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Agent 327

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Agent 327
The main characters of Agent 327 (right to left): Agent 327, The Chief, Miss Betsy, Barend
Publication information
PublisherGeïllustreerde Pers
First appearancePep #21 (1966)
Created byMartin Lodewijk and Jan Kruis
In-story information
Alter egoHendrik IJzerbroot
Team affiliationsDutch Secret Service, Swiss Secret Service
AbilitiesMaster of disguise

Agent 327 is a playful Dutch action/comedy comic series by cartoonist Martin Lodewijk. It has been a regular feature since 1966 onward, with a hiatus between 1983 and 2000.[1] Featuring the eponymous Agent 327 as a James Bond/Maxwell Smart-like Dutch secret agent who fights for "Righteousness and World Peace", his looks are based on the character of Peter Gunn.[1] Often partnered with the junoesque Olga Lawina (an agent of the Swiss Secret Service), his adventures take him around Europe and the rest of the world as he battles numerous villains, both fictional and parodies of real people.

The song "Denk toch altijd met liefd' aan je moeder" by Gerda en Herman Timmerhout is a common feature in the comic, and is often used to hideously torture someone or provide a plot-turning emotional reaction.

Publication history

Agent 327 debuted in 1966 as a feature in Pep magazine #21, written by Martin Lodewijk, illustrated by Jan Kruis, and published by Geïllustreerde Pers. Lodewijk soon took over as writer and artist, and Agent 327 ran in Pep as a weekly 4-8-page feature until 1975, when Pep and the comics magazine Sjors merged into Eppo, published by Oberon.

Meanwhile, in 1970 Geïllustreerde Pers published the first Agent 327 album, titled Dossier Stemkwadrater. Further albums followed every few years, continuing under Oberon after Pep's acquisition.

Agent 327 was cancelled as a feature in Eppo in 1983, but returned in 2000 as a regular feature. In 2009, Agent 327 returned to Eppo as a regular feature.

Characters

Main characters

Agent 327
Initiated into the world of espionage in the Dutch resistance, his creative and elaborate disguises just to get to work in the morning form a running gag. Agent 327's real name, Hendrik IJzerbroot, is derived from the Dutch political figure Hendrik Koekoek and an allusion to the Dutch resistance fighter Bernardus IJzerdraat.
The Chief
One of his main concerns is to keep the costs down.
Willemse
The doorman. When Agent 327 wants to enter the premises they exchange passphrases.
Miss Betsy
The secretary of the office.
Olga Lawina
A Swiss secret agent partnered with Agent 327 in a wide variety of adventures. Her good looks often present both an advantage and a liability.

Recurring villains

Boris Kloris
Ruthless spy with paper white skin.
Dr. Maybe
Brother of Dr. Yes and Dr. No. With his assistant Fi Doh, and sometimes Herr Dr. Vonvonderstein.
Colonel Bauer
German officer who held many war secrets.

Minor (real life) characters

Martin Lodewijk
Member of several jug bands. First appearing with the badly-received Endatteme Jugband, he now plays with Chickenfeed.
Jan Tromp
Struggling painter who was drafted by Boris Kloris to forge Rembrandt's The Night Watch. He regretted turning down an offer to draw a one-page family comic for a women's magazine, as he definitely would've reaped the financial benefits.

Albums

References