Mortadelo

Mortadelo is a Spanish comic book character created by Francisco Ibanez. He first appeared in the magazine Pulgarcito in 1958 as one half of the duo Mortadelo y Filemon, Spain's most popular and enduring comic series.

Mortadelo is a tall, bald secret agent working for the T.I.A. (Tecnicos de Investigacion Aeroterraquea), a fictional spy agency. His name is derived from mortadella sausage. He is a self-proclaimed master of disguise who can transform his appearance almost instantly, though his disguises are often absurd and rarely fool anyone for long. His bumbling approach to espionage causes constant chaos for his supervisor and partner, Filemon.

The series debuted during the Franco dictatorship, when Ibanez was prohibited from satirizing Spanish institutions, so early stories were set in other countries. Over the decades the series became more politically pointed. With over 200 albums published and translations into numerous languages, Mortadelo y Filemon is the most widely distributed Spanish comic in history.