American Cartoonist Richard Arthur Allen Browne was best known as the creator, writer and drawer of the comic strips "Hagar the Horrible" and "Hi and Lois".

Known as Dik Browne, he was born in Manhattan, New York. Browne labored as a Copy Boy, as well as a map and chart drawer, for the New York Journal American daily newspaper that operated from 1937 until 1966. One of the New York Journal American's most prominent features was Dr. Joyce Brothers penning front page articles in February of 1964 analyzing The Beatles.

The Charles "Lucky" Luciano compulsory prostitution trial in 1956, in which Luciano was convicted of operating a prostitution racket and sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison, barred photographers and artists from the courtroom. Somehow, Dik Browne managed to slide in undetected. His courtroom sketches provided the New York Journal American a news exclusive on the trial.

Interestingly, Luciano would strike a deal with the Department of the Navy during World War Two in which he would provide naval intelligence. In 1946, Luciano's sentence was commuted because of his wartime cooperation. Luciano's reward for his efforts? Lifetime deportation to Italy.

Dik Browne enlisted in the Army in World War Two. There, he drew maps and charts for an engineering unit and created the "Ginny Jeep" comic strip about the Womens' Army Crop. This comic strip appeared in Army and Air Force newspapers.

An Illustrator for Newsweek magazine during the late 1940s, and the Johnson & Cushing Advertising Company, Dik Browne created the Carmen Miranda-inspired Miss Chiquita Banana trademark and the Bird's Eye bird logo. Browne also established a Campbell Soup kids redesign and an advertisement for the Mounds candy bar. This ad, and Browne's "The Tracy Twins" comic strip he drew from 1950 until 1960, brought him to the attention of King Features Syndicate.

In 1954, Cartoonist Mort Walker enlisted Dik Browne's assistance in co-creating the "Hi and Lois" comic strip spin-off of Walker's "Beetle Bailey" comic strip. "Hi and Lois" unveiled Beetle Bailey's sister, his brother-in-law and their family.

In 1973, with a character named after himself, Dik Browne created the "Hagar the Horrible" comic strip.

1963 saw Dik Browne serve as the President of the National Cartoonists Society. He received their 1959,1960, 1972, 1984, and 1986 Best Humor Strip awards. In 1962, Dik Browne was presented their Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year for his efforts on "Hi and Lois". Browne received a second Reuben Award for "Hagar the Horrible."

In 1972, Dik Browne received the National Cartoonists Society's Elzie Segar Award for outstanding contribution to the profession of cartooning. Elzie Segar was the recognized creator of the Pop culture character known as Popeye the Sailorman.

Hagar the Horrible is an ill-mannered, medieval Viking with a red beard, who was drawn by Dik Browne's son, Christopher Kelly Browne from 1989 until his death in 2023. Chris Browne had contributed to the "Hagar the Horrible" comic strip since its beginning in 1972. He also authored the 1985 book entitled Hagar The Horrible's Very Nearly Complete Viking Handbook.

In addition, Chris Browne created the short-lived autobiographical comic strips "Chris Browne's Comic Strip" (1993-1994), and "Raising Duncan" (2000-2004). Both of these strips included a Scottish terrier as a central character.

Next Time: "Hagar the Horrible"