The Smurfs are a group of small, blue, human-like creatures that live in mushroom houses in an enchanted forest. They were created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo and first appeared in comics in the late 1950s. Since then, they have become hugely popular through books, TV shows, films, and other media. But one question that often comes up is whether there is a black Smurf among the well-known blue characters.
The Origins of the Smurfs
In the original comics by Peyo, the Smurfs were almost exclusively male and all had blue skin. The first Smurfs Peyo drew were unintelligent creatures who later evolved into the intelligent human-like beings known today. Their leader Papa Smurf used a magic potion to transform the non-intelligent Smurfs into the familiar small blue humanoids.
The most well-known Smurfs wear white hats and pants and are known for different characteristics that make up their names – for example, Brainy Smurf, Clumsy Smurf, Jokey Smurf. Their enemy Gargamel is an evil wizard who wants to capture the Smurfs and turn them into gold or eat them.
The First Smurf Stories
The first Smurf comics appeared in 1958 in the Belgian comics magazine Spirou. The Smurfs did not actually have names beyond “Schtroumpf” in these early French language stories. Their village was known as “le village des Schtroumpfs”.
In 1959, the Smurfs were given more distinct identities and names in a story titled “The Black Smurfs”. But this still did not refer to a Smurf with black skin – instead, it was about a magical illness that turned Smurfs into violent creatures with black-colored skin who did not behave like their normal blue selves.
The Smurfs Become Internationally Popular
In the 1960s and 1970s, Peyo and his studio created many more Smurf stories that solidified the characters that are now known around the world. The word “Smurf” comes from the Dutch word for gnome – “smeerlap”.
The Smurfs grew into global icons after they were featured in a Hanna Barbera animated cartoon series in the 1980s. This popularized them and introduced the characters to new generations in many countries. The Smurfs have now appeared in movies, video games, theme parks, commercial products, and almost every form of media.
Racial Representation in the Smurfs
Since the Smurfs come from mid-20th century European comics, there is little racial diversity represented. Most early Peyo Smurf stories did not mention race or skin color beyond the fact that Smurfs are blue.
The Lack of Black Smurfs
There is no specifically identified black Smurf among the hundreds of Smurfs who live in the village. Papa Smurf and the others all have blue skin, white pants and hats, with no variations based on race or ethnicity.
Some analyses point out that this uniformity can teach children that everyone in a community should have common traits and appearance. On the other hand, the lack of diversity fails to show that communities include people of different backgrounds.
Criticism and Reactions
In the late 20th century, some analyses of children’s media noted that the Smurfs lacked diversity compared to the real world. For example, in a 1997 survey of children’s videos released that year, two parents pointed out the Smurfs as an example of media with almost all white characters and no racial minorities visible.
In 2011, a group of Republican congressional aides released a report titled “Reducing Over-Classification Act”. In this report, they used the lack of black Smurfs to metaphorically illustrate lack of diversity in certain federal workforce areas. This sparked some reactions defending the Smurfs against charges of racism. Critics pointed out the Smurfs were never meant to represent any Earthly human races.
Recent Efforts at Diversity
The makers of more recent Smurfs media have included some more diverse characters in response to earlier criticisms. For example:
- Clockwork Smurfette – A black female robot character was included in the Smurfs comic books in 2014.
- In the live action movies from Sony Pictures Animation, a number of minor human characters appear with diversity in race, skin color, and ethnicity.
- Narrator Smurf – A Smurf with a Caribbean accent was included in the 2017 Smurfs: The Lost Village animated film.
So in the last decade, black and other diverse characters have appeared in Smurfs stories, even if there is still no specifically identified black Smurf within the village.
Black Smurf – A Magical Illness in Smurf Lore
As mentioned earlier, the term “Black Smurf” does not refer to a racially black Smurf in the original comics and stories.
The Origin of Black Smurf Disease
In the 1959 story “The Black Smurfs”, Papa Smurf opens a magical tome that releases a purple cloud. This cloud infects Smurfs and turns their skin entirely black. It also makes them violent, barely able to speak, unable to recognize each other, and acting like “black ghosts”.
Papa Smurf finds a cure involving elements like mint leaves, carrot juice, and river water. But he ends up needing to create more cure because the illness spreads to almost the entire village before they contain it.
Later Black Smurf Stories
Black Smurf disease made later appearances when the evil wizard Gargamel managed to recreate it and infect Smurf Village again. For example in “The Return of the Black Smurfs” in 1997.
The disease is essentially a magical zombie plague making the Smurfs both black-skinned and unable to reason or recognize friends. While it had nothing to do with race when first created, the concept did spark some criticism decades later for seemingly portraying blackness as equivalent to illness and violence.
Could There Be a Real Black Smurf in the Future?
So while there has never specifically been a black-skinned Smurf character in the core village, more racial diversity has been introduced in the 21st century Smurfs universe. Could there be a canonical Black Smurf or Smurfs of different races created in future stories?
Obstacles and Concerns
There are some potential concerns or obstacles in creating a Black Smurf that writers and creators would need to consider:
- The existing connotation of “Black Smurf” as an illness – Associating a black character with this name could come across negatively.
- Finding a balance between standing out and belonging – A Black Smurf would look distinct from their community but should also be accepted as an equal member.
- Avoiding stereotypes – A Black Smurf’s personality and attributes would need thoughtful consideration to avoid harmful stereotypes.
- Fitting the Smurf backstory logic – Any new races of Smurfs would presumably also originate from Papa Smurf’s magic.
Possibilities for Implementing a Black Smurf
That said, there are many story possibilities that could reasonably introduce a Black Smurf:
- Papa Smurf’s magic could create additional Smurfs with new skin colors.
- A spell or magical object could transform an existing Smurf.
- Travelers from other lands where Smurfs have naturally diverse appearances.
- A Smurf temporarily gains a different color as a magical disguise for a specific story.
With thoughtful writing, it seems possible to introduce a Black Smurf or other racially diverse characters in ways that enrich Smurf Village and represent broader audiences.
Conclusion
In summary, there has never been an explicitly Black Smurf within the core Smurf Village in Belgian cartoonist Peyo’s original comics and shows. The Smurfs were originally created with little racial diversity, leading to some later criticism of the all-white cast.
The term “Black Smurf” originated as the name for a magical illness turning Smurfs violent with black-colored skin. But over the decades, Smurfs creators have made some effort to introduce more diverse characters, settings, and positive attributes related to race.
There are certainly ways a future Smurfs story could introduce a Black Smurf character if writers handle the concept carefully and avoid stereotypes. A more diverse cast would allow children of all backgrounds to feel represented in Smurf Village, while enjoying the characters’ universal themes of friendship, teamwork, and overcoming challenges.