Agent 327 is a Dutch action/comedy comic series by cartoonist Martin Lodewijk. It was a regular feature from 1966 until 1983, and again from 2000 to the present.[1] The eponymous Agent 327 is 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 and drawn by Martin Lodewijk and published by Geïllustreerde Pers. 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 and catchphrase: Grrrutjes-nog-aan-toe, wat een geheim agent toch allemaal niet moet doen om incognito op zijn werk te verschijnen (translation:"Heavens above, what a secret agent has to do these days to arrive at his job without being recognized.).[2] 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 character's physical features were modelled after actor Craig Stevens who played in Peter Gunn.[2]
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 pass words.
Miss Betsy
The secretary of the office. Obviously modelled after Miss Moneypenny.
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.
Blender Conference 2016: The trailer in developmentMartin Lodewijk helped Blender to develop its 3D version of Hendrik IJzerbroot
Agent 327: Operation Barbershop
On May 15, 2017, the Blender Foundation[3] released a teaser trailer that was almost four minutes long,[4] for an upcoming animated feature film based on the comic. It stars 327 as he investigates a barbershop, battles his nemesis Boris, and learns the dangerous truth about the shop. The 3-minute film was released online as a proof of concept to attract funding for a feature-length adaptation.[5]
The trailer won 11 film awards for best short film or best animated short film.[6]
At the Blender Conference in November 2017, producer Ton Roosendaal mentioned that the film industry really loved the trailer. It was fresh, new and had potential. The original story for the film didn't resonate in Hollywood, and a new story was developed that was solid enough to transform into a script. Roosendaal revealed the working title of the full feature film as: Agent 327, The Case of the Einstein Enigma.[7] In January 2018, an alternative ending to the trailer was published.[8]
Tribute stories
Between 2017 and 2019, Eppo pre-published twenty-one shorties drawn and scripted by others. They were released as two volumes.
Translation
The agent's name has been changed in several languages:
