"Hagar the Terrible" was the nickname given to the late Dik Browne by his sons; Browne adapted the name to
Hägar the Horrible for
alliteration. After his death, Dik Browne's sons changed the title of the strip to ''Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible'' in tribute. Hägar (sometimes written "Hagar") is a shaggy, scruffy, overweight, red-bearded Viking. He regularly raids England, and sometimes
France. 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." Before
Hägar, Browne was best known for co-creating the comic strip
Hi and Lois with his partner,
Beetle Bailey creator
Mort Walker. Browne was reportedly the real-life inspiration for the character Plato, the intellectual private in
Beetle Bailey.
Cast of characters Dik Browne based the characters on his family. His son Chris said, "And he was a big man like me. He was three hundred pounds and six feet two and had a flaming red beard." •
Hägar the Hörrible: the slovenly, overfed Viking
protagonist. Hägar is both a fierce warrior and a family man with the same problems as your average modern suburbanite. One
running gag 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". •
Helga: Hägar's large-framed, bossy housewife, dressed in operatic,
Brünnhilde-like blonde braids and helmet. She is the quintessential
maternal "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
Wagnerian
Valkyrie. •
Lucky Eddie: Hägar's first mate, best friend, and lieutenant in Viking raids. Contrary to popular depictions of Vikings as
brawny macho 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 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. •
Hamlet: Hägar and Helga's intelligent, clean, obedient, and studious young son is 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. •
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. 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. •
Lute: an inept
bard/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). They 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
cowled,
druid-like "physician" who gives primarily nutritional and psychiatric advice, and is a notorious and dangerous
quack. He wears a hood that conceals his face except for his long nose which sticks out. On a few occasions, 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. In a running gag, he occasionally shows up accompanied by a soldier with a battle-axe, saying, "We're here to collect a special one-time tax for the King." Which, of course, happens every time Hagar earns so much as a penny. •
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 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==