The Smurfs #1: The Purple Smurfs [Hardcover]

The most recognizable, appealing, blue characters in comics return in this new series from Papercutz. This debut volume introduces us to the Smurf village, and features two Smurf-tastic stories. In “The Purple Smurf,” when a strange fly bites one of the Smurfs, a full-on epidemic develops in the Smurf Village. After being bit, a Smurf turns purple, his vocabulary is reduced to one word (“gnap!”), and he goes berserk! The purple Smurf runs amok, biting other Smurfs on the tail and turning them purple too! It’s up to Papa Smurf to find a cure. “The Flying Smurf” features the inspiring tale of a Smurf with a dream ? to fly!Yvan Delporte is a Belgian comics writer, and was editor-in-chief of Spirou magazine between 1955 and 1968 during a period considered by many the golden age of Franco-Belgian comics. He is credited with several creative contributions, among these his collaborations with Peyo on The Smurfs, with René Follet on Steve Severin (1/2) and André Franquin with the creation of Gaston Lagaffe and the co-authorship of Idées noires.

Pierre Culliford is a writer and artist who worked under the pseudonym Peyo. His best-known works are the comic book series The Smurfs and Johan and Peewit, in the latter of which the Smurfs made their first appearance. Born in Belgium in 1928, Peyo began his career working with some of Belgium's most talented cartoonists, including his lifelong writing partner Yvan Delporte. In 1958, The Smurfs made their first appearance and went on to become the world-famous characters we know and love today.