Free Comic Book Day 2023: Papercutz’ 65th Anniversary ‘Smurfs’ Comic In The Metaverse
by Anton Kromoff
Welcome to the table,
That headline is unhinged in the best possible way. I always liked the Smurfs. They were these weird little fantasy creatures who lived in the woods and were harassed by a weird old sorcerer and his irritating cat. It was a pretty high fantasy for a kid’s show but there was a ton of magic that got thrown around and honestly, when you look at it through the lens of a game like D&D or Pathfinder those Smurfs were pretty powerful little creatures.
I knew a lot about the cartoon as a kid but did not come to learn of the comic until I was in my late teens, but in all actuality, the Smurfs have had a long history in various facets of popular culture. So it only makes sense they are entering yet another next landscape, the Metaverse.
Legendary Smurfs creator Peyo drew the first Smurfs 65 years ago, and now, On Free Comic Book Day 2023 (May 6, 2023), the Smurfs will make the jump off the pages with a brand new Augmented Reality comic from Papercutz.
This anniversary FCBD issue will include three original stories by Smurfs creator Peyo, two of which have not been published in English before: The Smurf from Outer Space, and Smurfs and the Robot X-XIII. Among these classic pages, readers will be welcomed to enjoy a new dynamic reading experience with pages that activate through a virtual environment.
Papercutz, which was acquired by Mad Cave Studios in 2022, is proud to present this augmented reality FCBD issue for fans to pick up at their local comic shops for free on May 6, 2023– where they’ll immediately be able to activate a digital Smurfette to pop up off the cover of the issue!
This Smurfs 65th anniversary special for Free Comic Book Day will showcase 65 years of evolution for the Smurfs franchise, and represent a major step for the brand. Combining the timelessness of the classic comic book experience with the exciting new frontier of the metaverse, this issue is an ode to the past and a vision for what they are calling “a smurftastic future.”
You can check out the descriptions of the three stories included in the book that were created by Peyo himself below.
“A Kiss for Smurfette” – Gargamel has hatched another dastardly plot to put an end to the Smurfs. This time, he practices a dangerous potion on Smurfette, turning her into a frog. Will Gargamel’s plan work? Or will the Smurfs find a way to stop him and return Smurfette to her natural form?
“The Smurf from Outer Space” – When Lazy Smurf gets lost at night, he meets a Venutian named Brtt. After a brief conflict with Gargamel, Brtt’s ship is destroyed! Can the Smurfs fix the ship of their new friend, or will Gargamel have the upper hand and finally get his revenge on his sworn enemies?
“Smurfs and the Robot X-XIII” – Brtt returns with his fiancee, chased by a robot sent from Venus because their parents don’t approve of the union. The Smurfs try to help their friend, but Gargamel catches them! Will Papa Smurf and the Smurfs be able to save their friend, or will Gargamel finally destroy the Smurfs once and for all?!
With the recent return of The Smurfs TV show on Nickelodeon for Season 2, and the November 2022 release of The Smurfs Kart, a new video game for the Nintendo Switch, the Smurf’s 65th year is gearing up to be a landmark year for the Smurfs, and Papercutz is pleased to join in with this landmark augmented reality FCBD release.
Until next time, I use to be told to dream of Gargamel when I did not react favorably to adults in my childhood. Smurfs man… wild they have been around this long and are still going strong.
