The Hans Brinker comic book is based on the Disney made-for-television film shown in two parts in the U.S. on the Walt Disney's television series. The film was based on the novel, Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates by author Mary Mapes Dodge, first published in 1865. The novel is a colorful fictional portrait of early nineteenth-century Dutch life, as well as a tale of youthful honor.