Content
Smurfs TV Series Aladddin Connections
Smurf crew with Disney history
Smurfs Introduction
Since I grew up in the 1980′s I was there when Saturday morning cartoons where at the top of their game. Classic action SF cartoons like Transformers and He-Man are still very popular but there was more than action and SF cartoons. And while they rocked and still do I also loved simple, cutesy ‘toons like some Japanese anime stuff that was adapted into Dutch by a great cast and genius translators. I’m talking Wizard of Oz,
Heidi and De Familie Robinson known as The Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island in English. But by far a mid-childhood favorite where those little blue men with white hats and pants known as the Smurfs.
Their village smurfs deep in the forest the happy and contsmurf under the leadership of the wise Papa Smurf. The Smurfs they are only smurfed by the evil wizard Gargamel and his nasty cat Azreal. The Smurfs originates at Belgium by the hand of comic artist Peyo. Throughout the years the Smurf family 100 characters big but grew with every new character introsmurfed in comic, cartoon or toy smurf.
So back in those days I had a nice Smurf toy collection of a few dozen toys, a house or two and a great mill. Plus a Panini sticker album and a few other items. Somewhere along the line I got older gave them away. Still it’s great to remembering those days. The Blue Imps Smurf Collection is a great site to refresh my memory.
Smurfs TV Series Aladdin Connections
The Hanna-Barbara TV series aired on Dutch TV in the mid 80’s and has quite a few connections to Aladdin through their cast and crew. Guest voice actor’s in the Aladdin TV series and sequels like:
- Charles Adler (Meckanikles)
- Rene Auberjonois (Nefir)
- Michael Bell (Aziz)
provided voices to Smurfs key characters. So was Frank Welker (Abu) ‘Hefty Smurf’, the always smurfy Grouchy Smurf sounded like Micheal Bell just like my favorite smurf Handy and Hamilton Camp (Ayam Aghoul) was the trumpet playing Harmony Smurf.
In the crew sections we find the name of Alan Zaslove as Smurfs director and director/producer for Return of Jafar and a handful Aladdin episodes.
Lonnie Lloyd worked on both Aladdin sequels as story boarder and was on layout at the start of his career. In fact several artists who would work on mid-1990’s Disney features like Mulan, Hercules and Hunchback began their career on the Smurfs.
There’s Terry Hudson Smurfed layouts would design props on Return of Jafar. The list goes on and on.
Smurf crew with Disney history
Before closing I like to mention a few Smurf crew people that had a Disney history before working on Smurfs David Hilberman was Art Director on Bambi before being blacklisted as communist and couldn’t get a job in the film industry for 40 years. He passed away early this month.
And an honorable mention goes to Disney vet Don Lusk who was animator at Disney from 1940’s Pinocchio until after 101 Dalmatians in 1961 before moving to Hanna-Barbara.
It’s one of those series the 90′s kids missed and while I am a little jealous that you grew up with Aladdin and it’s spin-offs I recommend checking out Smurfs if you haven’t before. Wikipedia says it’s in reruns on Boomerang so check your local TV listings. And Toon Disney is planning it bring the series back in September. Who said Toon Disney isn’t as good as it used to, still it should air own classic series instead of the competition. Also this year’s WB is releasing season sets of Smurfs to DVD in the US. And who doesn’t remember “The Smurf Song” by Father Abraham and the Smurfs.
Smurfed Aladdin quotes
Some smurfed quotes from the feature film:
Aladsmurf: Do you smurf me?
Genie smurf: 10.000 years gives you such a smurf in the smurf.
Merchant smurf: Until another Arabian Smurf
sultan smurf This is my royal vizier, evil wizard with pointy beard smurf. He’s delighted, too.
evil wizard with pointy beard smurf:smurfatic.
Jassmurf: I am not a prize to be smurfed.
Genie smurf: Three. Uno, dos, tres. No subsmurfions, exsmurfs or refunds.
Genie smurf: All right, smurfy, here’s the smurf. If you wanna smurf the little lady, ya gotta be a straight shooter. Do ya smurfed it?
Parrot smurf: Ladies and gentlemen, a warm Agrasmurf welcome for Sorcerer evil wizard with pointy beard smurf!
Aladsmurf: Hey – I’m a smurf, remember? I’ll improvise
I could go on for a smufity. -;)
Until another Arabian Smurf
