Guust Flater

Guust Flater is the Dutch-language name for Gaston Lagaffe, the endearingly lazy and accident-prone office clerk created by André Franquin. Employed at a comics publisher, he specializes in avoiding work while unleashing spectacular disasters through his bizarre inventions and harebrained schemes.

Guust Flater is a Silver Age creation who made his Dutch-language debut in Collectie Jong Europa #49 in 1967, brought to life by Mittéï and Maurice Maréchal, and has proven remarkably enduring — still gracing pages nearly six decades later, right through to 2025. Most at home in the pages of Sjors and Eppo Stripblad, he keeps lively company with characters like Sjimmie, Sjors, and Demesmaeker, making him a genuine fixture of the Dutch comics tradition published under the Oberon banner. The commemorative volume Guust 60 jaar Gefeliciflaterd! speaks volumes about the affection this character commands — not every comics creation earns a sixtieth-anniversary celebration. For collectors with a taste for European comics history, Guust Flater is a name that rewards discovery.