The Peasant Crowned King & Other 1968 Oddities

Описание: The Peasant Crowned King & Other 1968 Oddities

In this episode of Strange As It Seems, Jeff Hix uncovers a rare collection of 1968 Sunday comics from the era when the strip was run by his parents, Ernest Jr. and Phyllis Hix. From a peasant unexpectedly crowned king in ancient Phrygia to the black waters of Brazil’s Rio Negro, moonbows over Kentucky, Vikings coloring the first Easter eggs, and the war hero who became an actor, these restored comic panels reveal the strange, forgotten marvels of history. A fascinating look at the transitional chapter of the Hix family legacy — and the unbelievable stories that filled the Sunday pages in 1968.
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Welcome back to Strange As It Seems — the revival of the hundred-year-old comic strip created by John Hix in the 1920s.

This week, we step into a different era.

🗞️ 1968 — The Hix Family’s Next Chapter
After John Hix and Ernest Hix, the strip entered a new phase under Ernest Jr. and Phyllis Hix. Jeff recently uncovered a rare collection of Sunday comics from that year — and they are filled with extraordinary stories.

Inside this episode:

👑 A peasant named Gordius crowned king simply for driving an oxcart past a temple at the right moment
🌊 Brazil’s Rio Negro River, so dark that sunlight vanishes within six feet
🌈 The mysterious “moonbow” of Cumberland Falls in Kentucky
🥚 Did Vikings color the first Easter eggs?
🎖️ Neville Brand — one of WWII’s most decorated soldiers turned Hollywood actor
🏰 The “Mad King” Ludwig II of Bavaria riding indoors and believing he reached Austria
🏴‍☠️ Descendants of the Mutiny on the Bounty still living on Pitcairn Island
🇺🇸 The surprising truth about Francis Scott Key and “The Star-Spangled Banner”

These were the kinds of strange, astonishing facts that filled Sunday newspapers across America.

And as always, we close with the words of John Hix himself, who launched this “book of the curious” in 1928 — hoping to acquaint readers with the marvels of the world.

If you enjoy vintage comics, historical oddities, strange true stories, and archival discoveries, you’re in the right place.

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Because history is far stranger than fiction.