Papa Smurf
Encyclopedia
Papa Smurf is a male fictional character
from The Smurfs
. At 542 years old (546 in the movie) is the third-oldest Smurf after Grandpa and Nanny, and well above the typical age of the other Smurfs, which are approximately 100 years old. He is quite energetic for his age, and is easily distinguished from the other Smurfs by his red clothes and his bushy white beard, which was brown in his younger days.
In the original French version, Papa Smurf's name is "Le Grand Schtroumpf", which could be translated as "the Great Smurf" or "the Big Smurf". His name could also be interpreted as "Le Grand Père", French for grandfather, which is consistent with his elderly appearance and paternal ways.
, Papa Smurf had a more forceful personality and a short temper, often getting angry with his Smurfs when they did something wrong or were not obeying his orders.
. For example he has switched bodies with Gargamel
in order to pretend to attack the village on several occasions, including in the Smurf Versus Smurf comic adventure and the "Romeo & Smurfette" TV episode, and has even created a whole other village of evil doubles
of the original Smurfs in The Smurf Menace" comic issue.
Papa Smurf would sometimes prefer not to have to constantly fix problems, but he has realized that it was his calling. One time he said that because he may not be able to be the village leader forever, every Smurf should have a brief experience of commanding the village. He brought this into effect by handing over his signature red hat and having the designated Smurf wear it, and direct others on a construction project. While the other Smurfs were wearing Papa's hat they were referred to as "Papa Greedy", "Papa Clumsy", or "Mama Smurfette". While Papa felt it important that each Smurf gain leadership skills, he maintains his purpose of guiding the Smurfs and fixing their problems and mistakes.
. He often makes elixir
s to help Smurfs who get themselves into trouble. The French comic portrays Papa Smurf constantly preparing magical drinks from white hellebore
; the drawings in which the effects of these alchemical brews are shown are both turbulent and amusing. Separate from his house, he has a laboratory containing several chemical devices, and he tries to create potions for the good of the Smurfs, yet sometimes fails. For example, one time he accidentally created a substance that turned any living thing into a huge monster (refer to The Smurfs and the Cracoucass album, and the cartoon episode "The Smurfs and the Howlibird"). Impassioned by his love of magical chemistry, he occasionally leaves the village in order to get the needed ingredients.
provided Papa Smurf's voice in both the 1980s animated series and the 1990 special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue
. Jonathan Winters
(who was the voice of Grandpa Smurf in the cartoon series) voiced Papa Smurf in the 2011 film
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from The Smurfs
The Smurfs
The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centred on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo on October 23, 1958...
. At 542 years old (546 in the movie) is the third-oldest Smurf after Grandpa and Nanny, and well above the typical age of the other Smurfs, which are approximately 100 years old. He is quite energetic for his age, and is easily distinguished from the other Smurfs by his red clothes and his bushy white beard, which was brown in his younger days.
In the original French version, Papa Smurf's name is "Le Grand Schtroumpf", which could be translated as "the Great Smurf" or "the Big Smurf". His name could also be interpreted as "Le Grand Père", French for grandfather, which is consistent with his elderly appearance and paternal ways.
Characteristics
Papa Smurf is a gentle, wise, and knowledgeable village elder. He serves as the Smurfs' leader, and serves as a paternal figure to whom the Smurfs usually go when they require counsel. He is always concerned about the Smurf's well-being and harmony. He is very altruistic and always ready to help somebody, whether Smurf or human. Papa Smurf also has diplomatic skills in case the Smurfs meet humans or other creatures. Unlike other Smurfs, he usually manages to speak without replacing nouns and verbs with the word "smurf". In the original comic books by PeyoPeyo
Pierre Culliford , known as Peyo, was a Belgian comics artist, perhaps best known for the creation of The Smurfs comic strip.-Biography:...
, Papa Smurf had a more forceful personality and a short temper, often getting angry with his Smurfs when they did something wrong or were not obeying his orders.
Duty
Papa Smurf's duty is to ensure all the Smurfs of the village get along well, are nice to each other, and do not fight. When real chaos rises among them, Papa Smurf takes very drastic measures, often using magicMagic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
. For example he has switched bodies with Gargamel
Gargamel
In the fictional world of The Smurfs, Gargamel the sorcerer is the sworn enemy of the Smurfs and the main antagonist in the show and comic books. While described as a wizard in the narration, Gargamel is not depicted as possessing real magical powers to speak of...
in order to pretend to attack the village on several occasions, including in the Smurf Versus Smurf comic adventure and the "Romeo & Smurfette" TV episode, and has even created a whole other village of evil doubles
Evil twin
The evil twin is an antagonist found in many different fictional genres. They are physical copies of protagonists, but with radically inverted moralities. In filmed entertainment, they can have obvious physical differences with the protagonist—such as facial hair, eyepatches, scars or distinctive...
of the original Smurfs in The Smurf Menace" comic issue.
Papa Smurf would sometimes prefer not to have to constantly fix problems, but he has realized that it was his calling. One time he said that because he may not be able to be the village leader forever, every Smurf should have a brief experience of commanding the village. He brought this into effect by handing over his signature red hat and having the designated Smurf wear it, and direct others on a construction project. While the other Smurfs were wearing Papa's hat they were referred to as "Papa Greedy", "Papa Clumsy", or "Mama Smurfette". While Papa felt it important that each Smurf gain leadership skills, he maintains his purpose of guiding the Smurfs and fixing their problems and mistakes.
Hobbies
When he is not engaged in his leadership role, Papa Smurf indulges in his favorite hobby of magical chemistry, or alchemyAlchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
. He often makes elixir
Elixir
An elixir is a clear, sweet-flavored liquid used for medicinal purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's ills. When used as a pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orally....
s to help Smurfs who get themselves into trouble. The French comic portrays Papa Smurf constantly preparing magical drinks from white hellebore
White Hellebore
White Hellebore may refer to:* Veratrum album* Veratrum viride...
; the drawings in which the effects of these alchemical brews are shown are both turbulent and amusing. Separate from his house, he has a laboratory containing several chemical devices, and he tries to create potions for the good of the Smurfs, yet sometimes fails. For example, one time he accidentally created a substance that turned any living thing into a huge monster (refer to The Smurfs and the Cracoucass album, and the cartoon episode "The Smurfs and the Howlibird"). Impassioned by his love of magical chemistry, he occasionally leaves the village in order to get the needed ingredients.
Voiced by
Don MessickDon Messick
Donald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
provided Papa Smurf's voice in both the 1980s animated series and the 1990 special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue is an animated drug prevention television special starring many of the popular cartoon characters from American weekday, Sunday morning and Saturday morning television at the time of this film's release...
. Jonathan Winters
Jonathan Winters
-Early life:Winters was born in Bellbrook, Ohio, the son of Alice Kilgore , a radio personality, and Jonathan Harshman Winters II, an investment broker. He is a descendant of Valentine Winters, founder of the Winters National Bank in Dayton, Ohio...
(who was the voice of Grandpa Smurf in the cartoon series) voiced Papa Smurf in the 2011 film
The Smurfs (film)
The Smurfs is a 2011 American 3D family film based on The Smurfs comic book series created by Peyo and the 1980s animated TV series it spawned. It was directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, and Sofía Vergara. It is the first CGI/live-action hybrid film to...
.