Have a Smurfy Day! It’s the 35th Anniversary of ‘The Smurfs’
Happy 35th anniversary, Smurfs! Or I should say, Smurfy smurf smurf smurf smurfing smurf smurf smurf, The Smurfs!
Produced by Hanna-Barbera for NBC’s Saturday morning cartoon lineup, The Smurfs premiered on Sept. 12, 1981, launching a hugely successful line of toys, cereal, and even ice shows. Do you remember ice shows? What were those all about?
In France, Smurfs are known as Les Schtroumpfs, because Belgian creator Peyo momentarily forgot the French word for salt (sel) and asked for the schtroumpf. His friend jokingly responded, “Here’s the schtroumpf — when you are done schtroumpfing, schtroumpf it back …” and the friends spent the rest of that weekend speaking in “schtroumpf language.”
Peyo first incorporated a Schtroumpf into the comic Johan and Peewit, and later spun them off into their own comic series, which was translated into Flemish as De Smurfen, and a legend was Smurfed … er, smurfened?
Over the course of 256 original episodes, hundreds of Smurf characters were introduced, all living in their tiny town of mushroom houses, and named with adjectives that explained their personalities or jobs, such as Scaredy Smurf, Alchemist Smurf, and the poor, neglected Nobody Smurf.
Recently, the Smurfs spawned a successful live-action movie franchise — for some reason — but they’ll be returning to the animated world in 2017 with a prequel that takes things back to basics and casts Emmy winner Mandy Patinkin as Papa Smurf — a role that the young Patinkin dreamed of one day while he studied at the esteemed Juilliard School. And to that, we say, Smurf smurf smurfing smurf smurf, Mandy!
Live long and prosper with the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek…
How are you celebrating the Smurfs’ Smurfy 35th? And if you were a Smurf, which one would you be? Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter.
