''Hägar the Horrible'' is the title and main character of an American

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

created by

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...

Dik Browne Richard Arthur Allan Browne (August 11, 1917 – June 4, 1989) was an American cartoonist, best known for writing and drawing ''Hägar the Horrible'' and ''Hi and Lois''. Biography Browne attended Cooper Union and got his start at the ''New York ...

and syndicated by

King Features Syndicate King Features Syndicate, Inc. is a American content distribution and animation studio, consumer product licensing and print syndication company owned by Hearst Communications that distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editoria ...

. It first appeared in February 1973 and was an immediate success. Since Browne's retirement in 1988 (and subsequent death), his son

Chris Browne Christopher Kelly Browne (May 16, 1952 – February 5, 2023) was an American comic strip artist and cartoonist. He was the son of cartoonist Dik Browne and brother of cartoonist Chance Browne. From 1989 to 2023, Browne wrote and drew the comic s ...

has continued the strip with artwork by

Gary Hallgren Gary Hallgren (born October 28, 1945) is an American illustrator and underground cartoonist. Illustrations by Hallgren have been "commissioned by publications such as ''The New York Times'', ''Men's Health'', ''The Wall Street Journal'', '' Mad ...

.William B. Jones, ''Classics illustrated: a cultural history, with illustrations'', McFarland: 2002, , 267 pages, pp:171, 229–230 , ''Hägar'' is distributed to 1,900 newspapers in 56 countries and translated into 12 languages.King Features Syndicate: ''Hägar the Horrible''
access date Mars 2, 2017 The strip is a

caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...

commenting on modern-day life in the United States through a loose interpretation of

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

n life.

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

alliteration Alliteration is the conspicuous repetition of initial consonant sounds of nearby words in a phrase, often used as a literary device. A familiar example is "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers". Alliteration is used poetically in various ...

. After his death, Dik Browne's sons changed the title of the strip to ''Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible'' in tribute.Terence J. Sacks, ''Opportunities in Cartooning and Animation Careers'', McGraw-Hill Professional, 2007, , , 160 pages, pp 71 The name is pronounced ''Hay-gar'' according to Chris Browne. Hägar (sometimes written "Hagar") is a shaggy, scruffy, overweight, red-bearded Viking. He regularly raids England and sometimes

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. 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 Opera-Viking, but you also know Hägar has a soft underbelly occasionally exposed."

Setting and format

The strip is set in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

in an unnamed coastal village somewhere in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. Hägar's

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

lineage was revealed at least once in a

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. Bud Fisher's ''Mutt and Jeff'' is commonly regarded as the first daily c ...

(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 An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...

occur, they are not deliberate mainstays of the strip, as in other period burlesque strips like ''

The Wizard of Id ''The Wizard of Id'' is a daily newspaper comic strip created by American cartoonists Brant Parker and Johnny Hart. Beginning November 16, 1964, the strip follows the antics of a large cast of characters in a shabby medieval kingdom called "Id" ...

''. The strip follows a standard

gag-a-day A gag-a-day comic strip is the style of writing comic cartoons such that every installment of a strip delivers a complete joke or some other kind of artistic statement. It is opposed to story or continuity strips, which rely on the development of ...

daily format with an extended color sequence on

Sundays The Sundays were an English alternative rock band, formed in the late 1980s, which released three albums throughout the 1990s. The band's beginnings came with the meeting of singer Harriet Wheeler and guitarist David Gavurin while attending ...

. Much of the humor centers around Hägar's interactions with his

longship Longships were a type of specialised Scandinavian warships that have a long history in Scandinavia, with their existence being archaeologically proven and documented from at least the fourth century BC. Originally invented and used by the Nors ...

crew, especially "Lucky Eddie" (when on voyages or during periodic sacking and looting raids). Sometimes the humor would be at the tavern with the other Vikings, or Hagar dealing with his family, who are not like stereotypical Vikings. 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 II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

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'' is an American comic strip about a suburban family. Created by Mort Walker and illustrated by Dik Browne, both of whose offspring currently work on the strip, it debuted on October 18, 1954, distributed by King Features Syndicate.Ro ...

'' with his partner, ''

Beetle Bailey ''Beetle Bailey'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Mort Walker, published since September 4, 1950. It is set on a fictional United States Army post. In the years just before Walker's death in 2018 (at age 94), it was among the old ...

'' creator

Mort Walker Addison Morton Walker (September 3, 1923 – January 27, 2018) was an American comic strip writer, best known for creating the newspaper comic strips ''Beetle Bailey'' in 1950 and ''Hi and Lois'' in 1954. He signed Addison to some of his strips. ...

. 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

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

. Hägar is both a fierce warrior and a family man—with the same problems as your average modern suburbanite. One

running gag A 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. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...

involves his exceptionally poor personal hygiene; for example, his annual bath (July 14) 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 to 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 play the trumpets in celebration of this "

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

". * Helga: Hägar's large-framed, bossy housewife, dressed in operatic,

Brünnhilde Brunhild, also known as Brunhilda or Brynhild ( non, Brynhildr , gmh, Brünhilt, german: Brünhild , label= Modern German or ), is a female character from Germanic heroic legend. She may have her origins in the Visigothic princess Brunhilda ...

-like blonde braids and helmet. She is the quintessential

maternal ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gestat ...

"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

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

ian

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36) ...

. * Lucky Eddie: Hägar's first mate, best friend and lieutenant in Viking raids. Contrary to popular depictions of Vikings as brawny

macho Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1930s and 1940s best defined as hav ...

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

funnel A funnel is a tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or powder into a small opening. Funnels are usually made of stainless steel, aluminium, glass, or plastic. The material used in its construct ...

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 give him much advantage over other Vikings or his enemies. In the Jan 9, 2000 Sunday strip, Eddie reveals that he lived in a cave on the coast of Ireland. He was captured by the Last Roman Legion, to make them maps, until he was rescued by Hagar. Having been unconditionally known and accepted simply by his

moniker A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

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 and 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 unpronounceable 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".'' In the July 5, 2019 strip, Eddie tells Helga and Hägar that he was given his nickname by his maternal uncle who is a wordsmith specializing in oxymorons (an apparent reference to his being unlucky). His father is shown in the May 23, 2021 strip. * 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. Other times Hägar would try to make an effort relate to his son Hamlet, and the punchline being his dumbfoundedness, such as Hamlet asking the chicken and egg question. Hägar answers "the chicken!" but when Hamlet rhetorically asks "where was the egg it hatched from?", it then shows that day has turned to night and Hägar is still considering it (although it may also appear he is in deep thought about that philosophy). * 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

chainmail Chain mail (properly called mail or maille but usually called chain mail or chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and ...

. 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. They recently broke up. * Lute: an inept

bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise t ...

/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 name, which he is often seen playing (albeit poorly). Lute and Honi recently broke up. * 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

cowl A cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves, often worn by monks. Originally it may have referred simply to the hooded portion of a cloak. In contemporary usage, however, it is distinguished from a clo ...

ed,

druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...

-like "physician" who gives primarily nutritional and psychiatric advice, and is a notorious and dangerous

quack Quack, The Quack or Quacks may refer to: People * Quack Davis, American baseball player * Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack (1834–1917), Dutch economist and historian * Joachim Friedrich Quack (born 1966), German Egyptologist * Johannes Quack (b ...

. He always wears a hood that conceals his face except for his long nose which sticks out. On few occasions, however, his face has at least partially been seen. *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. *Koyer the Lawyer: an unpleasant but effective barrister. *The Executioner: often accompanies the Tax Collector. *Brother Olaf: a monk who unsuccessfully explains to Hägar the concept of sin. 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 The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

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."

Licensing

*For a brief time in the 1970s, the strip had its own brand of sponsored soda, "Sunday Funnies Cola", which would have Hägar strips on the side of the can. It was considered a marketing failure. Nearly two decades later, from 1989 to 1991, Hägar would once again be used in a soft drink endorsement in a series of radio and TV ads for

Mug root beer Mug Root Beer is an American brand of root beer that was originally produced in 1940 under the name Belfast Root Beer. It is now made by New Century Beverage Company of San Francisco, California, which was acquired by PepsiCo in 1986. History ...

, to far greater success. Most of the TV ads for Mug were the same ads that had premiered for Skol Lager in the UK, albeit redubbed and recolored to make reference to root beer. *In the UK, Hägar and other characters from the strip were also used to advertise

Skol Lager Skol Lager was developed originally by Ind Coope breweries in Alloa, Central Scotland. In 1958, Graham's Continental was launched (based upon a local brew called Graham's Golden) and quickly changed to Graham's Skol to give a Scandinavian impre ...

beer, produced in Great Britain by

Allied Breweries Allied Breweries was the result of a 1961 merger between Ind Coope (of Burton), Ansells (of Birmingham), and Tetley Walker (of Leeds). In 1978, Allied Breweries merged with the food and catering group J. Lyons and Co to form Allied Lyons. The bre ...

. Hägar appeared on

billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

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 University Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923. ...

Vikings. *In the early-1990s, Hagar was used in print ads for the IBM

RS/6000 The RISC System/6000 (RS/6000) is a family of Reduced instruction set computer, RISC-based Unix Server (computing), servers, workstations and supercomputers made by IBM in the 1990s. The RS/6000 family replaced the IBM RT PC computer platform in ...

TV guest appearances

''Hagar'' made his first animated appearance in a brief sketch paired with an interview of creator

in the special ''The Fantastic Funnies'' broadcast on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

May 15, 1980.

Scott Beach Scott Beach (January 13, 1931 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor, writer and DJ, best known for his performance in the 1960s-themed 1973 film ''American Graffiti''. Life and career Born Alvin Scott Beach, he appeared in numerous m ...

(uncredited) provided the voice while the animation was produced by

Bill Melendez José Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Melendez (November 15, 1916 – September 2, 2008) was an American character animator, voice actor, film director and producer. Melendez is known for working on the Peanuts animated specials, ''Peanuts'' animated specials ...

and

Lee Mendelson Leland Maurice Mendelson (March 24, 1933 – December 25, 2019) was an American animation producer and the executive producer of the many ''Peanuts'' animated specials. Biography Mendelson was born in San Francisco and grew up in San Mateo gra ...

. A live action ''Hagar'' sketch was included in the special ''Mother's Day Sunday Funnies'' broadcast May 8, 1983 on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

TV special

In 1989, an animated television special was aired, ''Hägar the Horrible: Hägar Knows Best'' produced by

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...

and aired on

, 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 son Hamlet has bilged out of the Viking Academy, and his beloved daughter Honi is now dating a minstrel named Lute. Hagar blames Helga for allowing Honi to date Lute and being okay with Hamlet reading books. Hägar breaks up his daughter and trains his son in archery and other Viking venues. However, after seeing how unhappy his children have become, as well as other Vikings calling his kids weird, Hägar takes charge in his own way and sets things right. The special starred

Peter Cullen Peter Claver Cullen (born July 28, 1941) is a Canadian voice actor. He is best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in the original 1980s ''Transformers'' animated series, reprising the role many times since 2007. He has also voiced many other c ...

as Hägar,

Lainie Kazan Lainie Kazan (born Lainie Levine; May 15, 1940) is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for '' St. Elsewhere'' and the 1993 Tony Award for Best Featured Actr ...

as Helga,

Lydia Cornell Lydia Cornell (born Lydia Korniloff, July 23, 1953) is an American actress best known for her role as Sara Rush on the ABC situation comedy ''Too Close for Comfort''. Early life and family Cornell was born Lydia Korniloff in El Paso, Texas o ...

as Honi, Josh Rodine as Hamlet,

Jeff Doucette Jeffrey Doucette (born November 25, 1947) is an American character actor. Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he was the second of eight children born to Elizabeth (Betty Andres) and William (Bill) Doucette. Jeffrey attended Marquette Universit ...

as Lucky Eddie,

Don Most Don Most (born August 8, 1953) is an American actor and singer, best known for his role as Ralph Malph on the television series ''Happy Days''. Early life Most was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City. He lived in Flatbush, Brook ...

as Lute and

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...

as Snert, as well as providing additional voices. It is available on DVD within the "Advantage Cartoon Mega Pack" set.

Movie project

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' 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. According to emails leaked in the

Sony Pictures Entertainment hack On November 24, 2014, a hacker group identifying itself as "Guardians of Peace" leaked a release of confidential data from the film studio Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). The data included personal information about Sony Pictures employees ...

, a film adaptation was in development in 2013 and 2014 at

Sony Pictures Animation Sony Pictures Animation Inc. is an American animation studio owned by Sony Entertainment's Sony Pictures Entertainment through their Motion Picture Group division and founded on May 9, 2002. The studio's films are distributed worldwide by Son ...

. In late 2014, Chris Browne confirmed that a deal was made with

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio Conglomerate (company), conglom ...

to produce a film based on the character.

Animated sitcom

On November 10, 2020, it was announced a CGI animated series co-produced by King Features and

The Jim Henson Company The Jim Henson Company (formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc.; commonly referred to as Henson) is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is known for ...

is currently in the works. The series will be animated by Henson Digital Puppetry Studio.

Book collections and reprints

All titles are

mass-market paperbacks A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, lea ...

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 Trade paperback may refer to: * Trade paperback, a higher-quality softcover version of a book * Trade paperback (comics) In comics in the United States, a trade paperback (shortened: TPB or trade) is a collection of stories originally published ...

, 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. *''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 (hardcover, November 2010)

Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and co ...

Theme park

''Hägar the Horrible'' is featured in the

Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...

theme park

Islands of Adventure Universal's Islands of Adventure (also known as Islands of Adventure or IOA), originally called Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened on May 28, 1999, along with CityWalk, as part of an ...

, where Hägar is seen on a boat on top of Toon Extra in Toon Lagoon.

References

External links

HägarTheHorrible.net

at

Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

. at

Archived
from the original on December 2, 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hagar The Horrible American comic strips Fictional Vikings Comics set in the Viking Age 1973 comics debuts Comics characters introduced in 1973 Gag-a-day comics American comics characters Comics about married people Comics adapted into television series Comics adapted into animated series Comics adapted into video games Comics about dogs Comics about ducks Comics set in Europe Comics set in Norway Comics set in France Comics set in England