60 Fun Facts About Smurfs

Which comics artist created the Smurfs?

He was already drawing Johan and Peewit for Spirou when the little blue characters stole the show.

What was the real name of the Smurfs' creator?

He was born in Brussels to an English father and a Belgian mother.

The creator's pen name came from an English cousin's mispronunciation of what?

Pierrot is a diminutive of Pierre, his real first name.

The Smurfs come from which country?

They are part of the same Brussels comics tradition as Tintin, Lucky Luke and Spirou.

In which year did the Smurfs first appear?

Their first full appearance was on October 23 of that year, and merchandising began the following year.

The Smurfs made their debut as side characters in which comic series?

The story was 'The Flute with Six Holes', later retitled 'The Flute with Six Smurfs'.

In which Belgian comics magazine did the Smurfs first appear?

The creator later left publisher Dupuis and briefly ran his own magazine, Schtroumpf!, which folded.

What are the Smurfs called in the original French?

The word is pronounced like the German 'Strumpf', meaning sock, though that is a coincidence.

Its creator said the word "schtroumpf" was invented at a meal when he could not remember the word for what?

He and a fellow cartoonist then spent the whole weekend talking in 'schtroumpf language'.

Which Gaston Lagaffe creator was at the table when the word 'schtroumpf' was coined?

He replied 'Here's the schtroumpf - when you're done schtroumpfing, schtroumpf it back'.

The English word 'Smurf' comes from which language's translation of 'Schtroumpf'?

There are around 55 translations worldwide, from Pitufos in Spanish to Dardasim in Hebrew.

What are the Smurfs called in Spanish?

The name was coined by a Spanish magazine editor inspired by the Catalan folk figure Patufet.

Before the name Smurfs stuck, a 1973 English book called them what?

Several other languages also gave them names suggesting gnome-like creatures.

The Smurfs live in houses shaped like what?

In the original Johan and Peewit stories the houses came in different shapes and sizes in a rocky, desolate land.

How tall is a Smurf traditionally said to be?

They also have short tails, which is why their white trousers have a hole in the back.

The Smurfs' white hats are in the style of which historic cap?

The same floppy cap became a symbol of liberty during the French Revolution.

Which colour does Papa Smurf wear, unlike every other Smurf?

His French name, Le Grand Schtroumpf, means 'the Great Smurf'.

How old is Papa Smurf said to be in the comics?

Almost every other Smurf is a mere 100 years old.

How old are ordinary Smurfs said to be?

Papa, Baby, Nanny and Grandpa are the exceptions to the rule.

How many Smurfs were there originally?

The number grew as new characters such as Sassette and Nanny were added; there are now more than 100.

The first female Smurf was originally created by whom, to sow jealousy in the village?

She chose to become a real Smurf, and Papa Smurf's magic transformed her.

What colour was the first female Smurf's hair before Papa Smurf's spell?

His 'plastic smurfery' also lengthened her eyelashes and shortened her nose.

Which female Smurf, created by the Smurflings, was the second to appear?

The creator's son, Thierry Culliford, announced in 2008 that more female Smurfs would follow.

What is the name of the evil wizard's cat?

He is a brown or orange tabby who never speaks but is treated as badly as he treats his master.

The wizard villain's godfather, another enemy of the Smurfs, is named what?

The Smurfs' friends include the wizard Homnibus and the page Johan.

What is the name of the ugly witch who is an enemy of the Smurfs?

She joined the rogues' gallery alongside the wizard's godfather Balthazar.

In the early cartoons, one of the wizard's motives for catching Smurfs is to use them to make what?

Other versions have him wanting them as a recipe ingredient or simply wanting them gone.

The Smurfs love to eat the leaves of which plant?

Its berries - 'smurfberries' - only appear in the cartoon, not the original comics.

How do the Smurfs travel long distances, such as to Johan's kingdom?

Their homeland was originally called the Cursed Land and could only be reached by magic or a long trek.

The 1972 story Smurf Versus Smurf, splitting the village over language, parodies which two groups?

Northern Smurfs said 'bottle smurfer' while Southern Smurfs said 'smurf opener'.

Which US network aired the Hanna-Barbera Smurfs cartoon from 1981 to 1989?

It became one of the longest-running Saturday morning cartoons ever and spawned yearly specials.

The 1981 series was commissioned after NBC boss Fred Silverman spotted his daughter's what?

He had bought it for her in a toy shop in Aspen, Colorado, and thought a cartoon might work.

How many episodes did the Hanna-Barbera series run for?

Those episodes contained 417 separate stories, at a time when most cartoons died after 22.

Which award did the 1981 series win in 1982-83?

It took Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series and was nominated many more times.

Which voice actor, also the voice of Scooby-Doo, played Papa Smurf in the 1980s series?

He reprised the role in the 1990 anti-drug special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

Which comedian voiced Grandpa Smurf in the 1980s and Papa Smurf in the 2011 and 2013 films?

The 2013 sequel was his last film, and Smurfs: The Lost Village is dedicated to him.

'The Smurf Song', a number one in 16 countries, was recorded by which Dutch musician's alter ego?

Pierre Kartner wrote it in 1977 and it spawned a whole album of Smurf songs.

Which pop star voiced the first female Smurf in the 2011 live-action film?

She was joined by Jonathan Winters as Papa, George Lopez as Grouchy and Alan Cumming as Gutsy.

Who played the wizard villain in the 2011 live-action film?

In that version he wants the Smurfs' 'mystical essence' to power his wand.

Which How I Met Your Mother star plays the New Yorker who helps the Smurfs in the 2011 film?

Jayma Mays plays his wife Grace, and Sofía Vergara his boss.

Who directed the 2011 film, having previously made the live-action Scooby-Doo?

It got poor reviews but grossed $564 million and was the ninth-biggest film of 2011.

Which director was lined up to voice Brainy in the 2011 film before dropping out?

Fred Armisen took the part instead.

The 2011 film had its world premiere in which Spanish village, painted entirely blue for the occasion?

Residents later voted to stay blue after 80,000 tourists turned up.

Who voiced the first female Smurf in the 2017 animated reboot Smurfs: The Lost Village?

Mandy Patinkin was Papa Smurf and Julia Roberts led the lost village.

In Smurfs: The Lost Village, the all-female village of Smurfy Grove is led by whom?

The film was a fully animated reboot after plans for a third live-action movie were dropped.

Which pop star voiced the first female Smurf and produced the 2025 musical film Smurfs?

She also wrote and recorded original songs for the Paramount film.

Which studio released the 2025 film Smurfs?

Sony had made the 2011, 2013 and 2017 films before the rights moved.

Who directed the 2025 film Smurfs, having earlier directed Puss in Boots?

The film premiered in Brussels, fittingly, before its US release.

By 2008, roughly how much revenue had the Smurfs franchise generated?

Collectors' clubs devoted to the little PVC figurines are a big part of that.

For several years the Smurfs were the children's act in which touring show?

The costumes were later handed down to the show's chain of ice rinks.

A 2005 Belgian TV ad showed the village annihilated by warplanes to raise money for which organisation?

It aired after 9 pm so children would not see it, and funded rehabilitation of former child soldiers.

The Smurfs' original homeland, reachable only by magic or an arduous trek, was called what?

In French it was Le Pays Maudit; later stories moved the village to a clearing in a deep forest.

Which German toy company makes the best-known Smurf figurines?

It turns out 8 to 12 new figurines a year; only 1991 and 1998 passed without a new Smurf since 1969.

Roughly how many Smurf figurines has the main German maker sold in total?

Many given away by McDonald's and Kinder Surprise also came from the same firm.

Papa, Hefty and Brainy Smurf joined Bugs Bunny, ALF and Slimer in which animated crossover special?

Smurfette was on the poster but never actually appeared in the film.

Who voiced Brainy Smurf in the 2011 film after the original casting idea fell through?

Paul Reubens played Jokey, Alan Cumming played Gutsy and George Lopez played Grouchy.

Which villager is identified by overalls, a brimmed hat and a pencil above his ear?

Most Smurfs look alike, so a single accessory marks out a personality or profession.

'Schtroumpf' is pronounced like the German word 'Strumpf', which means what?

The Dutch translation 'Smurf' is the one English adopted.

Which character did John Oliver voice in the 2011 live-action film?

Gary Basaraba voiced Hefty; the film's screenwriters had worked on Shrek the Third.

Along with two younger characters, which elderly villager is one of only three females ever to appear?

She is also one of the few Smurfs, with Papa, Baby and Grandpa, not said to be 100 years old.