Robin Hood in popular culture
Encyclopedia
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
has appeared many times, in many different variations, in popular modern works.
Books
- IvanhoeIvanhoeIvanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
by Walter ScottWalter ScottSir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
, 1819. - Maid Marian by Thomas Love PeacockThomas Love PeacockThomas Love Peacock was an English satirist and author.Peacock was a close friend of Percy Bysshe Shelley and they influenced each other's work...
, 1822. - Robin Hood le proscrit by Alexandre Dumas, 1863.
- The Merry Adventures of Robin HoodThe Merry Adventures of Robin HoodThe Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire is an 1883 novel by the American illustrator and writer Howard Pyle. Consisting of a series of episodes in the story of the English outlaw Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men, the novel compiles traditional material into a...
by Howard PyleHoward PyleHoward Pyle was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy.__FORCETOC__...
, 1883. - Robin Hood and His Merry Outlaws by J. Walker McSpadden, 1891.
- Robin Hood by Henry GilbertHenry GilbertHenry Gilbert was a popular children's author, and the paternal grandfather of Molly Holden. His books continue to be reprinted as late as 2009, nearly 100 years after their original publication...
, 1912. - Robin Hood by Paul Creswick, 1917.
- Bows Against the BaronsBows Against the BaronsBows Against the Barons is a 1934 children's novel by British author Geoffrey Trease. Based on the legend of Robin Hood, it tells the story of an adolescent boy who joins his outlaw band and takes part in a great rebellion against the feudal elite. As Trease's first novel, Bows Against the Barons...
by Geoffrey TreaseGeoffrey TreaseGeoffrey Trease was a prolific writer, publishing 113 books between 1934 and 1997 . His work has been translated into 20 languages...
, 1934, a leftist depiction of Robin Hood from the viewpoint of a young-adult protagonist. - The Sword in the StoneThe Sword in the StoneThe Sword in the Stone is a novel by T. H. White, published in 1939, initially a stand-alone work but now the first part of a tetralogy The Once and Future King. A fantasy of the boyhood of King Arthur, it is a sui generis work which combines elements of legend, history, fantasy and comedy...
by T. H. WhiteT. H. WhiteTerence Hanbury White was an English author best known for his sequence of Arthurian novels, The Once and Future King, first published together in 1958.-Biography:...
, 1939, gives his "correct" name as Robin Wood; he is one of the figures that Wart meets during his education. - Chronicles of Robin Hood by Rosemary SutcliffRosemary SutcliffRosemary Sutcliff CBE was a British novelist, and writer for children, best known as a writer of historical fiction and children's literature. Although she was primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults; Sutcliff herself once commented that she wrote...
, 1950. - The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green, 1956.
- The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinleyRobin McKinleyRobin McKinley is a distinguished author of fantasy and children's books who has written sixteen books to date. Her latest book Pegasus was published in 2010...
, 1988, a retelling in which Robin Hood is, in fact, the worst archer in his band, but whose shrewdness leads them through their dangers. - Sherwood by Parke Godwin, 1992, and Robin and the King, 1993
- The Forestwife trilogy by Theresa TomlinsonTheresa Tomlinson-Biography:As a child, she lived in Cleveland and North Yorkshire where her father was a vicar, but had little interest in writing stories. It was only as she began to tell stories to her three children that she began to enjoy writing. She especially likes writing historical fiction...
, 1993-2000. - Robin's Country by Monica FurlongMonica furlongMonica Furlong was a British author, journalist, and activist. She was born at Kenton near Harrow, north-west of London and died at Umberleigh in Devon. An obituary called her the Church of England's "most influential and creative layperson of the post-war period."Many of Furlong’s books reflected...
, 1994. - Romance novelist Marsha CanhamMarsha CanhamMarsha Canham is a Canadian writer of historical, romance novels since 1984. She has won two Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Awards.-Biography:Marsha Canham resides in Toronto...
builds the Robin Hood legend through possible historical fact in her Robin Hood Trilogy set during the reign of King John of England: Through a Dark Mist (1991), In the Shadow of Midnight (1994), and The Last Arrow (1997). - Robin Hood According to Spike Milligan by Spike MilliganSpike MilliganTerence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
, 1998, parodies the legend of Robin Hood. - The Rowan Hood series by Nancy SpringerNancy SpringerNancy Connor Springer is an American author of fantasy, young adult literature, mystery, and science fiction. Her novel Larque on the Wing won the Tiptree Award, and she has also received the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.-Series:Book of the Isle* 1. The White Hart * 2...
, 2001-2005. - The King Raven TrilogyKing Raven TrilogyThe King Raven Trilogy, by Stephen R. Lawhead, is a series of historical novels based on the Robin Hood legend. Lawhead relocates Robin Hood from Sherwood Forest in Nottingham to Wales, and sets the story in the late eleventh century, shortly after the Battle of Hastings to coincide with the Norman...
(Hood [2006], Scarlet [2007], Tuck [2009]) by Stephen R. LawheadStephen R. LawheadStephen R. Lawhead, born , is a best-selling American writer known for his works of fantasy, science fiction, and more recently, historical fiction, particularly Celtic historical fiction...
, 2006, relocates the Robin Hood legends to WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. - In Lynn Viehl's Darkyn book series Robin Hood is one of the Darkyn (which are vampires). He gets his own romance story in the final novel Stay the Night (January 2009).
- Robin The Hoodie reimagines Robin Hood as a young troublemaker in modern-day Nottingham, complete with ASBOÅsboÅsbo can refer to:*Åsbo Northern Hundred, a hundred in Scania*Åsbo Southern Hundred, a hundred in Scania...
(2009). - In Hodd, author Adam ThorpeAdam ThorpeAdam Thorpe is a British poet, novelist and playwright whose works also include short stories and radio dramas.-Career:Adam Thorpe was born in Paris and grew up in India, Cameroon and England...
explores the theory that the legendary Robin Hood is the mythologized creation of the narrator based on his time spent with the real outlaw. - Angus DonaldAngus DonaldAngus Donald is a British writer of historical fiction. As of 2011, he has released three books that loosely follow the story of Alan-a-Dale.-Biography:...
's Outlaw Chronicles, consisting of OutlawOutlaw (novel)Outlaw is the first novel of the five-part Outlaw Chronicles series by British writer of historical fiction, Angus Donald, released on 10 July 2009 through Little, Brown and Company. The début novel was relatively well received.-Plot:...
(2009), Holy WarriorHoly WarriorHoly Warrior is the second novel of the five-part Outlaw Chronicles series by British writer of historical fiction, Angus Donald, released on 22 July 2010 through Little, Brown and Company. The novel was well received.-Plot:...
(2010) and King's ManKing's ManKing's Man is the third novel of the five-part Outlaw Chronicles series by British writer of historical fiction, Angus Donald, released on 21 July 2011 through Little, Brown and Company.-Plot:...
(2011), feature Robin Hood as Robert Odo.
Music
- The Opera of Robin Hood was written by George MacfarrenGeorge MacfarrenGeorge Macfarren was a playwright and the father of composer George Alexander Macfarren. Macfarren's first play, Ah! What a Pity, or, The Dark Knight and the Fair Lady, was produced on 28 September 1818 at the English Opera House; for the next several decades, a Macfarren play was produced...
(libretto: John OxenfordJohn OxenfordJohn Oxenford , English dramatist, was born at Camberwell, London, England.-Life:He began his literary career by writing on finance...
) and first produced at Her Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1860. It was written for the voice of Sims ReevesSims ReevesJohn Sims Reeves , usually called simply Sims Reeves, was the foremost English operatic, oratorio and ballad tenor vocalist of the mid-Victorian era....
, a star tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, who played Locksley, and was first performed by him with Mme Lemmens-Sherrington (Marian), Mme Lemaire, Charles SantleyCharles SantleySir Charles Santley was an English-born opera and oratorio star with a bravuraFrom the Italian verb bravare, to show off. A florid, ostentatious style or a passage of music requiring technical skill technique who became the most eminent English baritone and male concert singer of the Victorian era...
and Mr. Parkinson, under the direction of Sir Charles HalleCharles HalléSir Charles Hallé was an Anglo-German pianist and conductor, and founder of The Hallé orchestra in 1858.-Life:Hallé was born in Hagen, Westphalia, Germany who after settling in England changed his name from Karl Halle...
. - W. H. Birch wrote an operetta called The Merrie Men of Sherwood ForestThe Merrie Men of Sherwood ForestThe Merrie Men of Sherwood Forest, or Forest Days in the Olden Time is a pastoral operetta in three acts. The words and music were written by W. H. Birch and the work was published by John Blockley of Argyll Street, London.-Performance history:...
which was performed in 1871. - The romantic Opera Robin Hood, op. 34, was written by the German composer Albert DietrichAlbert DietrichAlbert Hermann Dietrich , was a German composer and conductor, remembered less for his own achievements than for his friendship with Johannes Brahms.Dietrich was born at Golk, near Meissen...
(1829–1908). It was first performed in Frankfurt am Main in 1879. A new production of this almost forgotten opera will be released at the Theater Erfurt on march 20th, 2011. - Another opera called Robin Hood was written by Reginald De KovenReginald de KovenHenry Louis Reginald De Koven was an American music critic and prolific composer, particularly of comic operas.-Biography:...
and Clement ScottClement ScottClement Scott was an influential English theatre critic for the Daily Telegraph, and a playwright and travel writer, in the final decades of the 19th century...
in 1889 and premiered in Chicago on June 9, 1890, with Jessie Bartlett DavisJessie Bartlett DavisJessie Bartlett Davis was an American operatic singer and actress from Morris, Illinois, who was billed as "America's Representative Contralto".-Opera and acting:...
as Alan a-Dale. - "Robin Hood" by Louis PrimaLouis PrimaLouis Prima was a Sicilian American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the 1920s, then successively leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the...
and Bob Miketta (1944). - The theme from the 1955 television series The Adventures of Robin HoodThe Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)The Adventures of Robin Hood is a popular British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show aired weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV in London in the...
was covered by Gary MillerGary Miller (singer)Gary Miller born Neville Williams was an English popular music singer and actor of the 1950s and 1960s. His career spanned only 13 years before he died of a heart attack in 1968. He released 24 singles and six EPs on the Pye Records label between 1955 and 1967...
and released as a single (Pye N15020) in 1956. It reached #10 on the UK charts. - The 1973 Disney animated filmRobin Hood (1973 film)Robin Hood is an 1973 American animated film produced by the Walt Disney Productions, first released in the United States on November 8, 1973...
included five original songs: "Whistle Stop", a mostly instrumental piece, "Oo-De-Lally" and "Not in Nottingham", written and performed by Roger MillerRoger MillerRoger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
, "LoveLove (1973 song)Love is a song from Walt Disney's film Robin Hood with the lyrics and music by Floyd Huddleston and George Bruns and the lyrics sung by Huddleston's then-wife Nancy Adams, as believed to be Maid Marian's singing voice....
", written by George Bruns and Floyd Huddleston and performed by the latter's then-wife Nancy Adams, and "The Phony King of England", performed by Phil HarrisPhil HarrisHarris and Faye married in 1941; it was a second marriage for both and lasted 54 years, until Harris's death. Harris engaged in a fistfight at the Trocadero nightclub in 1938 with RKO studio mogul Bob Stevens; the cause was reported to be over Faye after Stevens and Faye had ended a romantic...
. - Legend, an album by Irish band ClannadClannadClannad are an Irish musical group, from Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Their music has been variously described as bordering on folk and folk rock, Irish, Celtic and New Age, often incorporating elements of an even broader spectrum of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant...
, is the soundtrack for the ITV television series Robin of SherwoodRobin of SherwoodRobin of Sherwood , was a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. In America it was retitled Robin Hood and shown on the premium cable TV channel...
(1984). It featured the main theme and single, "Robin (The Hooded Man)". - ComposerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Robert SteadmanRobert SteadmanRobert Steadman is a British composerof classical music who mostly works in a post-minimalist style but also writes lighter music, including musicals, and compositions for educational purposes...
, who lived for some time in NottinghamNottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, has written 2 musical compositions using the mythsMythologyThe term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
of Robin Hood:- "The Dethe of Robyn Hood" (1995) uses fragments of a mediæval balladBalladA ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
as its text and is scored for narratorNarratorA narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
and wind band. - "Robin Hood & Little John" (2005) was commissioned by Southwell Choral Society as was premiered by them in Southwell MinsterSouthwell MinsterSouthwell Minster is a minster and cathedral, in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England. It is six miles away from Newark-on-Trent and thirteen miles from Mansfield. It is the seat of the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham and the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.It is considered an outstanding...
. It sets an anonymousAnonymityAnonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
mediæval ballad about the first meeting of Robin Hood and Little JohnLittle JohnLittle John was a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men.-Folklore:He appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories...
and is scored for choir and large ensemble.
- "The Dethe of Robyn Hood" (1995) uses fragments of a mediæval ballad
- The progressive acoustic band Nickel CreekNickel CreekNickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
recorded a song entitled "Robin and Marian" on their eponymous albumNickel Creek (album)Nickel Creek is an eponymous album by the acoustic/"newgrass" trio known as Nickel Creek. Although the group had released two albums prior to this, they are not produced anymore and the band's style was redefined before the release of Nickel Creek; therefore this album is widely regarded as...
.
Video games
The character of Robin Hood appears, either as a playable character or as a major supporting character, in the following games:- Robin Hood (Xonox, 1983)
- Super Robin HoodSuper Robin HoodSuper Robin Hood is a platform action video game featuring Robin Hood released in November 1985 by Codemasters. The game was developed by the Oliver twins on the Amstrad CPC at the age of 17 and was their first title published by Codemasters....
(Codemasters, 1985) - Robin of the WoodRobin of the WoodRobin of the Wood is a maze game published in 1985 for several 8-bit computer formats by Odin Computer Graphics in the UK and Serma Software in Spain. It was based on the English legend Robin Hood....
(Odin Compter Graphics, 1985) - Robin of Sherwood: The Touchstones of Rhiannon (Adventure International, 1985)
- Defender of the CrownDefender of the CrownDefender of the Crown is a strategy computer game designed by Kellyn Beck. It was Cinemaware's first game, and was originally released for the Commodore Amiga in 1986, setting a new standard for graphic quality in home computer games....
(Cinemaware, 1987) - The Curse of Sherwood (Mastertronic, 1987)
- The Adventures of Robin HoodThe Adventures of Robin Hood (video game)The Adventures of Robin Hood is a video game released in the autumn of 1991 by Millennium Interactive.The protagonist, Robin of Loxley, is robbed of his castle by the Sheriff of Nottingham and has to get it back with the help of Maid Marian, Little John, Will Scarlet and Friar Tuck.The gameplay can...
(Millenium Interactive, 1991) - Robin Hood: Prince of ThievesRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves (video game)Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was a console game released in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy developed by Sculptured Software, Inc. and Bits Studios, respectively, and published by Virgin Games, Inc...
(Virgin Games, 1991) - Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood (Sierra Entertainment, 1991)
- Robin Hood: Legend Quest (Codemasters, 1993)
- Defender Of The Crown II (Commodore Electronics, 1993)
- Age of Empires II: The Age of KingsAge of Empires II: The Age of KingsAge of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft. Released in 1999 for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems, it was the second game in the Age of Empires series...
(Microsoft, 1999) - Robin Hood (EA/Light & Shadow Productions, 2001)
- Robin Hood: The Legend of SherwoodRobin Hood: The Legend of SherwoodRobin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood is a 2002 stealth-based real-time strategy video game developed by Spellbound Studios. It is similar to games such as Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive and the Commandos series. In the game, the player controls up to five characters in a setting based on the...
(Wanadoo, 2002) - Robin Hood: Defender of the CrownRobin Hood: Defender of the CrownRobin Hood: Defender of the Crown is a video game made by Cinemaware and Capcom. It is loosely based on the legend of Robin Hood and remake of Cinemaware's previous very successful game, Defender of the Crown. It is for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows.-Plot:It is a time of great unrest in...
(Capcom, 2003) - Robin Hood's QuestRobin Hood's QuestRobin Hood's Quest is a stealth adventure game released on February 16, 2007 for the Sony PlayStation 2 and PC.The game generally received very negative reviews....
(Oxygen Interactive, 2007) - Fate/ExtraFate/Extrais a Japanese dungeon role-playing game for the PlayStation Portable, created by Type-Moon and Image Epoch and published by Marvelous Entertainment. The game takes place in a parallel universe to the visual novel Fate/stay night. The game was released in Japan on July 22, 2010. Aksys Games...
as an Archer class servant (Epoch & Type Moon, 2010) - Defender Of The Crown: Heroes Live Forever (eGames, 2007)
- Robin Hood: The Return of Richard (Nordcurrent, 2010)
- Robin's Quest: A Legend Born (Gogii Games, 2010)
Strategy games
- Avalon HillAvalon HillAvalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
published a board game based on the legend called The Legend of Robin Hood.
Comic books
- As a public domainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
character with an established reputation, Robin HoodRobin Hood (DC Comics)Robin Hood is a fictional character, a comic book Outlaw published by DC Comics. Robin Hood debuted in New Adventure Comics vol. 1 #23 , and was created by Sven Elven. The character is based on the mythical archer Robin Hood whose earliest recorded literary appearance was in William Langland's 14th...
was an attractive feature for comic bookComic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
publishers from the birth of the medium. The first continuing Robin Hood stories were written and drawn by Sven Elven and appeared in the DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
title, New Adventure Comics vol. 1 #23 through #30 (1938). There was also a Robin Hood back up story in Green HornetGreen HornetGreen Hornet may refer to:* The Green Hornet, a fictional character created by Fran Striker for the 1930s radio program and adapted into several media versions...
#7 through #10, written by S. M. Iger. - A small renaissance of Robin Hood comics occurred in the late 1950s, starting with the little known "Rodger of Sherwood" stories in the Young Heroes anthology series #39 through #37 by American Comics GroupAmerican Comics GroupAmerican Comics Group was a New York City-based comic book publisher which operated during the Golden and Silver Age of comic books. ACG published one of the first horror comics titles, Adventures into the Unknown. Another of ACG's claims to fame was the character of Herbie Popnecker, who starred...
. That same year, Robin got his first title comic book from Magazine EnterprisesMagazine EnterprisesMagazine Enterprises was an American comic book company lasting from 1943 to 1958, which published primarily Western, humor, crime, adventure, and children's comics, with virtually no superheroes...
which ran for eight issues, three with a Richard Greene photo cover. Brown Shoe Co., maker of Robin Hood Shoes, published seven giveaway issues starting in 1956. Robin soon attracted attention from more established comic publishers such as Charlton ComicsCharlton ComicsCharlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
, who retitled Danger and Adventure to Robin Hood and His Merry Men starting with issue #28. Quality comics published Tales of Robin Hood until issue #7, then was bought by DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
who continued until issue #13 and included a crossover with Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, making it the longest lasting English language Robin Hood series. DC also published Robin Hood stories in their Brave and the Bold anthology series from #5 to #15. - In the 1960s, Dell published a couple of Robin Hood one-shots, one a re-telling of the traditional legend, the other a Disney TV show tie-in. Then, in 1974, Gold Key ComicsGold Key ComicsGold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
produced a 7 issue tie-in with the Disney animated film. Eclipse published a three-part miniseries in 1991, perhaps a tie in with the Kevin CostnerKevin CostnerKevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
film. Finally, there have been various one-shots produced by Moonstone BooksMoonstone BooksMoonstone Books is an American comic book, graphic novel, and prose fiction publisher based in Chicago focused on pulp fiction comic books and prose anthologies as well as horror and western tales....
and Avalon Communications. - In 1991, DC produced a series called Outlaws, with writing by Michael Jan Friedman and art by Luke McDonnell. It was a re-imagining of the legend set in a future, somewhat post-apocalytic, time- something akin to the future depicted in films such as Mad MaxMad MaxMad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
. - Robin Hood and his band appear in one issue of the Vertigo Comics series Fables. Along with other folk heroes, they give their lives to buy time for the last ship to flee to the mundane world.
- In 2007, Xeric award winning cartoonist Steve LeCouilliard began a comedy web-comic called "Much the Miller's Son" http://www.muchthecomic.com telling the story of Robin Hood from the point of view of a minor character. It has since been collected in two volumes with a third projected for summer 2011.
- The superhero Green ArrowGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
possesses obvious traits of inspiration that originate from Robin Hood; most notably being a skilled archer, swordsman, and a thing for wearing green.
Other
- 2000 Year Old Man2000 Year Old ManThe 2000 Year Old Man is a persona in a comedy skit, originally created by Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner in 1961.Mel Brooks played the oldest man in the world, interviewed by Carl Reiner in a series of comedy routines that appeared on television, as well as being made into a collection of records...
, who is played by Mel BrooksMel BrooksMel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
, contradictsContradictionIn classical logic, a contradiction consists of a logical incompatibility between two or more propositions. It occurs when the propositions, taken together, yield two conclusions which form the logical, usually opposite inversions of each other...
the legand of him, by saying that "he stole from everyone and keept everything" 1961. - LegoLegoLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
had a theme based on Robin Hood and his merry men, called Forestmen. - In 2007, the University of NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
offered a MA courseMaster of Arts (postgraduate)A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
on the subject of Robin Hood. - Robin Hood became the official mascot of Nottingham Forest Football Club at the beginning of the 2007-08 football season, replacing Sherwood the Bear.
- A Robin Hood FoundationRobin Hood FoundationThe Robin Hood Foundation is a charitable organization, which attempts to alleviate problems caused by poverty in New York, United States.-History:Founded in 1988, Robin Hood was the brainchild of hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones...
was created in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1988 as a charitable organisation. - Steve Jackson GamesSteve Jackson GamesSteve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
released GURPS Robin Hood, for their eponymous role-playing game systemGURPSThe Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
. While the book itself is out of print, it is currently available in electronic format. - In archeryArcheryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, a "Robin Hood" is the term used for an arrowArrowAn arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
splitting the shaft of an arrow already in the target. - The newspaper comic Wizard of Id features a minor character named "Robbing Hood", an obvious pun on Robin Hood's name.
- The Green Feather MovementGreen Feather MovementThe Green Feather Movement was a brief-lived college protest fad directed against McCarthyism. It began on March 1, 1954 with five college students at Indiana University who clandestinely tacked a green feather to every bulletin board on campus. The gesture was inspired by Mrs...
of 1954 referenced the Merry menMerry MenThe Merry Men are the group of outlaws who followed Robin Hood, according to English folklore. An early use of the phrase "merry men" occurs in the oldest known Robin Hood ballad, "Robin Hood and the Monk", which survives in a manuscript completed around 1450. The word "merry" in this and other...
as a protest against anti-communismAnti-communismAnti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
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Further reading
- Seal, Graham. The Outlaw Legend: A Cultural Tradition in Britain, America and Australia. Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN 0521553172
- Hayes, T. Wilson. The birth of popular culture : Ben Jonson, Maid Marian, and Robin Hood. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Duquesne University Press, 1992. ISBN 0820702412
- Singman, Jeffrey L. Robin Hood : the shaping of the legend. Westport, Conn : Greenwood Press, 1998. ISBN 0313301018