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Alan Ford is an Italian comic book created by Max Bunker (Luciano Secchi) and Magnus (Roberto Raviola), in print since 1969. The comic book is a satirical take on classic secret agents laden with surreal and black humour, sardonic references to aspects of the contemporary Italian and Western society. Although it became widely popular in Italy shortly after its introduction, Alan Ford remained relatively unknown outside Italy. The French and Brazilian editions soon failed but the only other foreign edition, in SFR Yugoslavia, was a huge success, becoming and remaining one of the most popular comic books in the former country and its successors.

Although the initial plot in the first few episodes develops around an agent called Alan Ford, he is later just one of the central group of characters: Group TNT is an assembly of misfit secret agents, who operate from a flower shop in New York, USA, which they use as a front for their secret headquarters. They are incompetent and lazy, yet intelligent and cunning, especially when it suits their own personal interests. Their outlandish biographies are dwarfed by that of their iron-fisted and shrewd leader, the wheelchair-ridden Number One, a Methusalem character who embezzles the millions paid to the group by American government or City Fathers for secret missions, while paying a pittance to his agents.

The comic book ridicules aspects of American society, including capitalism and racism. There were also direct references to local Italian reality, whose social ills were often satirized by Magnus & Bunker, as well as terms in Milanese dialect.

Three years before the comic book was published in May 1969, Max Bunker, along with illustrator Magnus, had the idea to create a satire of James Bond (they had previously created a serious spy character, Dennis Cobb). The initial script was written in August 1967 and the dialog revised in April 1968. The script included six main characters (Alan Ford, Bob Rock, Sir Oliver, The Boss, Jeremiah and Grunf), but the creators decided to omit Sir Oliver in the ultimate revision (July 1968), for fear of overwhelming readers with characters in the first issue. Raviola decided to base the drawing of Alan Ford on Irish actor Peter O’Toole.

Main characters

The Number One (Il Numero Uno), a very old disabled man (he has memories from Ancient Greece and claims to have met characters such as Homer and Robespierre), is the supreme leader of group TNT. He treats the other agents severely. He has lots of connections, including a pocket-sized “black book” containing the indiscretions of everyone in the world. The NYPD often turns to him for help. He lives in a secret shelter away from the flower shop.

Alan Ford is a naive, shy and modest young man. He appears to be the only person in the group to display anything resembling moral values. He’s in love with an attractive spy, Margot, he had met in the 1970s as one of the group’s enemies. He grew up in a grim Catholic orphanage.

Bob Rock, a short-tempered but very clever agent, is frustrated about his looks (he is very short, with a very large nose, graphically inspired by Magnus). An orphan like Alan, his twin brothers became bank robbers.

Sir Oliver (Il Conte Oliver), is a financially strapped English nobleman who left his homeland in disgrace after being sought by the police for various large scale theft offences. A very skilled and stylish orator, he takes full advantage of his perceived high-society stature to rob his unsuspecting victims.

The Boss (Cariatide, i.e. the Caryatid), theorically Number One’s right hand, is in practice a very lazy agent who strives to avoid work at all costs and sleeps all day in the flower shop. His real name is Gervasius De Statuis.

Jeremiah (Geremia aka Geremia Lettiga, i.e. “Jeremiah Stretcher”) is a hypochondriac, decrepit old man, whose duty is usually to guard the flower shop. An Italian immigrant, his bad health has been caused by his former job of street vendor and his destitute life (he used to sleep outdoors).

Grunf, a naturalized German-born inventor, changed his name from Grunt to Grunf on leaving his native country. His inventions are usually half-baked. His real name is Otto Grunt, and he fought in the First and Second World war as an incompetent Luftwaffe mechanic.

Cirano, Bob Rock’s dog, often participates in the group’s missions. He is a smart dog, though easily bribed with food.

Clodoveo (Clovis), a rather intelligent talking parrot, lives with Number One and helps brainstorm the group’s missions, even though normally he quarrels with his master. His first appereance was in #100 “Black Mountains of South Dakota”.

Squitty is The Boss’ hamster. He is always fed good, and that’s why he is very fat, just like The Boss. Cirano is the one who always wants to eat him, but alwys fails. His first appearance was in #21 “Bombafobia”.

Many of the TNT Group members have disappeared from most recent issues, and the group currently consists of Alan, Minuette and Clodoveo, under the name “Investigation agency T.N.T at low cost”.

Popular quotes

• “If you want to win you must not lose” – Number One
• “The one who flies is worthy. The one who is worthy flies. The one who doesn’t fly isn’t worthy” – motto on Grunf’s pilot T-shirt (possibly the original Italian sentence is a Fascist slogan devised by Italo Balbo)
• “To get the end, you must go back to the start” – Grandmother Yelsh
• “Better to wear down your feet running than to die with unworn feet.” – another motto from Grunf’s T-shirt
• “Forgot to breathe” – inscription on a tombstone
• “Beaten by mosquitoes cal. 7,62″ – inscription on a tombstone
• “Better to live hundred years as a millionaire, than one week in poverty!” – Bob Rock
• “Easiest way to turn defeat into a victory is to put on the enemy’s uniform” – Number One
• “Drugs make you feel you are in heaven, when in fact you are in hell” – Number One
• “Better strategic retreat than dishonorable defeat” – Number One
• “My dear Methuselah, you are young and strong while I am weak and old” – Number One (talking to the biblical Methuselah)