(1964) - Safari AdventureSafari AdventureSafari Adventure is a 1966 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt....
(1966) - Lion AdventureLion AdventureLion Adventure is a 1967 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt...
(1967) - Gorilla AdventureGorilla AdventureGorilla Adventure is a 1969 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to capture a giant mountain gorilla for a circus....
(1969) - Diving AdventureDiving AdventureDiving Adventure is a 1970 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts their exploits in a futuristic underwater city....
(1970) - Cannibal AdventureCannibal AdventureCannibal Adventure is a 1972 children's novel by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to New Guinea in search of such exotic creatures as Komodo dragons, bandicoots and dinosaur lizards, Hal and...
(1972) - Tiger AdventureTiger AdventureTiger Adventure is a 1979 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt. It depicts an expedition to India to capture animals, including tigers, for a zoo. They encounter an annoying city boy, named Vic Stone, who...
(1979) - Arctic AdventureArctic AdventureArctic Adventure is a 1980 children's book by the Canadian-born American author Willard Price featuring his "Adventure" series characters, Hal and Roger Hunt....
(1980)
Allies
Although the boys meet new friends in every novel, only a select few make repeat appearances. These include Captain Ike, the old World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
captain currently in command of the ship Lively Lady, and his first mate, Omo, who followed and aided the boys during their adventures across the South Seas.
Other allies given considerable mention include the team of big game hunters, initially employed by their father, who then accompanied the boys on their African adventures. One of these is Joro the chief tracker who was originally conscripted by the evil Leopard Society to kill Hal, Roger and their father but had a change of heart and joined them in the fight against the Leopard Men. Two other members of the team who are often given passing mention include Toto, Hal's gun bearer with a "grin a yard wide," and the brave Mali, who also owns a magnificent Alsatian
German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog , also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog...
dog named Zulu.
Enemies
During the course of their adventures, Hal and Roger have made many enemies. These include Hal’s embittered ex-school friend, Sylvester K. Inkham (nicknamed "Skink") and an angry witch doctor with no scruples. Some, through their interactions with Hal and Roger, are led to redeem their past misdeeds, while others simply suffer the consequences of their actions. Of these enemies, only one, the "Reverend" Merlin KaggsMerlin Kaggs
Merlin Kaggs is a fictional character in Willard Price's Adventure Series.-Character overview:Merlin Kaggs worked along the Australian coast as a pearl smuggler and thief while maintaining his image as a legitimate businessman...
, has made more than one appearance as a villain.