George vs Dragon battle a hairy giant spider

Picture this: a clearing somewhere deep in the bush, gum trees casting long shadows over dry grass, and there, sitting in the middle of the dirt track, is an arachnid the size of a kitchen fridge. That's the kind of afternoon George and his fire-breathing mate stumble into, and it's exactly the sort of knockabout scrap the comic strip has always thrived on.

Andy Fanton's long-running Dandy favourite George vs Dragon leans hard into that British comic tradition of pint-sized heroes facing absurdly oversized threats. The strip's sense of mischief, its love of pratfalls and unlikely victories, makes the strip a nostalgic favourite with Aussie readers who grew up flicking through imported comics at the local newsagent. Add a giant spider to the mix and you've got a recipe for hair-raising, eye-watering comedy that any Australian kid who has ever tiptoed past a huntsman can immediately relate to.

Why a giant spider feels right for George and Dragon

Fanton's strips have always punched above their weight when it comes to choosing monsters. Slime, dragons, disgruntled knights, dodgy wizards — the George vs Dragon universe is a place where anything can leap out from behind a bush. A giant spider slots in beautifully, since spiders carry a special kind of dread that even the toughest cartoon hero can't shrug off with a brave face.

Australia is, of course, a nation of spider-fearers and reluctant spider-sharers. Redbacks hide under dunny seats, Sydney funnel-webs lurk in suburban work boots, and huntsmen the size of dinner plates turn up on windscreens after a warm spell. So the moment Aussie readers see an oversized arachnid on the page, the gag already lands before a single line of dialogue is read. Fanton leans into that cultural muscle memory, then adds his own daft spin: this one is hairy, hungry, and apparently partial to knights in cheap armour.

A fearsome foe lurks in the undergrowth

The spider in question is no ordinary huntsman. It's a snarling, eight-eyed brute that could give a Sydney funnel-web a run for its venom, with legs like gnarled branches and a body covered in coarse brown bristles. George spots it first, because Dragon is too busy scratching his ear and complaining about the flies. The beast drops from a low-hanging eucalyptus, lands with a thump, and fixes our pint-sized knight with a stare that suggests supper is on the menu.

What follows is classic Fanton territory: a build-up full of false bravery, gormless side-quests, and a plan that unravels before the second panel. George rummages through his satchel, pulls out a rolled-up sleeping mat, and waves it like a sword. Dragon, displaying the tactical nous of a wet chook, suggests they simply walk around the other way. Fair dinkum, the spider isn't having a bar of it.

George's baffling battle tactics

George has always been the sort of bloke who charges in first and asks questions later, usually armed with a frying pan or a rolled-up newspaper. Against a monster this size, he decides his trusty wooden spoon is the go. He charges at the spider's middle leg, yelling what might be a war cry in a broad Aussie accent — something between "crikey" and "strewth" — and bonks the creature squarely on the kneecap. The spider, to its credit, does not flinch.

Instead it gives George a curious sniff, decides he smells like burnt damper, and gently flicks him into a patch of wattle. George lands in a heap, gets tangled in his cloak, and emerges looking like a startled wombat. The scene leans into the cartoon's tradition of pratfalls, where the hero's dignity is repeatedly squashed in favour of a solid laugh and a satisfying thump.

Dragon finally joins the scrap

Up to now, Dragon has been offering commentary from a safe distance, perched on a rock and munching on something that might be a lamington. Eventually he notices the spider has decided George is more of a snack than a threat, and his protective instincts kick in. He puffs a small plume of smoke, coughs, and produces the laziest fireball he can muster. The spider, far from being scared, leans into the warmth and lets out a contented sigh.

Dragon looks personally affronted. He ramps up the flames, but the spider's hairy coat acts like a woolly beanie on a chilly Melbourne morning — nothing gets through. George and Dragon exchange one of those silent "we're in trouble now" looks that have carried the duo through countless misadventures. If you fancy a side-by-side of similar Fanton chaos, have a read of Bad Grandad's castle renovation, where the slapstick hits almost as hard.

The hairy climax and a surprising twist

Things look dire until George spots a clutch of spiderlings clinging to a nearby tree trunk. Rather than fight on, the clever lad puts down his spoon and offers the mother spider a peace treaty: a piece of dried mango, a swag of fruit, and a promise to leave her stretch of bush alone. The spider considers the offer with one enormous eye, sniffs the mango, and decides that diplomacy beats a stoush. She scoops up her babies, retreats into the scrub, and George slumps against Dragon's leg with a sigh that says "never again".

The strip closes with a quiet bush sunset, a couple of magpies warbling, and Dragon grumbling about a promised meat pie that never arrived. It's a tidy resolution that gives the punchline a soft landing, very much in line with Fanton's gentle storytelling style and his affection for underdogs of all species.

Hero	Favourite weapon	Preferred plan	Result against the spider
George	Wooden spoon or rolled newspaper	Charge in, ask later	Ends up in the wattle, dignity bruised
Dragon	Small fireball	Stay perched, offer advice	Sets off the spider's itchy coat
Spider	Eight hairy legs	Protect the babies	Wins the peace, gets the mango

Andy Fanton has hinted he might bring George and Dragon back for more outback misadventures later in the year, with rumours of a kookaburra cameo and a run-in with a cranky cassowary. Until then, the giant spider caper is a perfect reminder of why this strip has stuck around for so long — cheeky, scrappy, full of heart, and as comforting as a Sunday arvo at the local park. Pop over to andyfanton.com for more strips and a wander through the rest of the Fanton catalogue.