<P> Slartibartfast is a character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a comedy / science fiction series created by Douglas Adams . The character appears in the first and third novels, the first and third radio series (and the LP adaptation of the first radio series), the 1981 television series and the 2005 feature film . The character was modelled after actor John Le Mesurier . </P> <P> Slartibartfast is a Magrathean, and a designer of planets . His favourite part of the job is creating coastlines, the most notable of which are the fjords found on the coast of Norway on planet Earth, for which he won an award . While trapped on prehistoric Earth, Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect see Slartibartfast's signature deep inside a glacier in ancient Norway . </P> <P> When Earth Mk. II is being made, Slartibartfast is assigned to the continent of Africa . He is unhappy about this because he has begun "doing it with fjords again" (arguing that they give a continent a lovely baroque feel), but has been told by his superiors that they are "not equatorial enough". </P> <P> In any event, the new Earth is not required and, much to Slartibartfast's disgust, its owners suggested that he take a quick skiing holiday on his glaciers before dismantling them . </P>

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