Tweet
Posted by Tom MasonCategories:Editorials,Reviews
But they spoke of him with such awe - of his abilities as a cartoonist and how his irreverent sense of humor was perfect for his chosen profession - that I was really sorry I hadn’t moved to the area much earlier.
By the time Dik Browne created Hagar, he was already a success: he was the co-creator with Mort Walker of Hi & Lois (in 1954), he had a huge side career in advertising (he created the Chiquita logo, for example) and he did strips like The Tracy Twins for Boy’s Life.
And then on his own in 1973, came Hagar The Horrible, the daily comic strip about a goofball Viking leader who wanted nothing more than to pillage villages and celebrate his victories and his defeats with alcohol. It was boisterous, smart, fun, and above all else, extremely well-drawn.
Browne wasn’t some kid learning on the job - he was a working professional at the top of his game. He brought everything he’d learned over the years to his new strip and poured it all into each panel. It wasn’t just funny, it was great to look at.
Britain's Titan Books has recently released The Epic Chronicles of Hagar The Horrible: Dailies 1974-1975, covering the second and third years of the strip and it really is a revelation. Browne played around with strip layout, sometimes using one long panel, worked with light and shadow, spotted blacks beautifully, and even varied his word balloons. And he did all this with Hagar while still drawing Hi & Lois.
Best of all, he made the strip more than just a set-up-then-punchline about a Viking. Hagar the Horrible had a rich supporting cast of family and friends and Browne’s skills managed to turn a sword-wielding, ale-guzzling, ready-to-fight, hardly-a-role-model-husband into a sympathetic character. Chris Browne, Dik’s son, took over the strip after Dik passed away in 1989.
Brian Walker (Mort’s son) contributes an introduction to this volume that describes the family-based creative process of producing Hagar during this period and it sounds like a raucous blast. Brian quotes Dik saying, “We like to show the whole Hagar family during the course of a week, plus other aspects of Hagar’s life - sailing, raiding, eating, partying... there’s no continuity, but different aspects.
The Epic Chronicles is thick with cartoons, reproduced 2-to-a-page in black and white. It’s a nice size for the daily presentation: the cartoons are very readable and it allows for quality reproduction of the artwork. Like all Titan Books products, it’s an excellent package all around and the dustjacket even includes a quote from a fan letter written by Charlton Heston.
Highly recommended.
[Artwork: Hagar The Horrible, © King Features]
Related Tags:brian walker, british comics, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoonists, chris browne, dik browne, hagar the horrible, hi & lois, reviews, titan booksTools: PermalinkComments (0)
Digg ThisAdd To del.icio.usEmail this story Related Entries Advertisement #comments .singlecomment {margin-top:10px; border-bottom:1px #ccc solid;}#comments .singlecomment .left {float:left; width:160px; font-size:11px !important;}#comments .singlecomment .left a {font-size:11px !important;}#comments .singlecomment .left img {float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;}#comments .singlecomment .left em {display:block; font-size:10px !important;}#comments .singlecomment .left strong {display:block; font-size:11px !important;}#comments .singlecomment .left .image {float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;}#comments .singlecomment .left .image img {float:none; margin:0;}#comments .singlecomment .right {float:left; width:410px; overflow:hidden;}#comments .singlecomment .right .footer {font-size:10px;}#comments .singlecomment .right .footer a {font-size:11px !important; font-weight:bold;}#comments .singlecomment .right .footer strong {font-size:10px !important;}#comments .noborder {border:0 !important}#comments .ichat {float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;}#comments .level_2 {margin-left:50px;}#comments .level_2 .right {width:370px;}#comments .level_3 {margin-left:50px;}#comments .level_3 .right {width:320px;}#comments div.on {background-color:#F2F2F2}#comments div p.footer {}#comment_form form .textfield {width:500px;}#comment_form2 form .textfield {width:500px;}#comment_form2 {margin-top:20px;}#comment_form2 #changedmind {font-weight:bold; float:right; text-decoration:underline;}div#well div#comment_form2 {background:#fff; margin-bottom:0;}Comments:Be the first to comment Advertisement Post a Comment:Name: (required)
Email: (required but not displayed)
Location: (optional)
URL: (optional)
Comment:
Smileys
Remember my personal information
Notify me of follow-up comments?
Submit the word you see below:
Post a Comment:
Name: (required)
Email: (required but not displayed)
Location: (optional)
URL: (optional)
Comment:
Smileys
Remember my personal information
Notify me of follow-up comments?
Submit the word you see below:
Comic PublishersDark Horse ComicsDC ComicsDynamic ForcesIDW PublishingImage ComicsIndependentMarvel ComicsTokyoPopViz MediaWizard Entertainment Comix 411 GeneralAction FiguresCollectingConventionsDVDEditorialsInterviewsMoviesReviewsSite AnnouncementsSite FeaturesTelevisionVideo Games Advertisement Site LinksHomeSearch GearLiveRSS FeedsPopular ArchiveTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyReport a Website BugAll About Gear LiveAbout Us & ContactHow GearLive WorksFAQsJobs at GearLiveGear Live Tools
Check out the Gear Live Touls that let you integrate Gear Live into your site.
AdvertiseYou can buy advertising on Gear Live through our advertising partner Federated Media.
Gear Live SocialCheck us out on:
FacebookYouTubeTwitterMySpaceBlip.tvGear Live StoreNew! Get Gear Live hats, shirts, hoodies and more at the new GearLive Store, coming soon.
© Gear Live Media, LLC. 2007 – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.
Gear Live Presents: Gear LiveMost RecentMost ClicksDeal of the Day: 61% off Kodak SLICE 14 megapixel touchscreen camera bundleAmerican Airlines will stream video to your devices while you fly starting this summerWindows Phone 7 NoDo update finally hitting HTC SurroundSLEEPTRACKER Watch ReviewMod Your XBOX Without a Mod ChipFlash on iPhone is just around the corner Gear Live Presents: Bleeding Edge TVMost RecentMost ClicksBleeding Edge TV 381: Hulu Plus on Xbox 360 reviewBleeding Edge TV 380: Showyou for iPad reviewBleeding Edge TV 379: HTC Thunderbolt reviewBleeding Edge TV 179: How To Mod Your iPhone on Windows Using iBrickrBleeding Edge TV 190: How to Replace Your iPhone BatteryBleeding Edge Byte 025: Melting Hard Drives With Thermite Gear Live Presents: PlayFeedMost RecentMost ClicksNintendo Wii price slashed to $150, now includes Mario Kart WiiGears of War 3 beta reviewNintendo confirms Wii successor to be shown at E3 in JuneE3 2005: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi ImpressionsXbox 360 Controller for Windows Installation ImagesApparently That Xbox 360 Red Light of Doom Problem Hasn’t Been Fixed Gear Live Presents: UnboxingMost RecentMost ClicksHTC Thunderbolt 4G smartphone unboxingMotorola Xoom unboxing galleryUnboxing Live 068: Motorola Xoom 4G LTE Android tabletXbox 360 Messenger Kit Unboxing GalleryXbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition Unboxing GalleryThe T-Mobile Sidekick 3 Unboxed Gear Live Presents: TV EnvyMost RecentMost ClicksGlee: The Rumours are True, Fleetwood Mac is AwesomeDancing With the Stars 12: Week 7 EliminationAmerican Idol 10: ‘Not a Bad Time to Go’ for Casey AbramsVanessa Hudgens Admits to Nude PhotoKelly Clarkson Snubs American IdolIdol Producers, Judges Speak Out About Antonella Barba Pics Gear Live Presents: Film CrunchMost RecentMost ClicksPHOTOS: Sneak Peek at Breaking DawnBox Office: Fast Rise to the Top for Racing SequelJane Lynch Cast in The Three Stooges MovieMr. Skin Lists Greatest Nude Scenes in New BookReview: Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixCelebrity Double-Take: Amy Adams vs. Isla Fisher Gear Live Presents: EndscoreMost RecentMost ClicksEndScore Report: In Your Face Roger McDowell and Atlanta FalconsEndScore Report: NBA Playoffs First Round ReviewEndScore Report: NFL Lockout and NFL DraftJames Blake’s Girlfriend, Jennifer Scholle, Makes it to Maxim MagazineCold Pizza’s Dana Jacobson is SingleAmerican League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East Gear Live Presents: Dropping DimesMost RecentMost ClicksFirst Look: Tuesday, March 17First Look: Friday, March 13First Look: Thursday, March 12Do Not Draft Amare Stoudemire!My PFS Experts League TeamDropping Dimes Draft Blog: Round 1, Pick 7 Gear Live Presents: Food SqueezeMost RecentMost ClicksRecipe: Tropical chicken polenta cakesRecipe: Pineapple Lime ChickenRecipe: Korean Short Ribs with MarinadeA Guide To Different Apple TypesApple Nutrition FactsFresh Beet Salad Recipe Gear Live Presents: VenturusMost RecentMost ClicksThe dude that ‘livetweeted’ the bin Laden raid got hackedDelicious isn’t dead! YouTube founders buy Delicious from YahooFacebook ‘Open Compute Project’ aims to change the server industryGet Your phpBB Forums IndexedBlog Business Summit: 10 Ways To A Killer BlogBlog Business Summit: What’s Next In Online Communication? Gear Live Presents: Andru EdwardsMost RecentMost ClicksThe new Kindle is awesome. Amazing that these used to be $399, now $139.Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize wish: Teach every child about foodJetBlue All-You-Can-Jet Pass is an amazing dealThe Loss of a Hero: Goodbye DadThese Puppies Need A Home - PAWS in Ocean Shores Has Them!Engadget Upset At E3 Video Appearance [UPDATED] Gear Live Presents: Seattle Mind CampMost RecentMost ClicksGetting ready for Seattle Mind Camp 6.0: The Practical GuideGetting ready for Seattle Mind Camp 6.0: The Philosophical GuideCheck out the new Seattle Mind Camp YouTube channelHave a Smaller Topic? Do a Lightning Talk!HoursRegister Now For Seattle Mind Camp 2.0 HomeTechEntertainmentSportsLifestyleEventsVideo ShowsPersonalitiesForumsGalleryAboutArchivesContact .iTt{ FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: lightyellow; BORDER: black 1px solid; PADDING: 2px;}
Toxic, one of the wacky British comics magazines (that competes with Dandy and The Beano) is looking for an "Experienced sub-editor/writer."
| Egmont 
Mike G3/21/11 7:52 am
I like anthology comics. I think they can be a great showcase for both a writer and an artist and if you’re in the mood for a short story instead of a long multi-part epic, they can really hit the spot.
Like many others (and you know who you are), one of my favorite comic book shops is the Dollar Store, known by many different names and operated by several different and separate companies. But whether it's Dollar Tree, 99¢ Only Stores, Family Dollar or whatever, you can still occasionally find someone who's dumped a huge pile of bagged comics from the fringes of the industry.