Hakkespettkommandoen

The series was based on the popular series based on the Junior Woodchucks, originally started in Italy (Giovani Marmotte) by The Walt Disney Company Italy.

After a succesful launch in Italy, the concept of the magazine was taken over by Egmont and introduced in several other European countries, such as Norway (Hakkespett Komandoen), Germany (UFF) and Sweden (Gröngölingspatrullen).

The magazine contained comic stories produced in Italy, featuring the Huey, Duey and Louie as the Junior Woodchucks. Each month it contained several pages with information for kids on how to be creative and survive in the woods.

In order to emphasize the endearing qualities and good deeds of Italy's Giovani Marmotte, The Accademia Disney artists created the JW villains. Darkus, the first villain of the lot, appeared in the October issue of 1997. Cunning, bold and ironic, Darkus is a theatrical personality, set on destroying the Junior Woodchucks. Professor Zero is less evil than he is clumsy; his scientific experiments always have catastrophic effects that can only be remidied by the Giovanni Marmotte. Likewise, H.J. Trouble is an almost involuntary villain. An incompetent but persistent entrepreneur, his initiatives invariably end up threatening the environment, and it is the Giovani Marmotte's task to try to stop him. The result of one of Professor Zero's botched experiments, Yuri is a nearsighted pterodactyl which has become Professor Yuri's loyal but disastrous right hand, and the center of many funny stories and jokes.