<P> Edward, the Duke of Windsor, called Prince Valiant the "greatest contribution to English literature in the past hundred years". Generally regarded by comics historians as one of the most impressive visual creations ever syndicated, the strip is noted for its realistically rendered panoramas and the intelligent, sometimes humorous, narrative . The format does not employ word balloons . Instead, the story is narrated in captions positioned at the bottom or sides of panels . Events depicted are taken from various time periods, from the late Roman Empire to the High Middle Ages, with a few brief scenes from modern times (commenting on the "manuscript"). </P> <P> While drawing the Tarzan comic strip, Foster wanted to do his own original newspaper feature, and he began work on a strip he called Derek, Son of Thane, later changing the title to Prince Arn . King Features manager Joseph Connelly eventually renamed it Prince Valiant . In 1936, after extensive research, Foster pitched his concept to William Randolph Hearst, who had long wanted to distribute a strip by Foster . Hearst was so impressed that he gave Foster ownership of the strip . </P> <P> Prince Valiant began in full - color tabloid sections on Saturday February 13, 1937 . The first full page was strip #16, which appeared in the Sunday New Orleans Times Picayune . The internal dating changed from Saturday to Sunday with strip #66 (May 15, 1938). The full - page strip continued until 1971, when strip #1788 was not offered in full - page format--it was the last strip Foster drew . The strip continues today by other artists in a half - page format . </P> <P> The setting is Arthurian . Valiant (Val) is a Nordic prince from Thule, located near present day Trondheim on the Norwegian coast . Early in the story Valiant arrives at Camelot where he becomes friends with Sir Gawain and Sir Tristram . Earning the respect of King Arthur and Merlin he becomes a Knight of the Round Table . On a Mediterranean island he meets the love of his life, Aleta, Queen of the Misty Isles, whom he later marries . He fights the Huns with his powerful Singing Sword, Flamberge, a magical blade apparently created by the same enchanter who forged Arthur's Excalibur . Val travels to Africa and America and later helps his father regain his lost throne of Thule, which has been usurped by the tyrant Sligon . </P>

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