(HANNA-BARBERA PRODUCTIONS.) THE SMURFS. Group of 16 Animation Cels. Together, 16 hand-painted animation cels from the television series airing between 1981-89. Gouache, ink, and graphite on paper. Average size 90x110 mm; 3 1/2x4 1/2 inches on 10 1/2x12 1/2-inch paper. Production and sequencing notes in margins, in ink, colored pencil, and graphite.
A fun group of animation cels featuring some of the main characters including Brainy Smurf, Clumsy Smurf, Grouchy Smurf, Gargamel, and the fetching Smurfette. Includes progressive drawings for the same image. The Smurfs is a Belgian comic franchise created by cartoonist Pierre Culliford. "Les Schtroumpfs," as they were originally known, were introduced to America through media entrepeneur Stuart R. Ross who sensed their potential for marketing gold. The wildly successful figurines and dolls captured the imaginations of children including the daughter of NBC President Fred Silverman whose Smurf obsession sparked his idea for an animated series. An instant success, it became one of the most popular and longest-running Saturday morning cartoons in television history. These cels were created and used in the series and are not among the more readily available publicity cels.
