Thrud the Barbarian
Encyclopedia
Thrud the Barbarian is a comics
character created by Carl Critchlow
in 1981. Although Thrud himself is a parody of Conan the Barbarian
, particularly as depicted in the Arnold Schwarzenegger
films, inspiration for the character's adventures and adversaries has been drawn from several fantasy
sources.
During the 1980s, a Thrud comic strip
was a regular and popular feature in the roleplay
and wargame magazine White Dwarf
with Thrud's grotesque and comic antics forming a memorable part of the magazine's golden age
. In 2002, continued interest in the character from role-playing enthusiasts and a desire to be free to experiment with a new artistic style prompted Critchlow to self-publish a series of award-winning full-length Thrud the Barbarian comics.
Since October 2002, Critchlow has continued to develop his new artistic style in several different 2000 AD
stories, contributing to the success of Lobster Random
in particular. While Critchlow's use of muted palettes has been criticised, his style has received praise for being highly recognisable and unique.
, gave him the project of producing a comic strip. At the time, Critchlow was reading the Conan books by Robert E. Howard
, and this inspired him to produce Thrud. The initial five-page strip was published in comics fanzine
Arken Sword. When Critchlow moved on to art college in Liverpool
, Thrud made a further appearance in the comic Dead 'Ard, which Critchlow co-authored with artist Euan Smith. Dead 'Ard also featured a strip titled The Black Currant, subsequently re-published in the 26th and final issue of the Warrior comic anthology. The Black Currant would later appear as one of Thrud's many enemies.
s, Crtichlow submitted some of his Thrud strips and was hired. Thrud the Barbarian became a monthly feature in White Dwarf between issue 45 in September 1983 and issue 105 in September 1988. During this time, the black-and-white single-page strip was voted "Most popular feature" for three consecutive years.
In 1987, a collection of Thrud strips was published in a Thrud the Barbarian Graffik Novel by Games Workshop
. In addition to strips that had been printed in White Dwarf, this anthology
included a re-drawn version of the original Arken Sword strip and an origin story for Thrud.
/Batman
crossover
story The Ultimate Riddle, first published in 1995. His work on this story was fully painted, and while considered impressive was also criticised as being forced, confused and muddy. Critchlow was developing a new style based on line-drawings with computer colouring, but having been pigeon-holed as a painter did not believe that he would be able to interest anyone in this very different style.
When attending gaming convention
s, Critchlow found that he was often remembered for his work on Thrud and recognised that there was still an interest in the character. He therefore decided to create and self-publish a full-length Thrud the Barbarian comic as a way to get his new style noticed. A total of five Thrud the Barbarian comics were published:
Critchlow found that, by organising distribution through comic shops and a devoted Thrud website, he was able to break even financially. His new style was also noticed and received positive comments.
The cover images for each of the first four comics were hand-painted in contrast to the computer-coloured line art used in the comic itself. For issue 5, Critchlow also used his new style for the cover image.
who, lost and searching for a pub, stumble across an abandoned baby in a deserted village. The mercenaries decide to raise the baby as one of their own, teaching him how to fight and drink beer.
At the age of five, Thrud is sent to Crom the Destroyer Orthodox Pagan Infants School, where he towers above the teachers and his fellow students. When one of the children shoots him with a pea shooter
, Thrud's reaction is to kill and maim twenty-seven pupils and three teachers, leading to his expulsion from the school. Choosing to return to the wilderness rather than his adoptive parents, Thrud lives alone until, one day, he stumbles across a hidden burial chamber. Finding a small helmet and a large axe, Thrud arms himself. Finding gold and gems, he decides to return to civilisation with his newfound wealth, quickly establishing himself a reputation as a violent warrior.
Many years later, Thrud the Barbarian becomes Thrud the King, but finds the mundane duties of kingship tiresome without opportunities to fight. To put a halt to Thrud's constant mutterings of, "Kill! Death! Maim! Mutilate! Destroy!", the wise men of his kingdom collect stories of heroism from around the land and read them to him long into the night.
-style poses while remaining ignorant of plot point
s. Depicted as an 8 feet (2.4 m) barbarian
with a hugely exaggerated, muscular physique and a very small head, and dressed in large furry boots and a loincloth
, Thrud is a caricature
of Arnold Schwarzenegger
's Conan the Barbarian
.
Thrud is also a heavy drinker, frequenting the The Hobbit's Armpit tavern and regularly causing mayhem when he is unable to have his desired flavour of crisps. These and other annoyances often cause Thrud to invoke the author of the Conan the Barbarian books with the battle cry
, "By the sacred jockstrap
of Robert E. Howard
you'll pay for this, Hellspawn!"
, Thrud storms the tower, killing Lymara's father, five brothers, two uncles, ten cousins and fiance in the process. Seeking revenge, Lymara attempts to poison Thrud with a bottle of Acme
"Mammoth Poison", but succeeds only in putting him to sleep as part of the The Three Tasks of Thrud series of strips. Subsequently, Lymara joins Thrud as one of the group of mercenaries brought in to fight The Black Currant in Thrud the Destroyer. In this latter series of strips, Lymara is depicted with oversized breasts barely covered by an off-the-shoulder leather bra.
) is an evil necromancer
who regularly crosses paths with Thrud and is depicted as a bald man wearing a large cloak. Thrud first encounters To-Me Ku-Pa in an early White Dwarf strip and is turned into a frog
. Subsequently, in The Three Tasks of Thrud, To-Me Ku-Pa takes advantage of Thrud's drugged state, following Lymara's failed assassination attempt, to hypnotise
him and force him to obtain three items necessary for a spell.
In Thrud the Destroyer, To-Me Ku-Pa is revealed as being in service to The Black Currant and is providing him with an army of warriors drawn from throughout time, including dalek
s and Imperial stormtrooper
s. To-Me Ku-Pa also appears as the villain in issue 1 of the full-length Thrud the Barbarian comic.
A range of Thrud merchandise has been produced since the character's inception, including a Thrud t-shirt and badge as well as a series of miniatures. Citadel Miniatures
produced five different metal miniatures of Thrud, starting in 1984 with a "White Dwarf Personality" miniature. Three numbered limited edition miniatures followed consisting of "LE12, Thrud the Barbarian", in 1986, "LE19, Thrud and Female Admirer" in 1987, and "LE104, Thrud scratching head". Thrud was also introduced as a Blood Bowl
player and Jervis Johnson
commissioned an appropriate miniature. Heresy Miniatures has also produced three Thrud miniatures, including a limited edition "Strolling Thrud" that sold out within three weeks of release. On 29 March 2007, another limited edition of 1000 resin miniatures was released.
. Long-term fans of Thrud were excited and nostalgic to see him return in his own full-length comic, but were concerned that the idea would not stretch to 24 pages. In reviewing issue 1, Jez Higgins, writing on TRS2, and Robert Clark of Strike to Stun, considered the comic a success that was more than one joke spread thin and which was not limited by the single page brevity of the original strip. Steven Maxwell of Bulletproof Comics, however, found that what worked well within the constraints of a single page seemed stretched when spun out over 24. Issue 2 received similarly mixed reviews, with Clark criticising the comic for being much the same, with the same themes and joke as issue 1 while Glenn Carter of Comics Bulletin
found it to be well written light reading with quite a few elements of humour. Overall, the comic was deemed a success, with even the more negative reviewers awarding it 6 out of 10 and looking forward to more issues.
Although the writing received mixed reviews, the reception of the artwork was almost entirely positive. Higgins, recalling the heavy blacks and bold outlines of the original strip, found Critchlow's new style to be much more open and expressive. Maxwell also praised Critchlow's development as an artist, judging the comic to be beautifully drawn and coloured with a clear line style. Carter thought that the art was a little flat in places, but nevertheless praised it for being unique with a lot of character.
Critchlow was also commended for the risky decision to write, draw and publish the comic himself. The comic was compared favourably with professional quality comics, with its lack of adverts viewed as an advantage over those offerings. The high production values were also praised, with the glossy cover and high quality paper used for the inner pages.
In 2004, Thrud the Barbarian won the Eagle Award
for "Favourite British Small Press Title". In 2006 Thrud was nominated for the "Favourite Colour Comicbook – British" Eagle Award, but lost out to 2000 AD
.
, Out of the Undercity
story written by John Wagner
. The new style was initially well received by 2000AD Review and seen as a marked improvement over his previous fully painted style with clearer figures and atmospheric colouring. As the Undercity story developed, however, Critchlow was criticised for using too narrow a palette, with too many greys and blues, although this might have been as a result of the story being set underground.
2000AD Reviews criticism of Critchlow's subdued colouring continued with the 2003 Lobster Random
story, No Gain, No Pain. By the conclusion, however, Critchlow's style was recognised as being truly unique and even the previously criticised blues and greys were seen to work well when used with other coloured elements. The artwork in two further Lobster Random stories, Tooth & Claw in October 2004 and The Agony & the Ecstacy in April 2006 was again very well received. Tooth & Claw was praised for its character designs while Critchlow's style in The Agony & the Ecstacy was said to be easily recognisable, having "volume, colour and verve".
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...
character created by Carl Critchlow
Carl Critchlow
Carl Critchlow is a British fantasy and science fiction comic illustrator. He is perhaps best known for his character Thrud the Barbarian, which originally appeared in White Dwarf magazine, and for his work for the Lobster Random comics....
in 1981. Although Thrud himself is a parody of 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...
, particularly as depicted in the Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
films, inspiration for the character's adventures and adversaries has been drawn from several fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
sources.
During the 1980s, a Thrud 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....
was a regular and popular feature in the roleplay
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
and wargame magazine White Dwarf
White Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
with Thrud's grotesque and comic antics forming a memorable part of the magazine's golden age
Golden Age (metaphor)
A golden age is a period in a field of endeavour when great tasks were accomplished. The term originated from early Greek and Roman poets who used to refer to a time when mankind lived in a better time and was pure .-Golden Age in society:...
. In 2002, continued interest in the character from role-playing enthusiasts and a desire to be free to experiment with a new artistic style prompted Critchlow to self-publish a series of award-winning full-length Thrud the Barbarian comics.
Since October 2002, Critchlow has continued to develop his new artistic style in several different 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
stories, contributing to the success of Lobster Random
Lobster Random
Lobster Random is a character in the comic book 2000 AD. He was created by Simon Spurrier and artist Carl Critchlow.-Overview:Ugly of temper and with a pair of claws surgically grafted onto his sides, Lobster Random was a genetically modified soldier, adapted to never need sleep or to feel pain...
in particular. While Critchlow's use of muted palettes has been criticised, his style has received praise for being highly recognisable and unique.
Initial publications
The character of Thrud was created by the then 18-year-old Critchlow in 1981 while he was at foundation art college. His graphic design tutor, Bryan TalbotBryan Talbot
Bryan Talbot is a British comic book artist and writer, born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1952. He is best known as the creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire.-Career:...
, gave him the project of producing a comic strip. At the time, Critchlow was reading the Conan books by Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
, and this inspired him to produce Thrud. The initial five-page strip was published in comics fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
Arken Sword. When Critchlow moved on to art college in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Thrud made a further appearance in the comic Dead 'Ard, which Critchlow co-authored with artist Euan Smith. Dead 'Ard also featured a strip titled The Black Currant, subsequently re-published in the 26th and final issue of the Warrior comic anthology. The Black Currant would later appear as one of Thrud's many enemies.
White Dwarf
On seeing an advertisement in White Dwarf magazine asking for cartoonistCartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
s, Crtichlow submitted some of his Thrud strips and was hired. Thrud the Barbarian became a monthly feature in White Dwarf between issue 45 in September 1983 and issue 105 in September 1988. During this time, the black-and-white single-page strip was voted "Most popular feature" for three consecutive years.
In 1987, a collection of Thrud strips was published in a Thrud the Barbarian Graffik Novel by Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
. In addition to strips that had been printed in White Dwarf, this anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
included a re-drawn version of the original Arken Sword strip and an origin story for Thrud.
Full-length comic
Once the Thrud strip had run its course in White Dwarf, Critchlow worked on other comics including the Judge DreddJudge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
/Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
crossover
Intercompany crossover
In comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
story The Ultimate Riddle, first published in 1995. His work on this story was fully painted, and while considered impressive was also criticised as being forced, confused and muddy. Critchlow was developing a new style based on line-drawings with computer colouring, but having been pigeon-holed as a painter did not believe that he would be able to interest anyone in this very different style.
When attending gaming convention
Gaming convention
A gaming convention is a gathering that centered on role-playing games, collectible card games, miniatures wargames, board games, video games, or other types of games. These conventions are typically two or three days long, and often held at either a university or in a convention center hotel...
s, Critchlow found that he was often remembered for his work on Thrud and recognised that there was still an interest in the character. He therefore decided to create and self-publish a full-length Thrud the Barbarian comic as a way to get his new style noticed. A total of five Thrud the Barbarian comics were published:
- Carborundum Capers – June 2002
- Ice 'n' a Slice – January 2003
- Lava Louts – June 2004
- Thrud Rex! – June 2005
- Bungle in the Jungle – January 2007
Critchlow found that, by organising distribution through comic shops and a devoted Thrud website, he was able to break even financially. His new style was also noticed and received positive comments.
The cover images for each of the first four comics were hand-painted in contrast to the computer-coloured line art used in the comic itself. For issue 5, Critchlow also used his new style for the cover image.
Fictional character biography
An origin story for Thrud was printed in the Thrud the Barbarian Graffik Novel. The story tells of a group of mercenariesMercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
who, lost and searching for a pub, stumble across an abandoned baby in a deserted village. The mercenaries decide to raise the baby as one of their own, teaching him how to fight and drink beer.
At the age of five, Thrud is sent to Crom the Destroyer Orthodox Pagan Infants School, where he towers above the teachers and his fellow students. When one of the children shoots him with a pea shooter
Pea shooter (toy)
The peashooter is a toy version of the blowgun or blowpipe. Its usually a tube that is either to be blow into or has some kind of lastic mechanism which launches its ammo. As the name suggests the normal ammunition is peas , though other seeds, fruits, improvised darts, or wadded up paper can also...
, Thrud's reaction is to kill and maim twenty-seven pupils and three teachers, leading to his expulsion from the school. Choosing to return to the wilderness rather than his adoptive parents, Thrud lives alone until, one day, he stumbles across a hidden burial chamber. Finding a small helmet and a large axe, Thrud arms himself. Finding gold and gems, he decides to return to civilisation with his newfound wealth, quickly establishing himself a reputation as a violent warrior.
Many years later, Thrud the Barbarian becomes Thrud the King, but finds the mundane duties of kingship tiresome without opportunities to fight. To put a halt to Thrud's constant mutterings of, "Kill! Death! Maim! Mutilate! Destroy!", the wise men of his kingdom collect stories of heroism from around the land and read them to him long into the night.
Characterisation
Endowed with the strength of a rhinoceros, the speed of a jungle cat and the intelligence of a garden snail, Thrud is a one-dimensional character who engages in mindless slaughter and strikes Frank FrazettaFrank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media...
-style poses while remaining ignorant of plot point
Plot point
In television and film, a plot point is a significant event within a plot that digs into the action and spins it around in another direction. It can also be an object of significant importance, around which the plot revolves. It can be anything from an event to an item to the discovery of a...
s. Depicted as an 8 feet (2.4 m) barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
with a hugely exaggerated, muscular physique and a very small head, and dressed in large furry boots and a loincloth
Loincloth
A loincloth is a one-piece male garment, sometimes kept in place by a belt, which covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks.-History and types:Loincloths are being and have been worn:*in societies where no other clothing is needed or wanted...
, Thrud 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...
of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
'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...
.
Thrud is also a heavy drinker, frequenting the The Hobbit's Armpit tavern and regularly causing mayhem when he is unable to have his desired flavour of crisps. These and other annoyances often cause Thrud to invoke the author of the Conan the Barbarian books with the battle cry
Battle cry
A battle cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same military unit.Battle cries are not necessarily articulate, although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious sentiment....
, "By the sacred jockstrap
Jockstrap
A jockstrap is an undergarment designed for supporting the male genitalia during sports or other vigorous physical activity...
of Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
you'll pay for this, Hellspawn!"
The Black Currant
First appearing in Dead 'Ard and Warrior, The Black Currant returned in a series of White Dwarf Thrud strips titled Thrud the Destroyer. In this story, The Black Currant is the leader of a horde of warriors who attack a small village, looting the homes, burning the women, raping the livestock and eating the babies. The Black Currant returned again in issue 3 of Critchlow's self-published Thrud the Barbarian comic as the leader of a group of bandits laying siege to a small town. The Black Currant is depicted in heavy black armour, wearing a helmet provided with a pair of exceedingly long, horizontally extending horns.Carl Critchlow
Critchlow himself appears in a number of Thrud strips, occasionally as a narrator although more often as a drinking companion for Thrud. Critchlow depicts himself with lank hair and a large cap pulled down low over his eyes.Croneman the Cimpletan
Croneman claims to be the mightiest barbarian of the northern tribes and honorary chief of the savage bezerkers of Nid. Known also as Amoron, the Wombat, he is a slayer, a reaver, a corsair, a usurper, and a conqueror. Depicted as resembling Schwarzenegger, he is also a bodybuilder with a very silly accent. On first meeting Croneman, Thrud slices him in half with a sword. When Croneman returns to join a group of mercenaries fighting The Black Currant in Thrud the Destroyer, he is depicted with a line of sutures running down the middle of his face and chest.Lymara, the She Wildebeeste
Thrud first encounters Lymara when he sees her chasing away a wasp by waving a small cloth from her tower bedroom. Thinking her to be a damsel in distressDamsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
, Thrud storms the tower, killing Lymara's father, five brothers, two uncles, ten cousins and fiance in the process. Seeking revenge, Lymara attempts to poison Thrud with a bottle of Acme
Acme Corporation
The Acme Corporation is a fictional corporation that features prominently in the Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons as a running gag featuring outlandish products that fail catastrophically at the worst possible times...
"Mammoth Poison", but succeeds only in putting him to sleep as part of the The Three Tasks of Thrud series of strips. Subsequently, Lymara joins Thrud as one of the group of mercenaries brought in to fight The Black Currant in Thrud the Destroyer. In this latter series of strips, Lymara is depicted with oversized breasts barely covered by an off-the-shoulder leather bra.
To-Me Ku-Pa
To-Me Ku-Pa (a name phonetically similar to that of British comedian Tommy CooperTommy Cooper
Thomas Frederick "Tommy" Cooper was a very popular British prop comedian and magician from Caerphilly, Wales.Cooper was a member of The Magic Circle, and respected by traditional magicians...
) is an evil necromancer
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
who regularly crosses paths with Thrud and is depicted as a bald man wearing a large cloak. Thrud first encounters To-Me Ku-Pa in an early White Dwarf strip and is turned into a frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
. Subsequently, in The Three Tasks of Thrud, To-Me Ku-Pa takes advantage of Thrud's drugged state, following Lymara's failed assassination attempt, to hypnotise
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
him and force him to obtain three items necessary for a spell.
In Thrud the Destroyer, To-Me Ku-Pa is revealed as being in service to The Black Currant and is providing him with an army of warriors drawn from throughout time, including dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s and Imperial stormtrooper
Imperial stormtrooper
The Imperial Stormtroopers are fictional soldiers from George Lucas' Star Wars universe. Stormtroopers are the soldiers of the imperial army under the leadership of the evil Sith Lord and Emperor Palpatine and his commanders, most notably Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.They are shown in...
s. To-Me Ku-Pa also appears as the villain in issue 1 of the full-length Thrud the Barbarian comic.
Merchandise
Citadel Miniatures
Citadel Miniatures Limited is a company which produces metal, resin and plastic miniature figures for tabletop wargames such as Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000....
produced five different metal miniatures of Thrud, starting in 1984 with a "White Dwarf Personality" miniature. Three numbered limited edition miniatures followed consisting of "LE12, Thrud the Barbarian", in 1986, "LE19, Thrud and Female Admirer" in 1987, and "LE104, Thrud scratching head". Thrud was also introduced as a Blood Bowl
Blood Bowl
Blood Bowl is a Fantasy Football game created by Jervis Johnson for the British games company Games Workshop as a parody of American Football. The game was first released in 1987 and has been re-released in new editions since...
player and Jervis Johnson
Jervis Johnson
Jervis Johnson is a game designer for Games Workshop.He is currently one of Game Workshop's long-term strategy managers, having previously been employed as head of its Specialist Games division.Jervis is credited with creating the following games:...
commissioned an appropriate miniature. Heresy Miniatures has also produced three Thrud miniatures, including a limited edition "Strolling Thrud" that sold out within three weeks of release. On 29 March 2007, another limited edition of 1000 resin miniatures was released.
Reception and awards
Thrud the Barbarian was one of the best loved pieces in White Dwarf over the five years that the strip ran, being voted "Most popular feature" for three consecutive years during the magazine's golden ageGolden Age (metaphor)
A golden age is a period in a field of endeavour when great tasks were accomplished. The term originated from early Greek and Roman poets who used to refer to a time when mankind lived in a better time and was pure .-Golden Age in society:...
. Long-term fans of Thrud were excited and nostalgic to see him return in his own full-length comic, but were concerned that the idea would not stretch to 24 pages. In reviewing issue 1, Jez Higgins, writing on TRS2, and Robert Clark of Strike to Stun, considered the comic a success that was more than one joke spread thin and which was not limited by the single page brevity of the original strip. Steven Maxwell of Bulletproof Comics, however, found that what worked well within the constraints of a single page seemed stretched when spun out over 24. Issue 2 received similarly mixed reviews, with Clark criticising the comic for being much the same, with the same themes and joke as issue 1 while Glenn Carter of Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
found it to be well written light reading with quite a few elements of humour. Overall, the comic was deemed a success, with even the more negative reviewers awarding it 6 out of 10 and looking forward to more issues.
Although the writing received mixed reviews, the reception of the artwork was almost entirely positive. Higgins, recalling the heavy blacks and bold outlines of the original strip, found Critchlow's new style to be much more open and expressive. Maxwell also praised Critchlow's development as an artist, judging the comic to be beautifully drawn and coloured with a clear line style. Carter thought that the art was a little flat in places, but nevertheless praised it for being unique with a lot of character.
Critchlow was also commended for the risky decision to write, draw and publish the comic himself. The comic was compared favourably with professional quality comics, with its lack of adverts viewed as an advantage over those offerings. The high production values were also praised, with the glossy cover and high quality paper used for the inner pages.
In 2004, Thrud the Barbarian won the Eagle Award
Eagle Awards
The Eagle Award is a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They are awarded by UK fan voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's Eagle comic, the awards were set up by Mike Conroy, Nick Landau, Colin Campbell, Phil Clarke and Richard Burton, and launched...
for "Favourite British Small Press Title". In 2006 Thrud was nominated for the "Favourite Colour Comicbook – British" Eagle Award, but lost out to 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
.
Legacy
In October 2002, four months after Thrud issue 1 was published, Critchlow returned to 2000AD using his new computer-drawn style. His first story was the Judge DreddJudge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
, Out of the Undercity
Undercity (Judge Dredd)
The Undercity is a part of the fictional universe featured in the Judge Dredd series that appears in the UK comic book 2000 AD.-Background:...
story written by John Wagner
John Wagner
John Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since.He is best known for his work on...
. The new style was initially well received by 2000AD Review and seen as a marked improvement over his previous fully painted style with clearer figures and atmospheric colouring. As the Undercity story developed, however, Critchlow was criticised for using too narrow a palette, with too many greys and blues, although this might have been as a result of the story being set underground.
2000AD Reviews criticism of Critchlow's subdued colouring continued with the 2003 Lobster Random
Lobster Random
Lobster Random is a character in the comic book 2000 AD. He was created by Simon Spurrier and artist Carl Critchlow.-Overview:Ugly of temper and with a pair of claws surgically grafted onto his sides, Lobster Random was a genetically modified soldier, adapted to never need sleep or to feel pain...
story, No Gain, No Pain. By the conclusion, however, Critchlow's style was recognised as being truly unique and even the previously criticised blues and greys were seen to work well when used with other coloured elements. The artwork in two further Lobster Random stories, Tooth & Claw in October 2004 and The Agony & the Ecstacy in April 2006 was again very well received. Tooth & Claw was praised for its character designs while Critchlow's style in The Agony & the Ecstacy was said to be easily recognisable, having "volume, colour and verve".