The Makings of a Queen?

Above: Prince Valiant's father King Aguar of Thule is aware that his grandson Prince Arn has fallen in love with the Viking maiden Lydia, daughter of the warrior-king Haakon. Since her mother's death long ago, Lydia has been raised among Haakon's rough and mannerless warriors. Aguar does not question Arn and Lydia's love for one another. But does Lydia have the makings of a queen, he wonders.


See also the previous posts:
• Sweethearts United
• Halcyon Days
• Lydia

Art: Hal Foster and John Cullen Murphy (from installment #2176, October 22, 1978). At this point in Prince Valiant's run, John Cullen Murphy, who had been quietly assisting Hal Foster since 1970, was well into his first decade of drawing the strip over Foster's writing and roughs.
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 49): Road to Sorrow's End, comprising pages, or installments, 2168 (August 27, 1978) through 2211 (June 24, 1979). Fantagraphics Books, 2003.

Murphy and Gianni Collaboration

Above: Panel three of installment #3401 (April 14, 2002) is an impressive example of artists John Cullen Murphy and Gary Gianni working together on Prince Valiant. The foreground figures of (from left) Arn, Galan, Prince Valiant and Sir Gawain are drawn by Murphy, while the detailed battle scene behind them is by Gianni.

In his 2008 book The Prince Valiant Page, Gianni writes the following about his collaboration with Murphy.

This arrangement wasn't permanent . . . and when the venerable master retired, he made it quite clear he no longer wanted anything to do with the strip. As of March 28, 2004 I was on my own.

"Don't send your finished pages to me," he directed. "Send them directly to King Features. I won't need to see them anymore."

"Wouldn't you care to draw a page occasionally, just to keep your hand in it?" I asked. The artist's response seemed all too brief, given the years he's invested in the enterprise.

"No . . . I'm done."

At that time, I did not know how ill he was.

Art: John Cullen Murphy and Gary Gianni (from installment #3401, April 14, 2002).
Source: The Prince Valiant Page – Gary Gianni (Flesk Publications, 2008).

Faithful Beric

Beric served as the young Prince Valiant's faithful squire during Val's early days as knight of King Arthur's Round Table.

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment #318, March 14, 1943)
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Described as a "tender-hearted rouge" with a "scarred and bony face," the brave and resourceful Beric shared many adventures with Prince Valiant.

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment #370, March 12, 1944).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Above and below: Beric is first introduced in installment # 291 (September 6, 1942), when he is shown riding out of Camelot with Prince Valiant, Sir Gawain, and Gawain's unnamed squire. Throughout the subsequent adventure that takes place in Scotland, Beric is simply identified as Prince Valiant's "faithful squire."

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment #293, September 20, 1942).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 3): 1941-1942 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).


We first learn of Beric's name in installment #301 (November 15, 1942), when it is noted that he is the first to greet Prince Valiant upon his return to Camelot (below).

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment #301, November 15, 1942).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 3): 1941-1942 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Above and below: On more than one occasion Beric saves Prince Valiant's life, including the time Val is trapped in an ice cave.

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment #368, February 27, 1944).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment #322, April 11, 1943).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Above and below: Not only do the two men share times of high adventure, but also times of loss and grief.

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment #334, July 4, 1943).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Above: Being 10-15 years older than Val, Beric frequently serves as a voice of reason and calm for his often hot-headed young master.

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment 343, September 5, 1943).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Above: Together Val and Beric face many dangers.

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment #386, July 2, 1944).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Above: Prince Valiant and Beric return once more to Camelot after sharing an adventure.

The text that accompanies this panels reads: "Camelot! Far across Winchester Heath its towers soar skyward and Val's heart swells with pride. For he is a part of its splendid tradition!"

Image and text: Hal Foster (from installment #380, May 21, 1944).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Image and text: Hal Foster (from installment #350, October 24, 1943).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).

Above: The beginning of the last adventure . . .

Accompanying Prince Valiant on his quest to once again see Aleta, Queen of the Misty Isles, Beric does not hesitant to leap into the sea to save Val after he is struck by their ship's falling mast and cast adrift on the storm-tossed waves.

Art and text: Hal Foster (from installment #392, August 13, 1944).
Source: Prince Valiant (Vol. 4): 1943-1944 – Hal Foster (Fantagraphics Books, 2011).