Everybody has seen these adorable little blue characters, each with their own unique personality! The Smurfs have racked up 50 million comic book sales all over the world. The franchise also includes animated films that have generated more than a billion dollars at the box office and several TV series, as well as a long line of video games stretching back to the Atari 2600.

We met one of the many Smurfs fans, Anthony from France, who has been a follower of the franchise since his early years. “As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had comic books and figurines on my shelves,” he told us. “The characters are loveable and funny; it’s a magical world that appeals to kids and adults, with different levels of interpretation.” In his free time, Anthony is involved in managing a Facebook group that brings together nearly 1900 Smurfs fans! “It’s a space for sharing, chatting and finding news about everything happening with the franchise,” he explained. “We’ve managed to create a highly engaged community; everybody ends up getting to know each other a bit, and some members become friends.”

Living thousands of miles away, in the USA, Francis is another Smurfs fan we got a chance to chat to. “I’ve been a fan of the franchise for more than ten years now,” he told us. “What I like most is how engrossing the characters and stories are.” Like Anthony, Francis is an engaged participant in the community: he is an active member of the Smurfs Wiki, where readers can find tons of information, including thousands of Francis’s contributions! There are many people from all parts of the world who are interesting in and often obsessed with the world of the Smurfs.