The Smurf's Triumphant return!

[Drtooth]

While we were and still are discussing the resergance of Alvin and the Chipmunks, I can't help notice that all the while a Smurf revolution is at hand.

Yesterday, I got my monthly Asterix Missive e-mailer, and saw this news:

As far as the Smurfs can remember, it's never been seen before: an Asterix smurf in the streets of Angoulême! The Smurfs, the slightly older paper cousins of Asterix and his friends, are celebrating their fiftieth birthday this year, and Asterix is being feted: a brand new Smurf was unveiled on Friday 25 January during the International Comic Book Festival in Angoulême. Sketched by Albert Uderzo and painted by Marie-France Larrouy from Multi-Création, this little-known inhabitant of the village of mushroom houses sports a helmet with wings not entirely dissimilar to our favourite hero.


It was all a closely guarded secret: in all the press releases, the only reference journalists saw was to a "famous Smurf"… The popularity of the Asterix Smurf was indeed a terrific surprise: installed in the square in front of the town hall and put on show as part of the "50 years of blue creativity" anniversary exhibition, the Gaulish Smurf quickly became the most visited monument in Angoulême! With cameras in hand, people crowded around, anxious to get a souvenir photo, not to mention the chance to be immortalized in a snap with this amazing Smurf, some 1m20 tall!

It was a great initiative, part of the festivities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Smurfs, the legendary comic book characters created by Pierre Culliford, aka "Peyo". These were "smurfily" creative festivals, with an European tour of Smurf invasions (5,000 blank Smurfs ready to be painted were dropped off in the early hours all around the streets of Angoulême!), Smurf creativity competitions, and already quite a few extraordinary Smurfs: the disco Smurf (Mirror ball design), a Dalmatian Smurf, a Smurf painted to the nines, a puzzle Smurf, a cactus Smurf … One thing is clear for Obelix though: "These Smurfs are crazy!"


Albert Uderzo, who bears witness to his friendship and admiration for the creator of the Smurfs in this video (in French), was delighted to pay homage to Peyo and launch the Smurf 2008 festivities. He was also keen to express his joy in supporting UNICEF in this way, as the profits from the auctioning of the Asterix Smurf were to be donated to the charity.

Which included a link to this Site.

With a DVD coming out later this month or next month (forget, actually), and three movies to come, it sounds like a totally Smurftastic return is underway.

 

[Redsonga]

OMG I miss them being on tv . Every morning I use wake up to their theme :3!

 

[frogboy4]

Think I reported something about this earlier. Probably in the Alvin thread. I don't remember.

The information (rumors and otherwise) that I have heard lead me to believe that this project is a feature film with CG Smurfs possibly in a realistic medieval world and the story has to do with the struggles of a live action John Lithgow Gargamel.

That has been pieced together with tidbits of information. Some is true, other parts just a guess.

 

[Drtooth]

John Lithgow would make a fun Gargamel. I wonder if these films are going to be closer to the comics (as was the "Magic Flute" film which would explain why it met with mixed reaction in the US).

Personally, I'd love to see some of the original comics published in little books before the films come out. I mean, sure... outside of Tin Tin, the market for European comics in the US is scarce (talking to an Asterix and Lucky Luke fan), but the Smurf name is strong enough to warrent a US release, even if it's just of a British English Translation (similar in style to the Asterix comics that they sell here).

Oddly enough, they're not the only Belgian comic strip that was popular as a cartoon in the US to get a live action, CGI movie. Apparently, Europe is getting 2 Marsupilami movies. One CGI/live action due sometime this year, and one pure animation film.

 

[Drtooth]

Here's an update. We now have preliminary samples of the CGI work. They're basically tests and wire frames so far, but Looking good...

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42090

They didn't deviate, thankfully, from the original design to make them look more "realistic" like some Chipmunks, tubby tabbies, and great danes we know.

 

[Drtooth]

Bump

Volume 2 has been announced

 

[Redsonga]

Here's an update. We now have preliminary samples of the CGI work. They're basically tests and wire frames so far, but Looking good...

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42090

They didn't deviate, thankfully, from the original design to make them look more "realistic" like some Chipmunks, tubby tabbies, and great danes we know.

Realistic Smurfs would just look wrong IMHO, they've always looked comicy from the start..I wonder, would real Smurfs have fur?

 

[Ilikemuppets]

This show was on for about forever!

 

[Xerus]

This show was on for about forever!

That's right nine whole seasons. And here's what happened in each season.

1. The Smurfs first aired on Saturday Morning.
2. Johan and Peewit were added to the series.
3. Baby Smurf joined the family.
4. Just another season.
5. The Smurflings and Puppy joined the family.
6. Grandpa Smurf appeared
7. A Wild Smurf was discovered along with his pet squirrel.
8. Nanny Smurf and her furry red creature Smoogle appeared.
9. And the final season, The Smurfs ended up getting lost in time and they're traveling through different times and countries trying to find their way back home, but that never happened for that was the end of the series.

Yes, Smurfs were a really big part of my Saturday Morning past.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

The smurfs are still shown on boomerang. They seem to only show (from those descriptions that I am reading) up to season 6. But it seems that they focus the most on the Johan and Peewit episodes and the Smurflings episodes.