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The Smurfs were created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo in the late 1950s and gained popularity with the release of a 1965 animated film. The American cartoon series aired from 1981 to 1989 and spawned a line of merchandise. Smurf storylines involve simple adventures and the creatures live cooperatively in a patriarchal society. The language of the Smurfs involves substituting the word “smurf” for various nouns and verbs. The Smurfs continue to be popular in various forms of media.
It may come as a surprise to many who grew up watching Smurf cartoons in 1980s America that the blue, gnomish, demi-human creatures Smurfs are actually much earlier this time around. A Belgian cartoonist named Peyo invented them. They first appeared in Belgian comics in the late 1950s. These little blues, at first almost always dressed in white overalls, were called Schtroumpf, a word invented by Peyo. The word smurf was actually created by the Dutch, when Schtroumpf comics were printed in the Netherlands at the same time.
The popularity of Peyo’s comics launched a 1965 Belgian animated film called The Adventures of the Smurfs (Les Adventures des Schtrompfs). A 1976 film The Smurfs and the Magic Flute was translated and released in the United States. It was also in 1976 that smurf culture gained American attention and became popular first as a line of merchandise, with numerous people owning stuffed smurfs.
Hanna-Barbera set out to produce a Saturday morning cartoon series that was tremendously popular, airing from 1981 to 1989. These little blue villagers continue to interest various forms of media. Several Smurf movies are planned, and Smurfs have been featured in several video games. The American cartoon series is also available on DVD.
Smurf storylines in both comic and animated form usually involved various adventures the troop would have – these were usually simple in nature. Some characters were archetypal, such as Lazy Smurf or Sloppy Smurf, while others had names that denoted their profession, such as Poet Smurf. Smurf’s natural residence is the deep forest, where he lives in a common environment. All village residents tend to work cooperatively, with some not getting their work done in adequate or timely action. There are some female characters, such as Smurfette, but the Smurf cast is predominantly male.
The language of the Smurfs in American cartoons does not differ much from English except for the substitution of the word smurf as a noun or verb to mean numerous different things. The creatures clearly understand what is meant by each different use of “smurf,” even when the audience or readers aren’t quite sure. Smurf society is largely patriarchal, with Papa Smurf being regarded as a major authority in the village.
As the animated series in the United States grew in popularity, so did its merchandising. Many had plush smurfs, figurines, posters and the like. Smurfs were liked best by younger children, although some adults found them endearing. Teens of the time and some young adults fought back in what might be called an anti-Smurf way. They might dislike smurfs very vigorously, and many stuffed smurfs were torn apart during rock concerts.
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