Boyhood Haunts

Art: Thomas Yeates (from page 4404, July 4, 2021).
Text: Mark Schultz.
Source: Comics Kingdom.

See also the previous posts:
• Horrit of the Fens
• Horrit’s Prophesy
• How It All Began

Horrit of the Fens

See also the previous post:
• Horrit's Prophecy

Art: Hal Foster (from page 9, April 10, 1937).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 1): 1937-1939 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2009).

Marital Woes

Art: Thomas Yeates (from pages 3986 and 3987, June 30 and July 7, 2013).
Text: Mark Schultz.
Source: TimesUnion.com.


See also the previous posts:
• The Return of Karen and Valeta
• "We Are the Daughters of the Prince of Thule and the Queen of the Misty Isles"
• Karen the Amazon
• Karen Saves the Day
• "A Broken Heart 'Twixt Twin Maidens, Rampant"
• Horrit's Prophecy

Something Very Special . . .

To mark the February 13 75th anniversary of Prince Valiant, the team currently producing the strip – artist Gary Gianni and writer Mark Schultz – have created something very special . . .

Yes, it's this weekend's installment, page #3914, of the ongoing adventures of Valiant, Prince of Thule and Knight of the Round Table; a page that in harkening back to a surreal adventure experienced by Valiant in his youth, provides a wonderful opportunity for Gianni and Schultz to not only convey the strip's key values of adventure, camaraderie, family and hope, but also highlight and celebrate many of the characters that have appeared throughout Prince Valiant's 75-year history and helped make it one of the most beloved and enduring 'comic' strips of all time.

Be sure to click on the image above for a larger view!

These highlighted characters include Valiant's wife Aleta, eldest son Arn, twin daughters Karen and Valeta, second son Galan, father King Aguar of Thule, good King Arthur of Camelot, Sir Gawain, Sir Tristram, Horrit of the Fens, Boltar, Tillicum, Geoffrey, Gundar Harl, Angor Wrack, Makeda, Sir Lancelot and Prince Arn of Ord.

And if you look carefully you'll see standing with the wizard Merlin none other than Hal Foster (1892-1982), the creator of Prince Valiant, and his successor John Cullen Murphy (1919-2004), who drew the strip for over 30 years before passing it on to Gianni in 2004.

Without doubt, Gianni and Schultz's 75th anniversary page is a beautiful and fitting tribute to Prince Valiant, the greatest work ever produced in the comic art medium.


See also the previous post:
• Prince Valiant Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Recommended Off-site Links:
• Happy 75th Birthday, Prince Valiant! – Tyler Tichelaar (Children of Arthur, February 1, 2012).
• Supporting Cast: Happy Wedding Anniversary, Aleta and Val – DailyInk.com (February 10, 2012).

Horrit's Prophecy

"Now, pretty boy, gaze into the peat embers and I will tell you what is in store for you. . . ."

The witch Horrit predicts the young Prince Valiant's future: "You will confront the unicorn, the dragon and the griffon, black men and yellow. You will have high adventure, but nowhere do I see happiness and contentment. . . . Already your greatest sorrow awaits you . . ."

Thankfully, the part about never knowing happiness and contentment doesn't pan out for Prince Valiant. However, a great sorrow did indeed await the young prince upon returning home from Horrit's hovel in the gloomy depths of the English Fens: news of his mother's death.


Art and text: Hal Foster (#10 – April 17, 1937).
Image source: Prince Valiant (Vol 1): 1937-1938 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2009).