There is no other smurf like Bodybuilder Smurf, flexing it’s muscles in a bodybuilder pose, wearing tiny bathers. This smurf not only catches people’s eyes but has also creates a lot of talk.
The Bodybuilder Smurf was first created as a promotional smurf keyring for the bodybuilding clubs in Europe around 1988. Posing in a bodybuilder position, wearing red bathers with the words Sport and Fitness written in black writing on it’s white hat. Bodybuilder is also a blue injected mould with painted white hat.
In the beginning Bodybuilder was given the Schleich reference of #20228. Shortly after this Bodybuilder Smurf was pulled from production as supposedly Peyo did not approve of this smurf. Apparently only 5000 of the original Bodybuilder were produced.
In 1989 four new figurines were released by Schleich. This included #20229 Foreman, #20230 Wild, #20231 Hula Smurfette and #20228 Fitness. Fitness Smurf had replaced Bodybuilder!
Fitness Smurf can be found wearing red bathers and be found doing his stretches by pulling on his spring chest expander.
What is interesting to see is the similarities between Bodybuilder and Fitness! Both were blue injected moulds with white painted hats, wearing red bathers. It is also not usual for collectors to get these two smurfs confused with each other.
It wasn’t until after Peyo’s death in 1992, that Bodybuilder was reproduced by Schleich and given a new reference number of #20417. This time Bodybuilder was wearing gold bathers.
Bodybuilder was produced by Schleich between 1993 to 1996. As far as I am aware during this period it was only sold as a regular smurf and not used as a promotional smurf.
It is unclear why Peyo did not like Bodybuilder and requested Schleich to pull it from production. Perhaps he felt it did not fit the right requirements for a smurf. However it’s also as interesting that after Peyo’s death that Schleich reproduced Bodybuilder.
There has been no other smurf produced like Bodybuilder and perhaps there never will be. This is probably a good thing as the last thing we want is for a smurf to look something like teenage mutant ninja turtle!
Keep on Smurfin
Kath B