Adrian the Barbarian
Encyclopedia
Adrian the Barbarian was a comic strip in the comic The Beezer, and later the merged Beezer and Topper, first introduced in 1989. It featured a boy who dressed as a barbarian
with a magical sword. He lived in a very strange world where almost anything could happen, whether it be good or bad. Many inanimate objects gained life in the strip, for example a pile of coal
for the fire
turned into a man called Old King Coal
. He appeared in The Beezer annual until the last one dated 2003.
In July 2008, as of issue 3441, Adrian the Barbarian was reprinted in The Beano
under the new title of Olaff the Madlander. An explanation was written at the top of the page saying that Olaff and his mum had just moved to the Madlands, but should have been going to the Midlands
. This strip was not the first of them, but new speech bubbles indicated that it was (Adrian/Olaff is walking through the door one morning and his mum asks him how he was after the move. This was not in the original, as it is taken from a random issue of the Beezer and Topper - no. 49 to be exact). Olaff the Madlander has only ever appeared in The Beano as reprints, never as new strips.
Olaff the Madlander replaced fellow Beezer and Topper reprint, Fred's Bed
. The two strips have never appeared in the same issue together. However, when the Beano received a revamp in issue 3454, (18 October 2008), Fred's Bed returned to the comic, and Olaff has not appeared since.
The first few strips were drawn by Nigel Parkinson
, but his version of the character was disliked by the comic's staff, and so for the most part Sid Burgon
was the strip's artist, with occasional strips also being drawn by John Geering
. After a year, the character started appearing on the cover of the comic in addition to his appearances on the inside. These cover stories were drawn by Robert Nixon
.
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
with a magical sword. He lived in a very strange world where almost anything could happen, whether it be good or bad. Many inanimate objects gained life in the strip, for example a pile of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
for the fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
turned into a man called Old King Coal
Old King Cole
"Old King Cole" is an English nursery rhyme. The historical identity of King Cole has been much debated and several candidates have been advanced as possibilities...
. He appeared in The Beezer annual until the last one dated 2003.
In July 2008, as of issue 3441, Adrian the Barbarian was reprinted in The Beano
The Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
under the new title of Olaff the Madlander. An explanation was written at the top of the page saying that Olaff and his mum had just moved to the Madlands, but should have been going to the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. This strip was not the first of them, but new speech bubbles indicated that it was (Adrian/Olaff is walking through the door one morning and his mum asks him how he was after the move. This was not in the original, as it is taken from a random issue of the Beezer and Topper - no. 49 to be exact). Olaff the Madlander has only ever appeared in The Beano as reprints, never as new strips.
Olaff the Madlander replaced fellow Beezer and Topper reprint, Fred's Bed
Fred's Bed
Fred's Bed is a comic strip in the British comic The Beano. It originally appeared in the The Topper section of the merged The Beezer and Topper comic in 1991. In the first strip, Fred breaks his old bed and when Fred and his mum go out to buy a new one, she buys the cheapest bed in the shop...
. The two strips have never appeared in the same issue together. However, when the Beano received a revamp in issue 3454, (18 October 2008), Fred's Bed returned to the comic, and Olaff has not appeared since.
The first few strips were drawn by Nigel Parkinson
Nigel Parkinson
Nigel Parkinson is a British cartoonist who currently works for D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd and mainly draws for The Beano and The Dandy.-Biography:...
, but his version of the character was disliked by the comic's staff, and so for the most part Sid Burgon
Sid Burgon
Sidney William Burgon better known as Sid Burgon was a British comics artist. After working as a Mechanic and drawing as a hobby he was encouraged by coworkers into furthering his artistic nature. He gave up his job in 1963 and became a freelance cartoonist with some of his early work being...
was the strip's artist, with occasional strips also being drawn by John Geering
John Geering
John Keith Geering was a British cartoonist with a distinctive, occasionally flamboyant style, most famous for his work for DC Thomson comics including Sparky, The Topper, Cracker, Plug, Nutty, The Beano and The Dandy....
. After a year, the character started appearing on the cover of the comic in addition to his appearances on the inside. These cover stories were drawn by Robert Nixon
Robert Nixon (artist)
Robert Nixon was an artist who worked on several British comics.Bob was born in South Bank, Middlesbrough, in North Yorkshire on July 7, 1939. He was the fifth of six children born to Arthur Nixon and Phylis Thompson. Robert's mother Phylis worked as a housewife while his father worked locally...
.