The Smurfs Debut: Peyo Creates an Icon
Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, known as Peyo, introduced the Smurfs as minor characters in a Johan and Peewit comic strip published in Spirou magazine on October 23, 1958. The small blue creatures were so popular with readers that Peyo gave them their own series within two years. The name 'Schtroumpf' was invented during a meal when Peyo forgot the word for salt and asked a friend to pass the schtroumpf. The joke stuck. Hanna-Barbera licensed the characters for an American Saturday morning cartoon in 1981 that ran for nine seasons and 256 episodes, making Papa Smurf, Smurfette, and the villain Gargamel household names worldwide. The franchise has since generated over $1 billion in merchandise, three feature films, and theme park attractions. All from three apples tall, blue, and living in mushroom houses.
October 23, 1958
68 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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