The Smurfs of Yesterday and Today

The Smurfs is a family classic that has been around since its first appearance as a comic strip in 1958. They were created by Belgian cartoonist , Peyo (pen name: Pierre Culliford). In 1981, Hanna-Barbera productions took the show to the television screen that became a popular Saturday morning cartoon. The cartoon aired until 1989. The Smurfs cartoon was so popular that it was nominated for several Daytime Emmy Awards and also won the Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series in 1982-1983.

If you were a child growing up in the 80's and early 90's, you might have spent your Saturday mornings watching the popular cartoon, The Smurfs. Although the Smurfs have long gone from the Saturday morning cartoon schedule, they still do appear as re-runs on other television networks. They also have a few DVD collections that feature some of the classic cartoon episodes and can be found on Internet video websites such as YouTube. The Smurfs cartoons were released on DVD in February of 2008 that featured Season 1, Volume 1 with nineteen episodes. In October of 2008, Season 1, Volume 2 with 20 episodes were released.

Smurfs also graced our television screen in video games too. Since 1982, several Smurf game have been released. The first game to be created was Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's castle. In 1996, The Smurfs traveled the world in Smurfs 2. The latest game was released in 2002, called "The Revenge of the Smurfs."

Those with Verizon services can even watch old Smurf cartoons via the Vcast Videos application. The old classic cartoon episodes can also be watched on YouTube too. Other websites like FanCast.com, muft.tv , and Sidereel.com allow you to watch Smurfs for free online.

In July 2011, the Smurfs will hit the big screen in theaters and soon after, their movie will probably be released on DVD too. The storyline reports that the Smurfs will be going about their own business in their own world, and will some how tumble into ours through a secret portal located in Central Park. Not only do the Smurfs fall through the portal, but evil Gargamel will also sneak through it too. The Smurf's goal is to find their way home before the evil Gargamel tracks them down. This movie release will bring back both old fans to get a chance to meet up with their old blue friends and perhaps entice a new generation to get a taste of the smurfs and their joyous outlook on life.

With the coming of the movie in 3D, perhaps maybe there could be some new smurf cartoons in the making again? Today, the Smurfs are still a classic cartoon that you can share with your children. They make you laugh, smile and can even teach good manners. If you are one of those who kept several of your old stuffed toys, you can even drag out one of your old Smurfs to show your children too.