"The Black Smurfs" is the title of the very first Smurfs comic book album, originally published in French as Les Schtroumpfs noirs in 1963. The story is a key point of discussion when people analyze the Smurfs from a political or sociological perspective, and it has been a source of controversy.
Here's a summary of the plot and why it's so debated:
The Plot
The story begins with a peaceful Smurf village. One day, a Smurf is bitten by a "Bzz fly" (a "black fly" in the original French). The Smurf immediately turns black, becomes aggressive and violent, and loses the ability to speak normally, only being able to say "Gnap!" He then proceeds to bite other Smurfs on their tails, infecting them with the same condition. This triggers a widespread epidemic, turning nearly all the Smurfs into a horde of black, mindless, and aggressive creatures.
The story follows Papa Smurf's desperate attempt to find a cure and stop the "tail-biting" plague from consuming the entire village. The antidote is discovered to be magnolia pollen, which, when inhaled, makes the infected Smurf sneeze and revert to their normal blue state.
The Controversy and Interpretations
The story has been the subject of numerous interpretations and criticisms, primarily due to the use of the color black to signify an evil, mindless, and aggressive state.
- Racial Allegory: The most prominent criticism is that the comic could be interpreted as a racial allegory. The idea of "turning black" and becoming violent, irrational, and non-verbal has led some to view it as a story that plays on colonialist and racial stereotypes. The Smurfs' unified, blue utopia is "invaded" by a "black" menace that turns them savage.
- Zombie Narrative: A more popular and less controversial interpretation is that the comic is an early example of a modern zombie narrative. The plague-like infection spread through biting, the mindless, aggressive horde, and the search for a cure are all elements that would later become staples of the zombie genre, notably in George A. Romero's 1968 film Night of the Living Dead.
- Contagious Disease: The story can also be read as a straightforward allegory for any contagious disease or even a mob mentality. The transformation is caused by an external force (the fly), and it spreads uncontrollably, turning individuals into a dangerous, unified force.
Changes for American Audiences
When the story was adapted for the Hanna-Barbera animated series, the "black" Smurfs were changed to "purple" Smurfs. This was a deliberate decision to avoid any potential racial connotations and controversy. The story was retitled "The Purple Smurfs" and this version is what most people are familiar with today. This change highlights the fact that the racial implications of the original comic were a recognized issue.
