Questions
Who created Hägar the Horrible?
Cartoonist Dik Browne created the strip. Before Hägar he co-created Hi and Lois with Mort Walker, and he had earlier worked as a courtroom illustrator and a WWII battle map illustrator.
When did the strip first appear?
It debuted in Sunday papers on February 4, 1973, and in daily newspapers the next day. It is syndicated by King Features Syndicate.
Where does the name Hägar come from?
Browne’s sons nicknamed him "Hagar the Terrible," and he adapted it to "Hägar the Horrible" for the alliteration.
Who is Hägar exactly?
He is a shaggy, scruffy, overweight, red-bearded Viking who raids England and France, though he has a soft underbelly beneath the rough exterior.
Where and when is the strip set?
It takes place during the Middle Ages in an unnamed coastal village somewhere in Norway, with occasional anachronisms played for laughs.
Who is Hägar’s wife?
Helga, a large-framed, bossy housewife drawn with operatic, Brünnhilde-like blonde braids and a helmet.
What about Hägar’s kids?
His son Hamlet is intelligent, clean, obedient, and studious, and wants to be a dentist. His daughter Honi is a beautiful, cheerful 16-year-old dressed as a young Valkyrie with a winged helmet, breastplate, and a chainmail skirt.
Who is Lucky Eddie?
He is Hägar’s first mate, an ironically named short, skinny, chinless, awkward weakling who wears a funnel rather than a helmet.
Are there any pets or animal characters?
Yes. Snert is Hägar’s dog, drawn as a bird/hunting dog, and Kvack is the family’s German duck who serves as Helga’s friend and confidante.
How widely read is the strip?
As of 2010 it ran in about 1,900 newspapers across 56 countries and was translated into 12 languages.
Is there a running joke about Hägar’s hygiene?
Yes. In the strip his annual bath, on July 14, is described as a time of national rejoicing.
Has Hägar been used in advertising?
Yes. Hägar and other characters were used to advertise Skol Lager beer and Mug Root Beer, and there has been a Hägar-themed gift shop at the Islands of Adventure theme park in Florida.
Did Dik Browne inspire another famous comic character?
Reportedly, Browne was the real-life inspiration for Plato, the intellectual private in the comic strip Beetle Bailey.
Who has drawn the strip since Dik Browne?
Dik Browne retired in 1988 and his son Chris Browne continued the strip, working with artist Gary Hallgren, until Chris retired in 2017. It is now produced by staff at Browne Creative Enterprises, run by Bob Browne and his sister Sally Browne-Boeras.
