The Smurfs are 50!

Those little blue cartoon forest vermin turn 50 this year, and their birthday celebration officially kicked off today.

The Smurfs were created in October 1958 by late cartoonist Pierre Culliford (aka "Peyo"), who first introduced the creatures in the comic strip "Johan and Pirlouit". The characters became an animated cartoon in the US in 1981, and became hugely successful in both media and merchandising.

I could never figure out how there could be so many smurfs when they only had one female. She must be a busy little woman.