Raffles, the Gentleman Thug
Raffles, the Gentleman Thug is a comic strip featured in the British publication "Viz", the central character of which is a 19th-century nobleman given to 'immense erudition and wanton violence'. Raffles inhabits the formal world of the Victorian/Edwardian gentleman, but behaves as a 21st-century hooligan, though he always maintains his elegant style. The comic strip parodies British yob culture, placing Raffles in anachronistic modern situations which he usually employs extreme violence to resolve. Raffles is always accompanied by his loyal friend Bunny (Lord Bunniford) and has other acquaintances such as 'Dave, 6th Earl  of Bermondsey' (a notorious section of South East London) and Clarence, 3rd Earl of Burberry (a reference to Burberry, stereotypically the fashion brand of choice for Britain's 'chavs'). Raffles' character is a parody of E. W. Hornung's Raffles the Thief. Language. The "Raffles" strip is noted for its substitution of formal language in common slang phrases. For example: Historical references. Raffles found himself in many situations featuring famous characters and events from the 19th century and early 20th century: