Comic Strip Review: Hägar the Horrible: “Caught in the Act!” by Dik Browne
It is the age of Vikings, what some will call the Dark Ages. In a coastal village somewhere on the coast of Norway lives a minor raider chieftain named Hägar the Horrible. This doughty warrior travels around the known world, and sometimes beyond it, in search of spoils and treasure. But it is his family, odd as they might sometimes be, that he truly loves.
This gag a day comic strip was created by Dik Browne (1917-1989) co-creator of the Hi and Lois comic, and started publication in 1973. It’s still running in some papers. “Hagar” was a family nickname for Mr. Browne himself, a large, red-bearded man. It wasn’t too large a leap to create a character loosely based on the popular notions about Vikings. While the official setting of the strip is Dark Ages Europe, little effort is made towards historical accuracy (starting with the horned helmets) and historical/fictional characters from a wide range of centuries often show up.
Hagar is an uncouth ruffian, barbaric in both his love of battle and indulgence in booze and food. Still, he has his soft underbelly, and like the Vikings of the sagas, sometimes breaks into impromptu poetry. His wife is Helga, a formidable woman modeled after a Wagnerian Valkyrie, who keeps things running at home when Hagar’s away and attempts to get him to be a little more considerate and reliable.
Hagar has two children. His teenage daughter Honi is a young and pretty Valkyrie-type who in theory is of marriageable age, but never quite seems to seal the deal. Her most frequent suitor is an inept musician named Lute, who Honi’s parents consider not a good match. Hagar’s pre-adolescent son Hamlet is studious and literate, not at all interested in following his father’s warrior ways. He’d rather become a dentist.
In addition to the family pets Snert (dog) and Qvak (duck), the most frequent additional character is Hagar’s first mate Lucky Eddie. “Lucky” is hilariously misnamed as his fortunes are inevitably dire. He’s short, puny, and weak-chinned, but a loyal sidekick to Hagar so continues to be his friend.
There’s no continuity to the strip–any lessons learned are unlearned by the next day. This particular collection was published in 1982 and features only Sunday strips from 1974. The first strip has a groggy Hagar being prepped by his family for a voyage to the New World, having misplaced most of his gear. The final strip has Hagar returning home in a particularly good mood and singing (literally) the praises of his kin.
Other standout strips: One in which a jester begins an ethnic joke about how Burgundians are slow of thought. A lord defends his castle with a lawyer. A “family reunion” that’s a parade of one-off weird designs. And a marriage broker that used to be a horse trader.
Content notes: Slapstick violence, no one ever really gets killed. Alcohol abuse, a bit of tobacco use. Old-fashioned gender role nonsense.
This is a pretty good gag strip with a consistent level of humor. This particular collection may be hard to find, but any of the volumes should do well with those who like this sort of thing.
