They also have pets; Lotje, a male dog with a feminine name and a red cat called Edgar.

Other recurring characters are Catootje's best friend Joe, Jacky's cousin Hanna (a single mother by choice), grandad Gerrit and Moeps Pepernoot.

The main characters are modelled after Kruis' own family and pets, except for Jack who in turn inspired his creator.

The early gags were originally written for its precursor Gregor and published from December 12, 1970 onwards.

The comic moved with the times, proving that no subject was too weird to be discussed by the family, particularly emancipation.