- You may also be looking for the episode that goes by this name.
"The Smurfs and the Howlibird" (original French title Les Schtroumpfs et le Cracoucass) is a comic book story created by Belgian artist Peyo. In the original French version, the book consists of two stories.
Characters[]
- Papa Smurf
- Howlibird
- Brainy Smurf
- Lazy Smurf
- Greedy Smurf
- Grouchy Smurf
- Jokey Smurf
- Handy Smurf
- Naked Smurf (First appearance; Unnamed)
- Dopey Smurf (First appearance as "Schtroumpf Bêta")
- Gargamel
- Azrael
- Feathers (Unnamed)
- Unnamed Smurfs
Plot[]
The Smurfs and the Howlibird[]
Papa Smurf tries to create a new fertilizer, but it transforms an ordinary flower into a smurfivore plant. After destroying the plant, two Smurfs try to get rid of the fertilizer throwing it in a lonely place. However, a bird swallows it and becomes a huge, destructive monster named the "Howlibird". The Howlibird destroys the Smurf Village and the Smurfs escape to an old tower. There, Handy Smurf suggests repairing an old crossbow to throw rocks to the Howlibird. Papa Smurf goes to his lab in the village to get an explosive which, when launched by the crossbow, blows the Howlibird's feathers. Then, Papa Smurf defeats the Howlibird with bullfighting techniques, and uses a formula stolen from Gargamel's lab to make the Howlibird to shrink. Sometime later, while the Smurfs are repairing the village, the Howlibird reappears with regrown feathers, but with is current size he is not a menace anymore.
The Smurf Not Like The Others[]
This was the original comic book version of the story that became the cartoon show episode "Dreamy's Nightmare". When one of the Smurfs decides that he's going to leave the village to travel around the world, Papa Smurf tries to get his other little Smurfs to persuade that Smurf to stay, but they were unsuccessful. On the day of his departure, Papa Smurf gave that Smurf a magic whistle that he could use that would transport him straight back to the village should he ever need to. However, that Smurf barely got far on his journey when Gargamel captured him and used the magic whistle he had found on that Smurf to transport himself to the Smurf Village. Papa Smurf used a potion to change Gargamel's behavior to being kind and gentle so that he would not be a threat, then found out that Gargamel had used the magic whistle and left the Smurf he had captured at his castle with Azrael chasing him. Papa Smurf and his little Smurfs join Gargamel as he returns to his castle to keep his cat from harming the captured Smurf, but soon the potion wears off and Gargamel captures all the Smurfs and places them in a chest while he prepares to boil them. Fortunately, one of the Smurfs has the magic whistle, so Papa Smurf has all his little Smurfs join hands together with him while he blew the whistle, causing them to be transported back to the village while Gargamel anguishes over losing them. Papa Smurf asks the traveling Smurf if he intends to set off on another journey, which that Smurf says he has no intentions of doing so, making the other Smurfs rejoice by having a celebration.
Trivia[]
- This is the first comic book story to refer to Dopey as "Schtroumpf Bêta" in the French version. Previously, he was called "Schtroumpf pas tres malin" in the earlier comic books and was also called "Schtroumpf benêt" on the 100 Smurfs Poster and the album V'la Les Schtroumpfs!.
- In the animated version of "The Smurfs And The Howlibird", Gargamel doesn't appear, and rather than stealing a formula from his lab, Papa Smurf creates an antidote with the remains of the fertilizer.
- A running gag is that a Smurf's hanged clothes were destroyed by the Howlibird, so he has to use a towel and asks Papa Smurf for some pants in the most inopportune moments.
- The Howlibird is a creation of renowned cartoonist Andre Franquin who worked with Peyo and his staff on this story. Franquin later stated in his biography that he loved the Howlibird, the name alone said everything about the creature.
Publication and other media[]
- Smurfette appears in the Hanna-Barbera animated version of the first story, but not in the original comic version.
- A latter Smurfs story titled Le Schtroumpfs et le Bougloubou (2001) was inspired by this comic story.
- The second featured story "The Smurf Not Like The Others" was later reprinted as "Traveling Smurf" in the Random House English comic book "Romeo And Smurfette". It would also be adapted into the cartoon show episode "Dreamy's Nightmare".