Where To Watch
At long last: This is the reason why the Smurfs are blue!
"Making them all different colors would have given them nothing more than superficial identities."
Would the Smurfs be so compelling if they weren't blue? Sure, they're tiny, lovable, and mischievous. But would those qualities be as endearing to viewers everywhere if a typical smurf were red, yellow, or green?
Luckily, we'll never have to know the truth, because the Smurfs have been, and always will be, a beautiful blue color. But what if we told you that it was actually merely happenstance that those tiny little creatures got their signature hue?
The Smurfs were originally created by Pierre Culliford, better known as Peyo. In addition to The Smurfs, the Belgian comic artist also created the series Johan and Peewit.
Peyo may have created The Smurfs, but according to an article for TIME Magazine, their blue color was decided by his wife, Nine Culliford, who apparently chose it randomly.
"It was a fluke," said Nine. "I didn't say, 'Smurfs have to be blue because that would work best.'"
Additional design choices regarding The Smurfs included their round bodies and sunny disposition. "To draw a Smurf, you almost only need curves," said animator Philippe Capart. "There are no angles at all, so we have something really round and friendly."
Although the Smurfs share a majority of the same physical characteristics, they differ greatly in personality, so much so that this distinction has become a part of their individual namesake. It was something that Joseph Barbera kept in mind, according to his memoir, My Life in 'Toons.
"A big part of the Smurfs' charm - and staying power - is that, while they all look basically the same and, indeed, are almost nondescript, they each have a unique personality that kids quickly recognize and identify with," wrote Barbera. "Making them all different colors would have given them nothing more than superficial identities - 'This is the red one, he's the green one, she's the pink one' - which really would have been no identity at all. Making them all look pretty much alike forced us to develop characters with genuinely distinctive personalities."
Related
