Posted
on June 28, 2014
Time
to get out your blue makeup.
Or
to resurrect that old Smurf costume.
Or
to dig out your Smurf figurines, dolls, games, or other toys.
Today
is the Saturday closest to Smurf creator Peyo's birthday (June 25,
1928), so flash mobs and kids' activities and movie viewings are
scheduled today to celebrate the blue creatures who live in
mushroom-shaped houses in the forest.
Did
you know that there are Smurf collectors? Well, I guess you could
probably find someone who collects just about ANYthing – I once
knew a little boy who collected different sorts of BandAids – but
there are enough collectors of Smurf merchandise that there are
entire clubs of them who get together and talk about Smurf stuff.
The
Smurf universe began as a comic. It expanded into a TV show and then
two movies. Smurfs have also entered the worlds of advertising, ice
capades, video games and even theme parks!
Peyo
was the “pen name” for the Smurfs creator. The fellow's actual
name was Pierre Culliford, and he was born in Brussels, Belgium. I am
glad to say that, even though Peyo died too early, at age 64, he was
able to enjoy his creations' popularity. The Smurfs first appeared in
the comic strip Johan and Peewit, in 1958. They got their own comic
strip series in 1959, and even the merchandising of PVC figurines
began that long ago! Still, the Smurfs' popularity was pretty local
at that point – until the late 1970s, when Smurfs records and toys
took off in popularity and created a splash internationally. In 1981,
Smurfs became a Saturday morning cartoon in the U.S.
Also
on this date:
Plan
ahead:
Check
out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
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