Four Smurfy Spirou Covers I’d Like to Own

Looking for Fun Spirou Smurfs Covers

Between looking at eBay sales and researching on-line databases of these things, I’ve spent a lot of time lately learning about the world of French and Belgian comics magazines.

In so doing, I found four issues of “Spirou” magazine that I’d love to own just for their Smurfs covers.

Honestly, I think it’s possible to acquire three of these four issues. The last one isn’t ever going to happen for reasons I’ll explain when we get there.

Dad Draws Smurfs (Spirou #4121)

Nob is one of my favorite of the current crop of artists working on Spirou magazine. He writes and draws the series, “Dad.” I’ve reviewed it here before. He has an instantly recognizable style — soft, round, colorful.

So when he draws the Smurfs, I perk up immediately. This is a great cover. It’s as close to being on model as you’d want him to get while still maintaining his own style.

This issue is only a couple of years old. I’m sure I could find it somewhere easily enough someday.

Update 18 May 2021: Got it!

There’s more to talk about with this cover and this issue, in general. Someday, I’ll need to do a fuller review. (For example, Nob’s “Dad” characters are seen as Smurfs in the crowd.)

Smurfs in Snowy Nature (Spirou #1392)

This one might even be a fold-out cover. I saw a reference to that somewhere, though I haven’t seen what the rest of the cover looks like.

I just love the look of this cover. I love the perfectly on-model Smurfs drawn playing in the snow on top of a fully painted background. It’s a pleasant combination of different styles.

Just look at how happy those Smurfs on the sleigh are at the bottom of the cover. So cute!

King Smurf (Spirou #1381)

It is the oldest issue on this list. It features my favorite Smurfs story of all time. Other people will go with “The Purple Smurf,” I know, but I’m partial to the parable of “King Smurf.”

Plus, a Smurf in those flowing golden robes is a great visual. The story has some great views of the village as it grows to accommodate the King.

In any case, this is the cover from that story that features the King Smurf on it, so I want it.

I’ve seen this for sale on eBay already at a decent price (between $5 – $10), so it’s out there. Maybe some day, I’ll go for it.

As a bonus, the rest of the front cover — as was standard at that time — is a Gaston La Gaffe gag by Andre Franquin. That makes for a killer one-two punch on a cover for me.

I do own this issue of “Spirou”, which is likely the closest I’ll get:

The Smurfette (Spirou #1460)

I love this cover, again, for the mix of the cartoony Smurfs and the differentiated style on the background of a more classic painting (or a yellow-toned old photograph of something?).

Plus, it’s early Smurfs, still, so there’s still an organic vibrancy to them that gets a little lost as the model gets locked down and the art becomes almost robotic in later years. The Smurfs art machine just rubber stamps them out today.

The reason I’ll never own this issue, however, is that it’s the first appearance of Smurfette. She wouldn’t even have the blonde hair yet in this issue.

You can see the Smurfs talking about her on the cover. Despite the woman’s blue skin, it’s not Smurfette. She’s inside on page 6, silly.

And, yes, I love that lettering, too.

Plenty of copies of this are available for purchase now, if you want. But a low grade copy of it is still over $100. I love the Smurfs and all, but I’m not willing to pay those kinds of prices. I’m not that kind of collector, let alone investor.

I’ll sit this one out.