The main character, Eroica, is a tall Englishman with long curly blond hair who travels sometimes in a black zeppelin, and sometimes in a submarine called the "Aqua Zep." Eroica's real name is Dorian Red Gloria, the Earl of Gloria (well, there has to be some fictionalization!), and in his Eroica persona he is an international art thief.

Just in case you think that's hardly enough to make the connection, Eroica has three henchmen. Mr. James, the "stingy bug," is his accountant, who has worn the same suit throughout the entire series (it acquires more and more patches as the years pass). Mr. James has a mop of black hair, with a lock perpetually down over one eye. It's a tossup whether it is Eroica, money, or his Casio-mini calculator that Mr. James loves most. He certainly never spends a penny if there is a way to avoid it.

Then there is Bonham, Eroica's right-hand man. He is stocky, with bowl-cut hair and a mustache. He's an expert at anything mechanical, and can drive any vehicle needed in a caper. A poignant side note: this series has been ongoing now for eighteen years. These are comic-book characters; they never get any older. Except for Bonham. In real life, he didn't. In Yasuko Aoike's invented universe, he has aged and gotten gray. In a recent episode, "Nosferatu," one of the villains taunted him as "Grandpa."

Finally, Eroica's third henchman is called Jones. It's not clear exactly what his specialty is; he just does whatever is required. And his appearance keeps changing, clothes, length and style of hair, etc. And...he has not appeared in recent episodes.