Hägar the Horrible
Encyclopedia
Hägar the Horrible is the title and main character of an American
comic strip
created by cartoonist
Dik Browne (1917–1989), and syndicated by King Features Syndicate
. It first appeared in February 1973, and was an immediate success. Since Browne's retirement in 1988 (and subsequent death), his son Chris Browne
has continued the strip. As of 2010, Hägar is distributed to 1,900 newspapers in 58 countries and translated into 13 languages. The strip is a caricature
and loose interpretation of Hun and medieval Scandinavia
n life, heavily influenced by the work of Lucien Musset.
. After his death that Dik Browne's sons changed the title of the strip to Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible in tribute. The name is pronounced Hay-gar by Chris Browne.
Hägar (sometimes written "Hagar") is a shaggy, scruffy, overweight, red
-bearded Viking. He regularly raids England
and sometimes France
. Animation-industry writer Terence J. Sacks notes the juxtaposition of contrary qualities that make Hägar endearing to the reader: "Hägar's horned helmet, rough beard and shaggy tunic make him look somewhat like a caveman or primitive viking, but you also know Hägar has a soft underbelly occasionally exposed."
in an unnamed coastal village somewhere in Norway
. Hägar's Norwegian lineage was revealed at least once in a daily strip
(July 18, 1984). Hamlet asks Hägar if he can tell people they're Norwegian. Hägar replies that it isn't necessary: "It might sound like bragging."
Although anachronisms are not unknown, they are not deliberate mainstays of the strip, as in other period burlesque strips like The Wizard of Id
. The strip follows a standard gag-a-day daily format with an extended color sequence on Sundays
.
Much of the humor centers around Hägar's interactions with his longship
crew, especially "Lucky Eddie" (when on voyages or during periodic sacking and looting raids), in the tavern or at home with his combative spouse and family. Supporting characters include his overbearing, nagging and occasionally jealous wife Helga; their brilliant and sensitive son Hamlet; their pretty but domestically hopeless daughter Honi; Helga's pet duck Kvack; Hägar's loyal and clever dog Snert and other secondary, recurring characters.
battles prior to 1942, plus his experience as an illustrator (Staff Sergeant) attached to a US Army Engineer unit where he drew technical diagrams, maps and other documents requiring very clear depictions. Prior to Hägar, Browne was best known for co-creating the comic strip Hi and Lois
with his partner, Beetle Bailey
creator Mort Walker
. Browne was reportedly the real-life inspiration for the character Plato, the intellectual private in Beetle Bailey.
Other recurring minor characters include an unnamed psychic or soothsayer
, whom Honi and Hägar regularly consult, a balding waiter at Helga's favorite restaurant "The King of England" and various Anglo-Saxon
raiders who serve as Hägar's friends and rivals, such as Dirty Dirk and Mean Max.
An example of one strip highlighting Hägar's good intentions but cluelessness: Hägar returns from looting Paris with a present for his wife Helga. He tells her it was ripped off a tub in a palace. He then turns on the faucet and eagerly encourages her to watch. When nothing happens, Hägar comments, "That's funny, when I turned it on in the palace, water came out."
was a legendary Scandinavian warrior.) Turkey: Bastır Viking
and aired on CBS, based on the very first plotline when the strip began in 1973. Hägar returns home from battle after two years—and faces a major culture shock. His beloved daughter Honi is engaged to a wimpy, untalented wastrel of a minstrel named Lute. Even worse, he discovers his young son Hamlet was expelled from the Viking Academy. He's now reading books and becoming more sophisticated—which he blames his wife Helga for allowing to happen. The special starred Peter Cullen
as Hägar, singer/actress Lainie Kazan
as Helga, Lydia Cornell
as Honi, child voice actor Josh Rodine as Hamlet, Jeff Doucette
as Lucky Eddie, Don Most
as Lute and veteran voice actor Frank Welker
as Snert and Kvack.
reported in 2003 that Abandon Pictures had acquired the film rights to the comic strip, and planned a live-action theatrical feature based on the character.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
created by cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Dik Browne (1917–1989), and syndicated by King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
. It first appeared in February 1973, and was an immediate success. Since Browne's retirement in 1988 (and subsequent death), his son Chris Browne
Chris Browne
Chris Browne is an American comic strip artist and cartoonist. He is the son of cartoonist Dik Browne and the brother of cartoonist Chance Browne...
has continued the strip. As of 2010, Hägar is distributed to 1,900 newspapers in 58 countries and translated into 13 languages. The strip is a caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
and loose interpretation of Hun and medieval Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n life, heavily influenced by the work of Lucien Musset.
Overview
"Hagar the Terrible" was the nickname given to the late Dik Browne by his sons; Browne adapted the name to Hägar the Horrible for the purposes of alliterationAlliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
. After his death that Dik Browne's sons changed the title of the strip to Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible in tribute. The name is pronounced Hay-gar by Chris Browne.
Hägar (sometimes written "Hagar") is a shaggy, scruffy, overweight, red
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
-bearded Viking. He regularly raids England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and sometimes France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Animation-industry writer Terence J. Sacks notes the juxtaposition of contrary qualities that make Hägar endearing to the reader: "Hägar's horned helmet, rough beard and shaggy tunic make him look somewhat like a caveman or primitive viking, but you also know Hägar has a soft underbelly occasionally exposed."
Setting and format
The strip is set more-or-less firmly in the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
in an unnamed coastal village somewhere in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Hägar's Norwegian lineage was revealed at least once in a daily strip
Daily strip
A daily strip is a newspaper comic strip format, appearing on weekdays, Monday through Saturday, as contrasted with a Sunday strip, which typically only appears on Sundays....
(July 18, 1984). Hamlet asks Hägar if he can tell people they're Norwegian. Hägar replies that it isn't necessary: "It might sound like bragging."
Although anachronisms are not unknown, they are not deliberate mainstays of the strip, as in other period burlesque strips like The Wizard of Id
The Wizard of Id
The Wizard of Id is a daily newspaper comic strip created by American cartoonists Brant Parker and Johnny Hart. Beginning in 1964, the strip follows the antics of a large cast of characters in a shabby medieval kingdom called "Id". From time to time, the king refers to his subjects as "Idiots"...
. The strip follows a standard gag-a-day daily format with an extended color sequence on Sundays
Sunday strip
A Sunday strip is a newspaper comic strip format, where comic strips are printed in the Sunday newspaper, usually in a special section called the Sunday comics, and virtually always in color. Some readers called these sections the Sunday funnies...
.
Much of the humor centers around Hägar's interactions with his longship
Longship
Longships were sea vessels made and used by the Vikings from the Nordic countries for trade, commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age. The longship’s design evolved over many years, beginning in the Stone Age with the invention of the umiak and continuing up to the 9th century with...
crew, especially "Lucky Eddie" (when on voyages or during periodic sacking and looting raids), in the tavern or at home with his combative spouse and family. Supporting characters include his overbearing, nagging and occasionally jealous wife Helga; their brilliant and sensitive son Hamlet; their pretty but domestically hopeless daughter Honi; Helga's pet duck Kvack; Hägar's loyal and clever dog Snert and other secondary, recurring characters.
Illustration style
Hägar the Horrible uses a clear, sparse editorial-style line drawing, with minimal foreground or background detail, shading or embellishment. Observers argue this is likely derived from Dik Browne's experience as a courtroom illustrator and illustrator of maps of important 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...
battles prior to 1942, plus his experience as an illustrator (Staff Sergeant) attached to a US Army Engineer unit where he drew technical diagrams, maps and other documents requiring very clear depictions. Prior to Hägar, Browne was best known for co-creating the comic strip Hi and Lois
Hi and Lois
Hi and Lois is a comic strip about a suburban family. Created by Mort Walker and illustrated by Dik Browne, it debuted on October 18, 1954, distributed by King Features Syndicate.-Characters:...
with his partner, Beetle Bailey
Beetle Bailey
Beetle Bailey is an American comic strip set in a fictional United States Army military post, created by cartoonist Mort Walker. It is among the oldest comic strips still being produced by the original creator...
creator Mort Walker
Mort Walker
Addison Morton Walker , popularly known as Mort Walker, is an American comic artist best known for creating the newspaper comic strips Beetle Bailey in 1950 and Hi and Lois in 1954. He has signed Addison to some of his strips.Born in El Dorado, Kansas, he grew up in Kansas City, Missouri...
. Browne was reportedly the real-life inspiration for the character Plato, the intellectual private in Beetle Bailey.
Cast of characters
- Hägar ("the Horrible"): the slovenly, overfed Viking protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. Hägar is both a fierce warrior and a family man—with the same problems as your average modern suburbanite. One running gagRunning gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
involves his exceptionally poor personal hygiene; for example, his annual bath is a time of national rejoicing and celebrations. Another source of comedy is Hägar's simplistic, childlike cluelessness, often finding himself at odds with his more sensible family members. much to Hägar's chagrin, on the few occasions where he behaves maturely (such as helping Helga in daily tasks or displaying self-control of his titanic appetite), the other characters are often caught off guard, since they are more accustomed with his bumbling and childish attitude. The most notable example was when Helga demanded that Hägar speak the truth at least one time, Hägar agrees and does so, something that pleasantly surprises even God himself, who promptly makes angels playing the trumpets in celebration of this "miracleMiracleA miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
". - Helga: Hägar's large-framed, bossy housewife, dressed in operatic, Brünnhilde-like blonde braids and helmet. She is the quintessential maternal "over-mothering" figure. Helga bickers with Hägar over his poor habits—such as forgetting to wash his hands after pillaging, or not wiping his feet before entering the hovel. She is often seen trying to teach her old-fashioned values to her daughter Honi, though Honi never truly "gets" it. Her formidable appearance is based on that of a Wagnerian ValkyrieValkyrieIn Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who decides who dies in battle. Selecting among half of those who die in battle , the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin...
. - Lucky Eddie: Hägar's first mate, best friend and lieutenant in Viking raids. Contrary to popular depictions of Vikings as brawnyPhysical attractivenessPhysical attractiveness refers to a person's physical traits which are perceived to be aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. The term often implies sexual attractiveness or desirability, but can also be distinct from the two; for example, humans may regard the young as attractive for various...
machoMachismoMachismo, or machoism, is a word of Spanish and Portuguese origin that describes prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity. As an attitude, machismo ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme male chauvinism...
warriors, Eddie is a short, skinny, chinless, awkward and naïve weakling. The ironically-named "Lucky" Eddie is, in fact, so unlucky he can be crushed by a stray rainbow. He wears a funnelFunnelA funnel is a pipe with a wide, often conical mouth and a narrow stem. It is used to channel liquid or fine-grained substances into containers with a small opening. Without a funnel, spillage would occur....
rather than a helmet on his head, which he always keeps on because he's afraid of squirrels. Unlike Hägar, Eddie is educated enough to be able to read and speak in other languages—though paradoxically this does not make him any more intelligent. Having been unconditionally known and accepted simply by his moniker of "Lucky Eddie," no one of Hägar's entourage, not even Hägar himself, ever knew Lucky Eddie's "real" name until around the late-1990s & early-2000s, when he was asked directly (by Hägar himself on both separate occasions) to share his true name: during the first inquiry Eddie squawked out an unpronounsible screed which left him raw-throated and winded; during the second inquiry, in which Eddie asked for Hägar's assurance that this revelation would be kept "in confidence," Eddie whispers his "real" name into Hägar's ear, upon hearing which Hägar accidentally blurts out what was shared with him in secret in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, thus inadvertently revealing that Lucky Eddie's real name is "Fortuitous Eduardo." - Hamlet: Hägar and Helga's intelligent, clean, obedient and studious young son—almost always seen reading a book. He shows no interest in becoming a Viking (he wants to be a dentist), which makes him the shame of the family to Hägar—though Helga and Honi are more tolerant and encourage his education. Even when Hägar forces him to practice his Viking skills, he's shown to be terrible at them. He is the victim of his would-be girlfriend Hernia's unrequited affection.
- Honi: Hägar and Helga's beloved, beautiful, sweet, cheerful 16-year old daughter—dressed as a young Valkyrie with a winged helmet, metallic breastplate and a long skirt made of chainmailChainmailMail is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh.-History:Mail was a highly successful type of armour and was used by nearly every metalworking culture....
. Honi takes after Hägar's side of the family, a fact that her boyfriend Lute sometimes finds intimidating. She's a Viking warrior like her father, her weapons of choice are a spear and shield. However, she's clueless about traditional "girlish" things, and tends to be overdramatic. Helga is constantly trying to marry her off, as she's seen as an "old maid" in their backward community. She was romantically involved with Lute the balladeer from the very beginning, and is the only character that can endure his terrible singing. - Lute: an inept bardBardIn medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
/minstrel/troubadour who can neither play, sing in tune nor rhyme properly, although Lute remains totally oblivious to everyone else's perception, and considers himself quite the talent. He is Honi's boyfriend, though Honi is in control of their relationship (similar to Helga and Hägar); they are perpetually engaged though they still haven't married. His name is in reference to the stringed instrument of the same nameLuteLute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
, which he is often seen playing (albeit poorly). - Hernia: a young, tomboyish girl deeply infatuated with the sensitive Hamlet, though her love is unrequited, often to her comically melodramatic dismay.
- Snert: Hägar's dog; Snert is supposed to be a bird/hunting dog, but the reader gets the impression that most of the time he just doesn't feel like working. Snert understands everything Hägar tells him, but usually refuses to do what he's told. Sometimes Snert is depicted as having a "wife" and a couple of puppies, but they hardly play any role in the comic. Snert wears a (miniature) Viking helmet like everyone else in Hägar's household—including the pets. Snert barks with a Viking accent ("voof").
- Kvack: the family's German duck. Kvack is Helga's friend and confidante—she will usually spy on Hägar and quack loudly whenever he does something he's not supposed to, such as having another hogshead of "Glögg" or "Wiffleberry wine", Hägar's frequently-imbibed beverages. Obviously, Hägar doesn't like Kvack at all—and would like to get rid of her. Being a German duck, Kvack "quacks" with an accent. Later in the strip, she brought home a litter of ducklings, which Helga "mothers" as if they were human grandchildren.
- Dr. Zook: a cowlCowlThis article is about the garment used by monks and nuns. For other uses, see Cowl or Cowling .The cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves. Originally it may have referred simply to the hooded portion of a cloak...
ed, druidDruidA druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
-like "physicianPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
" who gives primarily nutritional and psychiatric advice, and is a notorious and dangerous quackQuackA quack is a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess.Quack may also refer to:* Quack , an independent-comics series published by Star Reach in the 1970s...
. - Helga's Father: a geriatric Viking whose beard reaches the floor, with a taste for young women.
- Helga's Mother: a stereotypically shrewish mother-in-law, with antlers on her helmet.
- The Tax Collector: The King's officious emissary.
- Mr. Giggles: a torturer who torments captives by forcible tickling.
- Koya the Lawyer: an unpleasant but effective barrister.
- The Executioner: often accompanies the Tax Collector.
Other recurring minor characters include an unnamed psychic or soothsayer
Fortune-telling
Fortune-telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. The scope of fortune-telling is in principle identical with the practice of divination...
, whom Honi and Hägar regularly consult, a balding waiter at Helga's favorite restaurant "The King of England" and various Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
raiders who serve as Hägar's friends and rivals, such as Dirty Dirk and Mean Max.
Running gags
- Hägar and Lucky Eddie are shown shipwrecked on a tiny island, though it is never disclosed how they got there nor how/when they will be rescued.
- The tax collector and his assistant paying Hägar a visit to forcibly collect taxes for the king.
- Hägar and Lucky Eddie hopelessly outnumbered, or cornered at the edge of a cliff with a horde of enemy warriors charging them.
- Hägar and Lucky Eddie strung up by their hands and legs to the wall of a dungeon, which is often visited by Mr. Giggles, who torments them with tickling.
- Hägar's and his horde at the castle gate, with catapults and spears drawn for battle, being delayed by some trifling technicality.
- Hägar's mother-in-law paying a visit.
- Hägar's annual bath ritual.
- Hägar receiving "medical" advice or treatment (in the form of absurd incantations and talismans) from the quack, Dr. Zook.
- Hägar and his troops invading other countries. These raids are referred to by the characters as "business trips."
- Hägar's horns falling off when he lies.
- Hägar and Lucky Eddie about to be burned at the stake.
- Hägar running off to the tavern, much to Helga's dislike
- Lucky Eddie taking proverbs, commands (and the like) literally
- Hägar's obesity and/or drunkenness.
An example of one strip highlighting Hägar's good intentions but cluelessness: Hägar returns from looting Paris with a present for his wife Helga. He tells her it was ripped off a tub in a palace. He then turns on the faucet and eagerly encourages her to watch. When nothing happens, Hägar comments, "That's funny, when I turned it on in the palace, water came out."
International syndication
Argentina: Olaf el vikingo (Olaf the Viking) Belgium: Hägar Dünor le Viking (French: Hägar Dünor the Viking) and Hagar de Verschrikkelijke (Dutch:Hagar the Horrible) Brazil: Hagar, o Horrível (Hagar the Horrible) Chile: Olafo el Vikingo (Olaf the Viking) Colombia: Olafo el Amargado (Olaf the Bitter) Croatia: Hogar strašni (Hogar the horrible/terrifying) Denmark: Hagbard Ecuador: Olafo el amargado (Olaf the Bitter) El Salvador: Olafo, el Amargado (Olaf the Bitter) Estonia: Hagar Hirmus (Hagar the Dreadful) Finland: Harald Hirmuinen (Harald the Terrible) France: Hägar Dünor le Viking (French for Hägar Dünor the Viking, Dünor a pun on Du nord of the north, La Gare du Nord being one of Paris' main train stations) Germany: Hägar der Schreckliche (Hägar the Horrible/Terrifying) Greece: Χάγκαρ ο Απαίσιος (Hagar o Apaisios) (Hägar the Horrible) Hungary Hagar a tulok (Hagar the Bullock) Iceland: Hrólfur Hræðilegi (Hrólfur the Horrible/Terrifying) Indonesia: sang Viking Hägar (Hägar the Viking) Iran: هاگار هولناک (Hägar the Horrible) Italy: Hagar l'Orribile (Hagar the Horrible) Mexico: Olafo, el Amargado (Olaf the Bitter) The Netherlands: Hägar de Verschrikkelijke (Hägar the Horrible) Norway: Hårek den hardbalne (Hårek the hardy) Pakistan Hagar The Horrible (Hagar the horrible) Paraguay: Olaf, el Vikingo (Olaf the Viking) Portugal Hagar, o Horrível ( Hagar the Horrible) Republic of Macedonia: Хогар Страшниот (Hogar the Horrible/Terrifying) Serbia: Хогар Страшни (Hogar Strašni) (Hogar the Horrible/Terrifying) Slovenia Hogar Grozni (Hagar the Horrible) South Africa: Hägar die Verskriklike (Afrikaans: Hagar the Horrible/Terrifying) Spain: Olafo, el Terrible (Olaf the Terrible) Sweden: Hagbard Handfaste (Hagbard the strong-handed. HagbardHagbard
Hagbard , the brother of Haki and son of Hamund, was a famous Scandinavian sea-king in Norse mythology. He is mentioned in Skáldskaparmál, Ynglinga saga, Nafnaþulur, Völsunga saga and Gesta Danorum...
was a legendary Scandinavian warrior.) Turkey: Bastır Viking
Licensing
- For a brief time, the strip had its own brand of sponsored soda, "Hägar the Horrible Cola". It is generally recalled as one of the funniest flops of the marketing industry.
- In the UK, Hägar and other characters from the strip were also used to advertise Skol Lager beer, produced in Great Britain by Allied BreweriesAllied BreweriesAllied Breweries was the result of a 1961 merger between Ind Coope , Ansells , and Tetley Walker .- Ansells :...
. Hägar appeared on billboardBillboard (advertising)A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure , typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers...
s and in a series of popular television commercials that aired in the late 1980s. The TV spots were animated and mainly black and white, as per the daily newspaper comic strip, although the actual product always appeared in color. - From 1981 until the mid-1990s, a representation of Hägar served as the mascot for the Cleveland State UniversityCleveland State UniversityCleveland State University is a public university located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 when the state of Ohio assumed control of Fenn College, and it absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1969...
Vikings.
TV special
In 1989, a television special Hägar the Horrible: "Hagar Knows Best" produced by Hanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
and aired on CBS, based on the very first plotline when the strip began in 1973. Hägar returns home from battle after two years—and faces a major culture shock. His beloved daughter Honi is engaged to a wimpy, untalented wastrel of a minstrel named Lute. Even worse, he discovers his young son Hamlet was expelled from the Viking Academy. He's now reading books and becoming more sophisticated—which he blames his wife Helga for allowing to happen. The special starred Peter Cullen
Peter Cullen
Peter Claver Cullen is a Canadian voice actor, known as the voice of Eeyore in the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise, Optimus Prime and Ironhide in the original Transformers series, and the narrator in both of the original American Voltron series...
as Hägar, singer/actress Lainie Kazan
Lainie Kazan
Lainie Kazan is an American actress and singer.-Personal life:Kazan was born Lanie Levine in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father who worked as a bookie and a Turkish Sephardic Jewish mother, Carole, whom Kazan has described as "neurotic, fragile and...
as Helga, Lydia Cornell
Lydia Cornell
Lydia Cornell is an American actress, writer, novelist, comedienne, blogger, and talk-radio host.-Early life and acting career:...
as Honi, child voice actor Josh Rodine as Hamlet, Jeff Doucette
Jeff Doucette
Jeff Doucette is an American television and film actor. Doucette has appeared in over 92 films and television series which include Bedazzled, That '70s Show, Malcolm in the Middle, Murphy Brown, Invasion, "Gilmore Girls", Desperate Housewives, Newhart, Little House on the Prairie, Highway To...
as Lucky Eddie, Don Most
Don Most
Don Most is an American actor best known for his role as Ralph Malph on the television series Happy Days.-Acting credits:...
as Lute and veteran voice actor Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
as Snert and Kvack.
Movie project
VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported in 2003 that Abandon Pictures had acquired the film rights to the comic strip, and planned a live-action theatrical feature based on the character.
Book collections and reprints
All titles are mass-market paperbacks by Dik Browne, unless otherwise noted.- Hägar the Horrible #1 (1974) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible #2 (1975) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible on the Loose (#3) (1975) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: The Big Bands Are Back! (trade paperback, 1975) Grosset & Dunlap
- The Wit and Wisdom of Hägar the Horrible (trade paperback, 1975) Windmill/E.P. Dutton
- Hägar the Horrible: The Brutish Are Coming (1976) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible on the Rack (1976) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: Sack Time (1976) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: Hägar's Night Out (1977) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible Brings 'Em Back Alive! (1977) Tempo
- Hägar Hits the Mark: The Best of the Barbarian! (1977) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: Born Leader (1978) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: Hägar and the Basilisk and Other Tales (trade paperback, 1978) Sunridge Press
- Hägar the Horrible: Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back! (1980) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: Animal Haus! (1981) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: My Feet Are Really Killing Me(1981) Tempo
- The Best of Hägar the Horrible (trade paperback, 1981) Wallaby
- The Very Best of Hägar the Horrible (trade paperback, 1982) Wallaby
- Hägar the Horrible: Midnight Munchies (1982) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: Vikings Are Fun (1982) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Sacking Paris on a Budget (1982) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Happy Hour (1983) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: Helga's Revenge (1983) Tempo
- Hägar the Horrible: Tall Tales (1983) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Hear No Evil (Do No Work) (1983) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Room for One More (1984) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: The Simple Life (1984) Charter
- Hägar the Horrible: Excuse Me! (1984) Charter
- Hägar the Horrible: Horns of Plenty (1984) Charter
- Hägar the Horrible: Hägar at Work (1985) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: All the World Loves a Lover (1985) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Face-Stuffer's Anonymous (1985) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Gangway!! (1985) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Roman Holiday (1985) Charter
- Hägar the Horrible: Have You Been Uptight Lately? (1985) Charter
- The Best of Hägar the Horrible (trade paperback, 1985) Comicana
- Hägar the Horrible's Very Nearly Complete Viking Handbook by Dik Browne, Chris Browne (trade paperback, 1985) Workman Pub. ISBN 0-89480-937-7
- Hägar the Horrible: Pillage Idiot (1986) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Out on a Limb (1986) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Strapped for Cash (1987) Charter
- Hägar the Horrible: My Feet Are Drunk (1987) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: The Nord Star (1987) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: Spring Cleaning (1988) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: Hi Dear, Your Hair Looks Great! (1988) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible and the Golden Maiden (1989) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Sack Time (1989) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: Handyman Special (1989) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: Norse Code (1989) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: Smotherly Love (1989) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: Look Sharp! (1989) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: Silly Sailing (1990) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: Start the Invasion Without Me! (1990) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: A Piece of the Pie! (1990) Jove
- Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible: We're Doing Lunch by Chris Browne (1991) Jove
- Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible: I Dream of Genie!? (1991) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: I See London, I See France... (1991) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Again & Again (1991) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Fish Fly (1991) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Special Delivery (1992) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Motley Crew (1992) Tor
- Hägar the Horrible: Things That Go Bump... (1992) Tor
- Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible: Another Fish Story by Chris Browne (1992) Jove
- Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible: Plunder Blunder by Chris Browne (1992) Jove
- Dik Browne's Hägar the Huggable by Chris Browne (1993) Jove
- Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible: That Dreaded... Bed Head by Chris Browne (1993) Jove
- Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible: A Turn for the Worse by Chris Browne (1993) Jove
- Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible: Feeling "Fortune"-ate? by Chris Browne (1994) Jove
- Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible: Funny Bunnies by Chris Browne (1994) Jove
- Hägar the Horrible: The Epic Chronicles: Dailies 1973-1974 by Dik Browne (hardcoverHardcoverA hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
, November 2010) Titan Books ISBN 1-84856-233-0
External links
- HägarTheHorrible.net
- Hägar at Don Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's Toonopedia was a web encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation. Don D...