Mussengang in the market

The six books with Mussengang episodes sold more than 20,000 copies total. The series was so popular that in 1993, television producer John de Mol wanted to adapt it for television. The project was canceled after some exploratory talks.

What did become reality was an adaptation for the theater, in the late nineties, by the Dastater theater group. Director Jack Nieborg and writer Harry Huizing produced fourteen episodes over two seasons; Frank den Hollander wrote three of the scenarios.

Writers and illustrator also produced two T-shirts with the text Ik studeer op de RuG (I am studying at the UG). Actually, there were four: there were also versions with Ik studeerde op de RuG, (I studied at the UG) for alumni.

On the first shirt, Aernout van Wassenaer, one of the Mussengang inhabitants, could be seen, lying on his back (a pun, as ‘rug’ in Dutch means ‘back’: I am studying on my back). 950 copies of the shirt were produced, and they sold out in no time.

On the second shirt, Yvette de Bruyne was on her back, reclining in the sun with bare breasts, spied upon by Fredje. This T-shirt did not sell at all…

Another by-product was a Mussengang anniversary calendar, of course with the fine drawings of Bert Cornelius.