Agent 327
| Agent 327 | |
|---|---|
 The main characters of Agent 327 (right to left): Agent 327, The Chief, Miss Betsy, Barend | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Geïllustreerde Pers |
| First appearance | Pep #21 (1966) |
| Created by | Martin Lodewijk and Jan Kruis |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Hendrik IJzerbroot |
| Team affiliations | Dutch Secret Service, Swiss Secret Service |
| Abilities | Master 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
- 1 Dossier Heksenkring & Dossier Onderwater (1975)
- 2 Dossier Zondagskind (1976)
- 3 Dossier Zevenslaper (1977)
- 4 Dossier Stemkwadrater (1970, 1979)
- 5 Dossier Leeuwenkuil (1973, 1979)
- 6 Dossier Dozijn Min Eén (1980)
- 7 Dossier Nachtwacht (1980)
- 8 Dossier Dozijn Min Twee (1981)
- 9 De gesel van Rotterdam (1981)
- 10 Drie avonturen (1982)
- 11 De ogen van Wu Manchu (1983)
- 12 De vergeten bom (2000)
- 13 Het pad van de schildpad (2001)
- 14 Cacoïne en commando's (2001)
- 15 De golem van Antwerpen (2002)
- 16 De wet van alles (2002)
- 17 Hotel New York (2002)
- 18 Het oor Van Gogh (2003)
- 19 De vlucht van vroeger (2005)
- 20 De Daddy Vinci-code (2015)
- 21 Drie avonturen (to be published)
- Dossier Minimum Bug (1999) (not an element of the official series)