The Hamlet Project

My grandparents have, for as long as I’ve known them,
Had a framed cartoon of Hagar the Horrible hanging in their den.
It’s signed by the artist and dedicated to my grandfather.
As a child, I was confused by the title of this cartoon.
Why was this Hagar so horrible?
He seemed pretty harmless.
Mostly he seemed to like to sleep and eat.
Was there something wrong with sleeping and eating?
I didn’t understand irony.
I didn’t understand history.
The whole thing seemed like one big mystery to me.
Every time I’d return to my grandparents’ den for a visit, I’d reexamine the cartoon.
At some point, I realized it was meant to be funny and each subsequent visit,
I’d try and work out why. By the time I understood what comedic tropes might be at play,
I didn’t find it funny.