Similar in theme to the thirty years older Tijl Uilenspiegel, the comic combined many of Vandersteen's passions, including the art of Pieter Brueghel the Elder[1] and the novel The Legend of Thyl Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak by Charles de Coster.

Vandersteen originally made a synopsis for the series in 1972, but apart from ten preliminary sketches the concept didn't go anywhere.

[1] Originally the tone was more comedic, including anachronistic jokes and references, such as the villains Johan Rattenbol, "aka J.R." and Alexis Kollebie.

The comics were not prepublished and were mostly created by Vandersteen alone,[2] though he did receive some minor assistance of Eric de Rop, Eugeen Goossens and Rita Bernaers.

Only ten albums were published and Vandersteen made it clear in his testament that nobody else was allowed to continue the series after his death.