Comical Books 04: Hagar the Horrible

 

As far as we were concerned at the time, Dik Browne’s Hagar the Horrible (premiered 1973) was a little late to the table, though a welcome newcomer. It looks at society as seen through the lens of another time and, taking place in a dark age following the fall of an advanced civilization, seemed particularly attuned to the zeitgeist of the Seventies. Hagar was a plundering Viking who took his lifestyle for granted, an uneducated slob who nevertheless loved his family and was thus seen as having some redeeming qualities. Joined by his operatically-sized wife Helga, his liberated shield-maiden of a daughter Honi, his bookish non-barbarian son Hamlet, and his wimpy, unfortunate second-in-command Lucky Eddie, Hagar navigates the currents of a primitive time in search of loot, adventure, and a few good meals.

Before Hagar, Dik Browne was most famous for being one of the co-creators of Hi and Lois with Mort Walker (the sole creator of Beetle Bailey – we actually had – have? – a few paperbacks from those comics as well).

When Browne passed away in 1988, his son Chris Browne took over the strip until he passed away in February of just this year. Hagar the Horrible was and is very popular as a comic strip, but all efforts to import that success into other media have proved futile to date. TV shows, movies, and specials have tended to fizzle out, unable to translate the mild but enthralling humor into more plot-driven narratives. The TV special is available for viewing on YouTube.

There were many, many more paperbacks of Hagar, released from 1974 to 1994. These are the few I’ve been able to garner so far.

The Brutish Are Coming

Hagar Hits the Mark

Hagar the Horrible #2

On the Rack

Hagar the Horrible Brings ‘Em Back Alive!

Ol’ Blues Eyes is Back!

Midnight Munchies

Horns of Plenty

Tall Tales

Hagar the Horrible #1

Sack Time

Hagar’s Knight Out