Pop Culture Hall of Fame thinks that its latest inductee for franchises is simply Smurftastic.
The Smurfs first scurried into the hearts of fans way back in 1958 when Belgium comic creator Peyo first gave life to the tiny, blue mushroom-dwelling humanoids.
More than 65 years and 100-plus Smurfs later, the franchise is still going strong…despite the efforts of the evil Gargamel to eradicate them.
It didn’t take long for the Smurfs transition from comic books to television series, theme parks and even the Ice Capades, in addition to advertising, philanthropy and lots more.
Thanks to their worldwide popularity (the word Smurf can be translated into more than 55 different languages) and its partnerships with the likes of Nickelodeon and Paramount Animations, the Smurf franchise is worth an estimated billion dollars these days.
Led by Papa Smurf, the others such as Brainy, Hefty and Smurfette, the Smurfs hail from a place called Le Pay Maudit (The Cursed Land) where they live a joyous life. That is, when they’re not being harassed by Gargamel and his cat Azrael.
Each Smurf is named after their particular trait followed by the Smurf surname, such as Handy Smurf, Vanity Smurf and Painter Smurf.
Schleich began marketing mini Smurf figures in the early 70s that would go on to become extremely popular among kids and today with collectors. The company still produces up to 12 new Smurfs per year and have sold more than 300 million over the past six decades.
They even have their very own Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.
With such a legacy, each generation has its own affinity for these little blue creatures, and for that reason, the Smurfs franchise is among the newest additions to the Pop Culture Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
