The World of Smurfs: A Celebration of Tiny Blue Proportions [Hardcover]

Matt. Murray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2011

The Smurfs began as Les Schtroumpfs in a Belgian comic strip in October 1958 and quickly gained popularity, launching comic books and classic figurines. But it wasn't until the NBC cartoon that American audiences fell in love with the Smurfs. The show ran from 1981-1989, and fans can still watch episodes twice a day on Cartoon Network's Boomerang channel. And now, the Smurfs are back in town, thanks to Columbia Pictures & Sony Pictures Animation's upcoming star-filled live-action/CGI-hybrid movie premiering in summer 2011. The World of Smurfs will delve into the history of the series' characters and profile Smurf village residents. It includes a biography of the creator, Peyo, a look back at the popular Hanna-Barbera-produced cartoon, and behind-the-scenes photos from the upcoming movie. Everything will be topped off with seven unique interactive elements, including stickers and an original mini-comic. This will be the first and only book to chronicle Smurf history for fans of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...The World of Smurfs: A Celebration of Tiny Blue Proportions...happens to be excellently written by Matt. Murray, the world's only known Smurfologist!" - Retroist.com

"What's more surprising than a first place box-office win for The Smurfs movie? This book...It's the ultimate word on the whole Smurfs phenomenon. I never thought I'd say this, but I highly recommend this book. It's a lot of fun." - Jerry Beck, author of The Animated Movie Guide

"This book has so much information and history on the Smurfs, that there will surely be bits and pieces of history that will school even the most fanatical of Smurf enthusiasts." - DadsDish.com

"You're not just getting a book here (or just a free poster, mini comic and stickers!) but a piece of cartoon history. No other book will tell you the story of the Smurfs better than this one." - toyxplosion.com

"Whether you're a fan of the old-school Smurfs cartoon from the 1980s, or a fan of the new live-action/CGI movie from Sony, the book is a must-have... But this is not just some book tied-in to the movie of the moment in order to cash in; rather this hardcover coffee-table book is lovingly assembled and written from the heart." - MTV Geek

From the Back Cover

When "Les Schtroumpfs" arrived in a Belgium comic strip in October 1958, no one could have expected the global fame and consciousness they would reach. The elflike blue wonders gained popularity in Europe through comic books and classic figurines, but it wasn't until they became the stars of NBC's Saturday morning lineup in the 1980s that all of America fell in love with the Smurfs.  Now, thirty years later, the Smurfs are headed to the  big screen in a star-filled live-action/CGI hybrid.
The World of Smurfs is the first book to take fans through the creation of the Smurfs, from the early days of their creator, Peyo, as a struggling cartoon artist; to the global phenomenon they became; to the recent Smurf resurgence, including the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon and 2011 movie.
Along the way, Smurfologist Matt. Murray explains the process of creating cartoon and CGI versions of the Smurfs from Peyo's original sketches, and provides character bios for favorite residents of Smurf Village including Papa, Brainy, Clumsy, Hefty, and Smurfette.  Fans young and old will appreciate this comprehensive compendium of the Smurfs' world, detailing how it has grown and adapted in the past fifty years.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Abrams Image; Har/Pstr edition (August 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419700723
• ISBN-13: 978-1419700729
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #574,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Movies > Adaptations

More About the Author

Matt. Murray earned his BFA in film, television and radio production from NYU. A former president and the first executive director of NY's Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, he curated their popular "Saturday Morning" exhibit and crafted events and programming such as the year-long retrospective "1986: The Year That Changed Comics." He contributed to and was interviewed for the "I Smurf the Smurfs" documentary on The Smurfs Season 1, Volume 2 DVD and has served as the "Smurf Consultant" on Papercutz' series of Smurfs graphic novels. In addition to his Smurfology work, Murray is an actor, pop culture blogger and a collector of original comic, cartoon and animation artwork. He lives in Bethlehem, PA with his cat that is not named Azrael.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful overview of the Tiny Blue phenomenon known as the Smurfs! July 14, 2011

By S. M. Robare

Format:Hardcover

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a copy of Matt. Murray's excellent new book called The World of the Smurfs, A Celebration of Tiny Blue Proportions. This coffee table book published by Abrams (the same folks who brought us the wonderful Wacky Packages books) is unique in that it combines a beautifully illustrated look at the phenomena of the Smurfs with the styling of a scrapbook that includes replica mini posters, sticker sheets, replica animation cells and model sheets, as well as reproduction mini comics in the same style that the Smurfs were originally printed in the pages of Spirou in the 60s. I first stumbled across this style of book with the Star Wars Vault (published by Simon and Schuster) that came out during the 30th anniversary of the first film, and this Smurf volume follows in the steps of another Abrams scrapbook, The Transformers Vault, which hit bookshelves earlier in the year. Though these scrapbooks can evoke the feeling of reading a pop-up book at times, The World of the Smurfs strikes a nice balance between a book and a binder full of props. It's pretty darn cool to be able to pull out a replica animation cel while learning about the origins of the Hanna Barbera cartoon, or to unfold a detailed map of the Smurf village while reading up on some of the key characters in the universe. It makes the whole experience one hundred times more visceral than reading a straight prose history, or even a heavily illustrated one. For the generation of collectors that grew up in the 80s this style of publishing really taps into the nostalgia much in the same way that eBay and other auction sites have helped fans connect to ephemera from their past. Here Abrams does that legwork for you.

Though the actual book reads pretty fast, not dwelling on any one topic for very long, Murray, the self-proclaimed World's Leading Smurfologist, does a rather decent job of covering the history of the property and its creator without it feeling like a long wikipedia entry. Actually if there was one thing that I felt was a bit lacking was that after reading through the book I wished there was a bit more coverage of the merchandising. There are some very interesting images that show some of the various video games, food products and ephemera that aren't talked mentioned. I also wanted to see more of the PVC figurines that have been produced over the years. Even so, there are a lot of treasures to be found, in particular the artwork and pictures which dig a bit deeper than what you might find on the average fan site, illustrating the history with some personal photos culled from the Culliford family archive as well as the various Belgian publications that have most likely not seen print before in North America. Included is also a look into the making of the Smurfs' first foray into live action filmmaking which is set to hit theater screens later this month.

Overall, this volume is beautifully bound and presented and would make a great addition to the library of anyone who grew up during the 80s, in particular for casual fans of animation and the Smurfs property. Hardcore fans will still enjoy the book, though they might find it lacking as a reference for the toys, merchandising, cartoons or comics.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must-have for smurfers! August 24, 2011

By slayeroscar

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I smurf this smurf! It has lots of smurf about the Smurfs' creation and success. But the smurf part is all the additional smurf it comes with in its pages: smurfers, mini smurfers, smurfs, even mini smurflets, some in clever cellophane smurfets. Every smurf was a surprise (and not the smurfing kind)! I agree with the other smurfewer that it should have more pages dedicated to smurf and smurf. I think there's not a simple smurf of the delicious Smurfberry cereal or the cookies that I smurfed as a smurf. Also a list of most Smurfs should have been smurfed, as a smurfologist the author should smurf all 100+ of them, right? Only major smurfs were smurfewed.
The only smurf I find is that too much smurf was dedicated to the new smurf. Since it is so smurf I think it was smurfy.
Anyway, buy this smurf. You won't smurf it!

Now for you non-Smurf speakers out there the English version:

I love this book! It has lots of information about the Smurfs' creation and success. But the best part is all the additional stuff it comes with in its pages: stickers, mini posters, cels, even mini booklets, some in clever cellophane pockets. Every page was a surprise (and not the exploding kind)! I agree with the other reviewer that it should have more pages dedicated to memorabilia and merchandise. I think there's not a simple photo of the delicious Smurfberry cereal or the cookies that I adored as a kid. Also a list of most Smurfs should have been included, as a smurfologist the author should know all 100+ of them, right? Only major characters were reviewed.
The only con I find is that too much space was dedicated to the new movie. Since it is so recent I think it was unnecessary.
Anyway, buy this book. You won't regret it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Smurfin SMURFTASTIC! August 31, 2011

By SupaSmurf

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

WOW! Was I pleasantly surprised with this book. I have been a collector and fan of the Smurfs since childhood. I own all things Smurfy and have read as much as I could get my hands on to educate myself with this phenomenon. There is no better book out there on this topic than this one! Matt.Murray goes back to the very start of the Smurfs creator, Peyo, and chronologically brings the reader all the way to present day with THE SMURFS movie. It gives the reader insight as to the history of these creatures and documents their rise to fame in great detail. By not just focusing on the many toys and products the Smurfs have been tied in to, this book embodies the entire Smurf legacy and is a fantastic "celebration of tiny blue proportions!"