Blue Cavern

Hi everyone…perhaps you have spoken about this before, but I haven´t had enough free time to read all the info the GREAT André has shared with us. I need time for read it all!!!!THANKS

I have found (and I am reading it) the book “Peyo, l’enchanteur” and I have read some things that I would like someone could explain them to me:

“Middle years of 60´s, the distributor of Kellogs for Benelux had the idea of giving a small figurine made of plastic for the purchase of a box of corn flakes. A small serie of small figureines was created for that reason: standard smurf, brainy, black, prisoner, papa…The success was quick. (…) But the action of Kellogs stopped. (…) The manufacturer of the figurines, the german company BULLY FIGUREN asked Peyo what to do with molds: if destroy them or continue with the production. Peyo asked Dupuis if they wanted to be a part of the bussines of figurines but the answered: Mr Culliford, we sell paper but not toys made of plastic”. Peyo decide to go on creating ALONE figurines and signed an contract where you could read he was the only beneficiary of the profits and his editeur (DUPUIS) has not rights (talking about figurines, I mean)”


IT is not too clear for me!!!!!!!!So it means Kellogs was the 1st distributor of smurfs?????

I can´t read in French as quick as I do in Spanish but it seems it will be interesting to read the relations with Hanna Barbera (the story of the daughter of the director of NBC, the story of the dog, of the colours of black smurfs, the problems of the stories (it seems HB wanted to create stories Peyo didn´t like (too many problems and fights btw the smurfs), the creation of IMPS etc etc

THANKS

Hi Joaquin,

as faar as I know the kelloggs you talk about were made in the 70s by Bully before they got the license and this also explains why Bully had these molds and asked what to do with them. ?? What do you think?

"Dupuis, editor of the Smurf comics, first produced smurf figurines from 1959 on. The first one was a series of three 5 cm tall figurines (Papa, Normal and Angry), followed in the next decade by some larger figurines. Those were only for sale in French- and Dutch-speaking countries. In 1965, Schleich, a German company, made the first truly mass-produced PVC Smurf collectible figurines (the first three being Normal Smurf, Gold Smurf and Convict Smurf (complete with black-and-white striped prisoner's outfit). In 1966, Spy Smurf, Angry Smurf, and Drummer Smurf appeared. In 1969, five more smurfs followed: Moon Smurf, Winter Smurf, Brainy Smurf, Guitar Smurf, and Papa Smurf. In the 1970s, smurfs were also produced by rival German company Bully. The first of these figurines were made as a promotion for Kellogg's, but were afterwards sold separately.Dayez, Hugues, Op. cit., p. 110-111"

Maybe the softer Bullysmurfs with no markings or only peyo markings were the ones used by Kelloggs???

Off course there could be other ones also made by Kelloggs??

But if Dupuis made the first ones in 1959 they must have been the first ones made, if that is correct??

It seems there is a contradiction between what I have read and what you have added. But it is odd, because it is the same writer: Hugues dayez

I will go on reading and will try to understand all, using my bad french!!!jejeje

merci de votre réponse

It seems there is a contradiction between what I have read and what you have added. But it is odd, because it is the same writer: Hugues dayez

I will go on reading and will try to understand all, using my bad french!!!jejeje

merci de votre réponse

Everything you wrote make sence if the year mid 60s is changed to mid 70s. And I believe that could be correct. Because we can find both prisoner, papa, brainy etc with no markings and very similair to Bullymaterial!!

Why would Bully get the molds made in mid 60s and ask peyo what to do with them if they started with smurfs in the mid 70s??? just seems odd to me??

Thanks for telling us this Joaquin and let us know if you find more information!!

Which is the "op.cit"???????????????

Which is the "op.cit"???????????????

Joaquin,

how many pages are in that book?

Which is the "op.cit"???????????????

Joaquin,

how many pages are in that book?

187...Why do you ask???

Which is the "op.cit"???????????????

Joaquin,

how many pages are in that book?

187...Why do you ask???

What is written on pages 110-111?

Whta I have said you about kellogs is at pg 110

Whta I have said you about kellogs is at pg 110

And it says mid 60s? What is that in french?

Andre, where did you get your quotation from? Looks like it might be from the same book but different translators (I assume Joaquin translated his piece himself)

BTW..thanks, Joaquin for bringing this up..it looks indeed like Bully put the first unmarked Bully figurines in the Kellog's boxes..and according to other sources also gave them away at carnivals.

Interesting to see that Kellogs and the smurfs seem to constantly find each other during years

Well, I have made a free translation. My french is not good but I am sure 100% that all the pages speaking about the figures of kellogs is 60's.

It is the chapter 15 and it is all about the 60's. Some things I can read...

- "later, when they have seen the big amounts of dollars that the innocent figurines has produced, Dupuis will cry bitterly" (about the negative of Dupuis for being a part of bussiness of figurines)

- All chapter 16 is about Peyo, Gos... et Franquin but you can read at the beginning of chapter 17: "EN cette année 1969 , les Schtroumps intéressent de plus en plus les firmes alimentaires. Aprés Kellogs, ce sont les Biscuteries Nantaises qui s'adressent à Peyo pour utiliser ses lutins bleus. ici, il ne s'agit pas d'offrir des figurines, mais carrément de concevoir un album inédit qui serait distribué par BN"

From this words, I imagine the kellogs smurfs are figureines before 1969

- At chapter 22, there is sentence about the same question: another time, it is the merchandising that will have an important role: after their creation by kellogs, mid 60´s, the small figurines of smurfs ....

FROM all this I deduce that the smurfs Bully made for kellogs are before 1969

I must have a look carefully, but this is what I can read and what I do understand

Nice that you found this info Joaquin! Thanks!!
And as far as I can read from your words, I think you translated all correctly.
We know that the first Dupuis figurines were already made in 1958-1959 and that the 5 special dupuis smurfs were released around 1966, so you could very well be right.
please continue reading ( I don`t have that book) and let us know if you find more info!

Lia

Thanks for the info Joaquin!

I have not read this book just found the information on internet.

What year is the book from and do you have the
ISBN?

@Joaquin: Wow!!! That's interesting to read, Joaquin. Thanks for sharing, my brother. I will check out the pages, as soon as I am home again.

@Andre: I bought my copy, while being to Nice four years ago. Note: The book is French only and as far as I know, there isn't any English version in existence.
http://www.amazon.fr/Peyo-lEnchanteur-B ... 2873930462
Note: There are two different covers existing. One of them being a proper photograph of Peyo holding a dupuis smurf between his fingers, smiling at him. The other being a cartoon, in which Peyo is dressed up like a smurf. I personally own the first version. For both versions go to: see: http://forum.bluecavern.com/viewtopic.p ... ght=#75650.

It's true. Normal Smurf-Guitar Smurf were all originally Kelloggs promos and then, after the promotion ended, they moved onto the mainstream market.

I only learnt this recently too!

I highly appreciate your confirmation, Al.