Schleich Smurfs & "The Smurfs" Cartoon (1981-1989)

The Smurfs Schleich Figures 

The Smurf figurines, born from the imagination of Belgian cartoonist Peyo, transitioned from 2D comic strip characters into a global 3D obsession through a long-standing partnership with the German toymaker Schleich. True "Smurfmania" was ignited in 1965 when Schleich began mass-producing the iconic, 2-inch hand-painted PVC figures, starting with a core trio of a Normal Smurf, Gold Smurf, and a striped Convict Smurf. Long before their famous Hanna-Barbera television cartoon ever debuted, these tiny collectibles became a massive marketing juggernaut, frequently given away as promotional items at European gas stations to help the blue characters invade households worldwide. With over 400 unique designs produced and 300 million units sold, collectors still meticulously hunt for specific markings stamped onto the bottom of the figures' feet—like the "Peyo" signature or original country origins—cementing these plastic toys as a permanent fixture of global pop-culture history.

Donated by: Robyn Babina

"The Smurfs" Cartoon

On September 12th, 1981, "The Smurfs", an animated cartoon by Hanna-Barbera and based on the comic series of the same name by Belgian cartoonist Peyo, debuted in North America. It aired on NBC at 8:30 A.M., and became a major success for the network, and one of the most-successful and longest-running Saturday morning cartoons in television history. "The Smurfs" was nominated for multiple Daytime Emmy Awards, and won Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series in 1982-1983. In 1989, the show reached its 200-episode threshold, and its ninth season, which was an extreme rarity, as most cartoons were cancelled after two seasons and 22 episodes. The last episode of the original series aired on December 2nd, 1989, with NBC ultimately cancelling the show, as well as other Saturday-morning cartoons to make way for new live-action programming starting in April 1990.