De Glunderende Gluurder is a fun, thoughtful entry in the Suske en Wiske canon. It successfully combines a classic mystery format with a modern, critical look at digital surveillance. While not a landmark album like De Rode Ridder or De Stalen Bloempot , it is an enjoyable read for children (ages 8+) and adults alike, reminding us that not everything that makes you laugh has your best interests at heart.
Lambik, ever the comic relief, becomes one of the first victims, laughing uncontrollably at funerals and sad events. Jerom, the strongman, must physically restrain the drone while Suske and Wiske reprogram it. The climax involves a chase through a medieval fair, where the drone’s laughter becomes increasingly chaotic. Ultimately, Professor Barabas sends the device back to its own time, but not before the “gluurder” has one last, unnerving chuckle at the reader. suske wiske glunderende gluurder
★★★★☆ (4/5) – “Solid mystery with a timely, creepy-clever twist.” End of report. De Glunderende Gluurder is a fun, thoughtful entry
De Glunderende Gluurder was generally well-received by fans and critics. Reviewers praised its timely theme (in 2017, debates on GDPR, Facebook scandals, and drone privacy were peaking). Some older fans noted that the plot resembles a blend of De Tuf-Tuf-Club (invention gone wrong) and De Gouden Cirkel (invisible observer). Younger readers enjoyed the humor and the “creepy-cute” villain. Lambik, ever the comic relief, becomes one of
The story begins when Suske, Wiske, and their aunt Sidonia notice strange occurrences in their neighborhood: people are behaving oddly, laughing inappropriately, and experiencing memory lapses. The culprit appears to be a mysterious, floating eyeball with a disturbing, chuckling laugh—the “Glunderende Gluurder” (Chuckling Peeping Tom).
With the help of Professor Barabas and his new invention, the Chronoscoop (a variation of his time machine), the trio discovers the entity is not a ghost but a malfunctioning piece of futuristic surveillance technology. A minor villain from the 22nd century, Krimson (a recurring antagonist), has accidentally sent a prototype “Emotion-Drone” back in time. This drone is designed to pacify populations by inducing glee and docility through a hypnotic ray, but it glitches and causes random, uncontrollable laughing fits.
De Glunderende Gluurder is album number 345 in the classic Flemish-Belgian comic series Suske en Wiske (Spike and Suzy), created by Studio Vandersteen. The story was written by Marc Verhaegen (who also provided the artwork) and published in 2017. This album marks a return to traditional, mystery-driven narratives with a technological twist, blending humor, suspense, and social commentary on modern surveillance culture.