Has The Smurfs’ eternal rival, the wizard Gargamel, fallen under life’s ultimate spell…… LOVE??
Join Papa Smurf, Smurfette, and the rest of the lovable blue Smurfs for classic, three-apple tall adventures, translated into English for the first time
Life for Gargamel has been frustrating as of late: he’s tired of hunting, living alone, and cooking for himself. A lady companion would be a solution… but who would take the frumpy evil sorcerer as a companion?! If love is magic, can even Gargamel be transformed for the better? The Smurfs think so and concoct a scheme to get Gargamel partnered up! Also featuring the Smurfs’ friends Johan and Peewit in an adventure of their own. Johan, the royal page, and Peewit, the court jester, investigate the truth behind a young noble with exceptional swordsmanship. Plus: Join the Smurfs for tales of magic and sorcery, along with fun short stories showcasing the whole Smurfs Village.
65 years ago, legendary Smurfs creator Peyo drew the first Smurf. On Free Comic Book Day 2023 (May 6, 2023), the Smurfs jump off the pages with a brand new Augmented Reality comic from Papercutz. This new comic book includes three original Smurfs stories by Peyo himself that are being published in English for the first time. Among these classic pages, readers will be welcomed to enjoy a new dynamic reading experience with pages that activate through a virtual environment where people are increasingly spending more time.
Papercutz, which was acquired by Mad Cave Studios in 2022, presents this augmented reality FCBD issue for fans to pick up at their local comic shops for free on May 6, 2023– where they’ll immediately be able to activate a digital Smurfette to pop up off the cover of the issue!
This Smurfs 65th anniversary special for Free Comic Book Day will showcase 65 years of evolution for the Smurfs franchise, and represent a major step for the brand. Combining the timelessness of the classic comic book experience with the exciting new frontier, this issue is an ode to the past and a vision for a smurftastic future.
The three stories included in the book were created by Peyo himself. They include:
“A Kiss for Smurfette” – Gargamel has hatched another dastardly plot to put an end to the Smurfs. This time, he practices a dangerous potion on Smurfette, turning her into a frog. Will Gargamel’s plan work? Or will the Smurfs find a way to stop him and return Smurfette to her natural form?
“The Smurf from Outer Space” – When Lazy Smurf gets lost at night, he meets a Venutian named Brtt. After a brief conflict with Gargamel, Brtt’s ship is destroyed! Can the Smurfs fix the ship of their new friend, or will Gargamel have the upper hand and finally get his revenge on his sworn enemies?
“Smurfs and the Robot X-XIII” – Brtt returns with his fiancee, chased by a robot sent from Venus because their parents don’t approve of the union. The Smurfs try to help their friend, but Gargamel catches them! Will Papa Smurf and the Smurfs be able to save their friend, or will Gargamel finally destroy the Smurfs once and for all?!
With the recent return of The Smurfs TV show on Nickelodeon for Season 2, and November 2022 release of The Smurfs Kart, a new video game for Nintendo Switch, the Smurf’s 65th year is gearing up to be a landmark year for the Smurfs, and Papercutz is pleased to join in with this landmark augmented reality FCBD release.
It’s a new week and we have a lot coming at you! What geeky things did you all do this weekend? Sound off! While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.
They live in mushroom-shaped houses deep in the forest. The Smurfs, these three apple high creatures are now receiving the Pop! vinyl treatment!
This series features the gentle and wisePapa Smurf, the original female Smurf – Smurfette, the intellectual and annoyance of the group Brainy Smurf, and Astro Smurf who is also known as Dreamy Smurf.
Watch out for Purple Smurf, as this Smurf has been infected by the Bzz fly. Rounding out our series is the evil wizard Gargamel, complete with his cat Azrael.
Pop! Animation: Smurfs are out this August from Funko.
The United Nations Foundation is teaming up with the Smurfs for a smurftastic program called “Small Smurfs Big Goals” to help promote The International Day of Happiness which takes place March 20.
The day of celebration began in 2013 as a “way to recognize the importance of happiness in the lives of human beings around the world. The day is also a good opportunity to highlight the Sustainable Development Goals, a global plan of action that, if achieved, will lead to the well-being of all people. These 17 interlinked goals, adopted by the 193 Member States of the United Nations, protect our people and our planet so that everyone, no matter where they live, can live their happiest lives.”
The Smurfs will help promote the plan to protect all people and the environment through the 17 goals listed below:
No Poverty – End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Zero Hunger – End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Good Health and Well-Being – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Quality Education – Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning
Gender Equality – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Clean Water and Sanitation – Ensure access to water and sanitation for all
Affordable and Clean Energy – Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Decent Work and Economic Growth – Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Reduced Inequalities – Reduce inequality within and among countries
Sustainable Cities and Communities – Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Responsible Consumption and Production – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Climate Action – Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Life Below Water – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
Life on Land – Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
Partnership for the Goals – Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
The Smurfs is a Belgian comic franchise created in 1958 by the writer/artist Peyo.
This is the second comic book characters the United Nations has teamed up with in the last year to help promote a program of theirs. In October 2016 the United Nations designated Wonder Woman as an Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. In March 2016, Red from Angry Birds was appointed Honorary Ambassador for Green for last year’s International Day of Happiness. The United Nations was criticized for the Wonder Woman appointment, but nary a mention from individuals about Red or the Smurfs…
You can click to watch the advertisement being run now to promote the team-up below.
For our first Euro Thursday, I’ve debated for a few weeks as to exactly what I’d like to do. I was thinking I’d keep it simple and just do a review or two… but why make things simple? Thinking through the long term I came to a realization that other than receiving review copies from publishers like Titan Comics or Humanoids (and a few others) I really have no idea about European comics, so I should probably learn to better inform me going forward.
So what defines a “European com” beyond where it’s been created?
First, as I’ve noticed in a few physical copies I get that the format of the comics is a bit different. The product itself is 8.4 inches x11.6 inches which differs from the standard “American” size of 6.63 inches x 10.25 inches. Ok, they’re bigger. They’re also bigger in length as they tend to be 40-60 pages and 100+ pages is common again compared to the “American” 22 page comic. So they’re longer too.
The roots of European comics go far back to the 18th century caricatures and illustrated pictured books. In Scout McCloud’s Understanding Comics: The Invisible Arthe states that early 19th century Swiss artist Rodolphe Töpffer is regarded as the “father of modern comics” by many and Töpffer’s Histoire de M. Vieux Bois is sometimes called the first “comic book.”
But, there’s not really one “European comic.” In reality, the term as a whole is made up of various scenes and locations scattered across the continent. Primarily dominated by Franco-Belgian comics, Belgian comics, Spanish comics, and Italian comics, there’s also British comics (which I as an American probably have the most familiarity with), Czech comics, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Serbian, and Spanish! That’s a lot of different types of comics… did I bite off more than I can chew with this!?
The most famous Franco-Belgian comics are probably Asterix by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé, and The Smurfs by Peyo. Known as bandes dessinées or BDs in French and “strips” in Dutch, these are primarily for Belgian and French audiences. There’s also Flemish Belgian comics which have their own style.
Belgian comics took off in the 1920s and in 2000 40 million comics were printed in Belgium each year with 75% of those exported. That’s a lot of comics!
The influence of British comics and creators in America could fill a column on its own. 2000 AD, Action Man, Andy Capp, Doctor Who, Judge Dredd, are just a few off the top of my head I could name. The history goes back to the 19th century, so there’s a lot to cover in future columns.
The rest, I can honestly say I know little about and am looking forward to exploring more, the point of all of this!
Now, here’s a question to you all, where should I start? What would you like to see? What should I review? Sound off in the comments!
This summer looks like a feast for comic book fans with numerous movies directly based on comic books or having a comic book tie-in. Here’s what to expect each month and what we think is going to be the hits and the misses. And there’s a few weekends comic geeks will have to choose between movies, or go with the double feature.
May
Iron Man 3 – May 3 – easily the juggernaut of the summer movies. This is likely to be the highest grossing movie of the summer unless a certain caped hero goes huge. The second movie of the series was a bit of a let down, but with a new director and an interesting villain, here’s hoping the franchise bounces back. The expectations are high, which works a bit against the movie.
Star Trek Into Darkness– May 17 – The second entry in the rebooted Star Trek franchise has had a prequel released by IDW as well as an ongoing series based in it’s universe. The movie looks much darker than previous entries, but that might not be a bad thing.
June
After Earth – June 7 – Will Smith’s new movie also featuring his son is a futuristic sci-fi tale. It also had a comic tie-in released by Dynamite that was pretty decent.
Man of Steel– June 14 – The other possibility of the top grossing movie of the summer. It looks darker in tone, but this is a reboot of the classic character, just in time for Superman to celebrate his 75th birthday. Like a certain shellhead, there’s high expectations for this one.
Monsters University – June 21 – Pixar’s sequel to their awesome movie Monsters Inc. Maybe Disney and Marvel are smart enough to release a comic tie-in to go with it? I expect it to be a solid family movie.
World War Z– based on Max Brook’s amazing book, the trailers look horrible. But, it’s a zombie movie and Brooks writes comics. I think the movie will tank, but expect publishers to attempt to play off of the Brooks connection.
July
Despicable Me 2 – July 3 – I loved the first one. If someone is smart they’ll grab up this family movie. There’s no comic connection that I can think of, but I love the first movie so much I couldn’t not mention it.
The Lone Ranger – July 3 – the trailers to this also look horrible. There is a Dynamite series, but that has nothing to do with this movie. I expect a box office bomb.
Pacific Rim – July 12 – there’s a graphic novel tie-in that’s supposed to come out, but even if there wasn’t it’s giant robots versus giant monsters. One of the most anticipated movies of the summer for me.
Red 2 – July 19 – the first movie wasn’t all that great. There was something entertaining about it, but barely. Kind of shocked there’s a sequel. The first movie was based on a comic, no idea for any plans for this one.
R.I.P.D. – July 19 – If I’m seeing a “comic movie” this weekend, it’s this one. Starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds the movie is based off of the Dark Horse series.
The Wolverine– July 26 – the first movie was horrible. So bad, I refused to spend movie to see it. This sequel is looking better, but I expect it to be third when it comes to comic movie grosses for the summer.
The Smurfs 2 – July 31 – there is the Papercutz comic series that continues this classic cartoon series. The first movie was smurf, I’m expecting much of the same for this one.
August
2 Guns– August 2 – a tough weekend to open, see below, this movie is based on the BOOM! Studios series. The story is entertaining and it has a solid cast. Another under the radar summer movie I can’t wait to see.
300: Rise of an Empire – August 2 – a tough weekend to open, see above, this movie is based on the upcoming graphic novel Xerxes which is the sequel to the graphic novel 300. I’m not expecting it to match the box office dollars or awesomeness of the first one.
Elysium – August 9 – no comic tie-in that I know of, but it looks like awesome science fiction.
Kick-Ass 2 – August 16 – I hated the comic series this will likely be based on. It was violence for violence sake at times. We’ll see what they get away with for this one.
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones – August 23 – it was a book first, but there’s also a comic adaptation of this popular young adult novel.
(W) Georgia Ball, Jason M. Burns (A/CA) Amy Mebberson
On side one, Elmo, Cookie Monster, The Count and Super Grover teach you about the magic of reading comics! It’s GUARANTEED to chase the clouds away! On side two, join Strawberry Shortcake and friends on 3 berry sweet adventures! Includes “The Blue Flu”, “The Hunt for Blackberry’s Treasure”, and “Blueberry’s Book Tour”.
It’s a bushel of fun!
THE WORLD OF ARCHIE DIGEST
(W/A) Various (CA) TBD
Archie! Betty! Veronica! Jughead! The world’s most famous teenagers for over seven decades are all here in this FREE digest! Packed with non-stop laughs and gaffs that the Riverdale gang is known for, we challenge you to find a Free Comic Book Day offering with more pages than this! The perfect introduction to the world of Archie and friends, this digest is filled with stories from some of the best creators in the business! This is the one to pick up on Free Comic Book Day!
BONGO COMICS FREE-FOR-ALL!
(W/A/CA) Matt Groening, Various
Bongo rings in another Free Comic Book Day with a comical cornucopia of four-color comics and games. First, Bart becomes a model citizen for a day…with disastrous results. Then, Jimbo and the gang escalate and elevate their juvenile delinquency to new heights. Stick around for a bedtime tale with the dim but adorable Li’l Homer and go in search of the Happy Little Elves with Maggie.
KABOOM! SUMMER BLAST
(W/A/CA) Various
An explosion of All-Ages awesomeness from KaBOOM! this Free Comic Book Day! Sure to be one of the most popular offerings this Free Comic Book Day, the KaBOOM! Summer Blast is 48 pages chock-full of the most popular all-ages comics on the stands today! Featuring excerpts from Adventure Time, Peanuts, Regular Show, Bravest Warriors, Garfield, Ice Age and some brand-new surprises, these series will keep readers young and old coming back to your comic shop again and again!
STAR WARS/CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT/AVATAR
(W) Joshua Williamson, Various (A/CA) Ryan Hill, Various
All-Ages Adventure! Star Wars joins fan-favorite villains Darth Vader and Boba Fett! Then explore the upcoming Dark Horse series, Captain Midnight, where the search for the missing superhero is on! And the smash hit Avatar: The Last Airbender follows Mai as she deals with her broken heart…
SUPERMAN SPECIAL EDITION
Sorry, but you’ll have to come back next month for full details!
TMNT NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES
(W/A) Various (CA) Dario Brizuela
Jumping from screen to page, it’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New Animated Adventures! This unique series captures the heart of the smash Nickelodeon television show with brand-new stories. Full of action, excitement and laughs, this is the perfect all-ages comic to get you seeing green!!
THE WALKING DEAD SPECIAL
(W) Robert Kirkman (A/CA) Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn
This special Walking Dead issue contains a new Tyreese short story, a fan-favorite character who just made his television debut in The Walking Dead Season 3! It also reprints short stories featuring Michonne, The Governor and Morgan. This special issue is a must-have for fans of TheWalking Dead — as none of these stories will be reprinted in the trade paperbacks!
MARVEL FCBD 2013: CLASSIFIED!
(W/A/CA) TBD
Prepare for an epic that is out of this world as the biggest and best Super Heroes in the Marvel Universe come together for something that will leave fans demanding more! Marvel Comics has something special planned for Free Comic Book Day 2013… but for now it’s CLASSIFIED! Keep checking back to freecomicbookday.com for future updates!
THE SMURFS
(W/A) Peyo, Various (CA) Peyo
The Smurfs return to Free Comic Book Day with two stories never-before-seen in the U.S.! Gargamel has tormented the Smurfs time and time again, always vowing his revenge on the small creatures. But what happens when he is forced to tangle with someone bigger than him — a nasty Ogre? Find out in “The Ogre and the Smurfs!” Also featuring comics from two of the hottest new Papercutz series, Annoying Orange and Ariol, a new series from Emmanuel Guibert!
SPONGEBOB COMICS FREESTYLE FUNNIES
(W) Derek Drymon, Maris Wicks (A) Graham Annable, Various
United Plankton brings you a completely original collection of SpongeBob comics for FCBD 2013. In “Paint Misbehavin'” Squidward teaches SpongeBob and Patrick how to paint realistically — but how did they learn to bring their painted creations to life? Then in “Day of the Free Comic” SpongeBob must foil Plankton’s latest plan: invading the Krusty Krab inside a…giveaway comic book! Will funny books ever be the same? And: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy take on a new villain: the sultry Catfishstress. All this plus facts about the colorful cuttlefish, a fill-in comic, and a preview of this summer’s SpongeBob superhero-themed annual!
IT’S THE UGLY DOLL COMIC & OTHER STUFF
(W) David Horvath & Various (A) James Kolchaka & Various
Say, Friend. Do you need a hero? Then this comic isn’t for you. (Though being Ugly IS a super power — “ugly” means unique!) Do you need a cookie? Then this is your book! Join OX, Wage, Babo, Ice-Bat and all their friends in the Uglydolls’ first-ever comic book adventure! The Uglydolls may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they sure will eat your candy! And don’t miss the bonus features from other famous members of the VIZ Kids family!
Including Jack the Ripper, The Beast of Chicago, and Fatal Bullet.
By Rick Geary
In this first omnibus volume from Geary’s increasingly storied Treasuries of Murder: the first trilogy of murders that made up the very first volume of this series, Jack the Ripper as only he can narrate it, The Beast of Chicago about H.H. Holmes, possibly the first serial murderer with chilling methodical means and The Fatal Bullet about the assassination of president James Garfield.
6×9, 228pp., B&W hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 9781561637041
A somewhat delayed solicitation due to, ahem, oversight. This will actually ship in October:
SIZZLE #55
Cornnell Clarke’s very next Peanut Butter adventure in college sex steps up to the orgy level with some serious kionk thrown in! At last, Omaha is nearing completion in this issue! Don’t missd the builup to the grand finale! Also, more of Mona X, Gambedotti’s 3 of a Kind, District 69, It Could Happen to You. With a beautiful cover of the erotic actress Katsuni.
Quarterly magazine, full color, 8 ½ x11, $5.95
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NEW FROM PAPERCUTZ
New this month:
ERNEST & REBECCA #3 “Grandpa Bug”
Guillaume Bianco, writer
Antonello Dalena, artist
Rebecca is a vivacious 6-year-old girl whose best friend happens to be a germ named Ernest. He’s not only Rebecca’s best friend — he’s also her partner in mischief, adventure companion, and confidant. In this third volume of the award-winning series, Rebecca and her older sister Coralie are sent to spend the summer in the countryside with their grandparents, away from their mother and father, without Ernest. Rebecca is lost and scared without her friend, but things begin to change when she meets a dog named Missile and her “Grandpa Bug,” both of whom want nothing more than to be her friend.
6 ½ x 9, 48pp., full-color hardcover: $11.99
ISBN: 978-1-59707-353-0
THE SMURFS #13 “Smurf Soup”
by Peyo
“Cartooning’s craftsmanship at its height.” — The Comics Journal
When Gargamel meets a giant with an insatiable appetite, he comes up with a plan to use the giant to destroy the Smurfs: tell him that Smurfs make the most delicious soup in the world! Papa Smurf catches wind of the plot, and begins to create a potion that will enable them to turn the giant, nicknamed “Bigmouth,” against Gargamel. But when Bigmouth stumbles into the Smurfs village, the potion isn’t ready, and the Smurfs must distract the hungry giant, or meet an untimely end inside its belly.
6.5 x 9, 56pp., full-color paperback: $5.99
ISBN: 978-1-59707-358-5
6.5 x 9, 56pp., full-color hardcover: $10.99
ISBN: 978-1-59707-359-2
DANCE CLASS #3 “African Folk Dance Fever”
Béka, writer
Crip, artist
Julie, Lucy, and Alia are best friends who share the same passion: dance! A new year of classes has begun and this year, in addition to their regular ballet and modern dance classes, the three girls are introduced to a new style — African folk! Powered by deep percussion-based music, this style is unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. While the girls enjoy their new art form, problems at home and in the classroom threaten to cause them to have to stop taking their dance classes. Can the girls balance their studies and their extracurricular activities, or will they have to give up dancing for good?
Smurf fans rejoice! On August 14, 2012, the original full-length animated feature The Smurfs and the Magic Flute will finally debut on DVD for the first time in the U.S. from Fabulous Films. Based on the original comic book story by the same name, this beloved animated movie classic debuted in U.S theaters in 1983 and has remained a fan favorite for more than twenty-five years. Delivering wholesome family entertainment, The Smurfs and the Magic Flute DVD also features bonus content including an image gallery, animated menus, a glossary of Smurf terms, The Smurf Story, a character guide, and an About the Smurfs and the Magic Flute featurette. A must-have for Smurfs fans, collectors, animation enthusiasts and a new generation of kids, this collectible DVD is priced to own at $14.93 SRP and available for pre-order now.
In The Smurfs and the Magic Flute, a magical flute is just what Court Jester Peewit needs to play delightful tunes that make everyone in the kingdom dance — until the dancing turns dangerous. Sir Johan tries in vain to recover the musical instrument, but a thief named McCreep beats him to it, intending to use the flute to steal gold from the King’s subjects. It’s the Smurfs to the rescue when Papa Smurf devises a plan to create a second magical flute, and Peewit and Sir Johan go on a great adventure to find McCreep, win the musical duel and save the kingdom!
DVD Bonus Content
Image Gallery
Glossary of Smurf terms
The Smurf Story
Character Guide
About The Smurfs and the Magic Flute
Animated Menus
Technical Information
The Smurfs and the Magic Flute DVD
Street Date: August 14, 2012
Running Time: 71 min.
Aspect Ratio: 4 x 3
Audio: stereo
Rating: Rated G
About the Smurfs
The story of the Smurfs – a property created by Peyo – started in 1958 with the creation of comic books which were later brought to the big screen and on television. Over the years, the little blue characters haven’t just limited themselves to the page and the screen. The Smurfs have inspired records and CDs that have sold millions of copies, entire collections of figurines and toys, and many more products. In all, more than 3,000 derived products have been produced and leading brands and companies have spread their messages worldwide with the help of the Smurfs. A multitude of new projects appear regularly, thus making the success of the Smurfs planetary!
The United Nations Foundation is teaming up with the Smurfs for a smurftastic program called “
For our first Euro Thursday, I’ve debated for a few weeks as to exactly what I’d like to do. I was thinking I’d keep it simple and just do a review or two… but why make things simple? Thinking through the long term I came to a realization that other than receiving review copies from publishers like Titan Comics or Humanoids (and a few others) I really have no idea about European comics, so I should probably learn to better inform me going forward.
