Have you ever thought about how many languages the smurfs have been translated into. For example in 1972 the Schloumpfs as they were first called was changed to Schlumpfs in German and to Smurfs in English. Gargamel was first called Gurgelhals.

So what happens when you translate a name of a smurf from one language to another. Does the word changes it’s true meaning. I remember when I first purchased the Schlumpf Katalog IV by Frank Oswald and found it fun translating words from German to English. This was before Google Translate was born. Allow me to share some of them with you.

Spy Smurf #20008 was called Verschworer. When this is translated from German into English it means conspirator.

Jolly Smurf #20079 was called Lustiger Schlumpf. When this is translated from German into English it means funny.

When Earache #20015 was first released into the English speaking countries such as England and Australia it was referred to as Not Hearing. This seems like a much better name than its current name of  Earache. I am sure when or why it was changed to Earache.

Papa Conductor #20092 is a little different,  as when it was released in Germany it was called Diligent which when translated into English it means conductor. In the USA when Wallace Berrie released this smurf they called it Band Leader. For some reason, they never released the  Schleich version of Band Leader #20061 into the USA.

I have often wondered when some of the comics were converted into the cartoons, did some of the things get lost in translation? I also wonder if things were deliberately changed so not to create controversy. A good example of this is the Swoof character in the Astronaut Smurf story was originally shown with orange coloured skin in the comics and was later changed to green in the cartoon,  to be acceptable in the American market.

The best way to get to know your smurfs, is to build up your knowledge base. This may even include researching about the smurfs written in different languages.

Keep on Schlumpfin (smurfin)

Kath B

“Yellow and Blue. It isn’t what you what you want, but what you choose” are the lyrics of a song called Yellow and Blue by Megan Washington. When I first heard this song I instantly thought of two smurfs – Umbrella #20118 and Skipping Rope #20168. Both of these smurfs have created much debate amongst collectors as both have a colour variation that has always been considered a fake. Both are also highly collectable.

The yellow Umbrella variation has always been suggested was never a genuine variation. The story goes that all yellow Umbrella variations were originally orange Hong Kong variations that had been faded by the sun over a period of time. It is also important to note that with the Umbrella Smurf it is just the mushroom part that has been apparently faded in the sun and not the smurf or the stalk of the mushroom itself.

The blue Skipping Rope variation is another smurf that has created a stir amongst collectors. Like yellow Umbrella Smurf, Smurfette is real but the blue skipping rope that has been added has been questioned whether or not it is genuine. Some believe that the blue skipping rope is actually electrical copper wire due to the faint mark “Calbelte” on the rope itself. This also seems to be an odd choice of material for a children’s toy.

In Der Schlumpf Katalog IV the blue skipping rope has been marked as a Spanish variation. As Schleich did not have a factory in Spain for producing smurfs, this is another reason why many have considered this a fake.

Whether they are fake or genuine they are still worth collecting in my opinion as long as you don’t spend a fortune on them. I happily display both of them with the rest of my collection.

Perhaps the old cliche “if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is” certainly applies to the world of collecting smurfs.

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B