Bigmouth (or Big Mouth) (original French name Grossbouf) is a supporting character of the 1980s cartoon show and the 2021 cartoon show. He is a minor character of the Smurfs comic books, first appearing in "Smurf Soup".
Character
Comic Book/2021 TV series Version
He is an ogre who loves feeding his face with food.
His first comic appearance in "Smurf Soup" presents him as a rude, hungry ogre. His comic book version is able to speak fluently in human language and he was identified as a giant instead of an ogre.
In the 2021 series, he appears as a villain who is no longer friends with the Smurfs. Here, he wants to eat the Smurfs, being in line with is the first comic appearance "Smurf Soup".
1981 TV series Version
Bigmouth appears as a friend of the Smurfs in this universe, or at least not an enemy like Gargamel. However, his size, appetite and ogre disposition combined sometimes causes problems with them, such as eating up their smurfberry bushes and taking their food supply without even asking. He also occasionally barges into Gargamel's castle unannounced, eating the wizard's food and almost anything else in sight, even rocks. While Gargamel may the odd time squawk in useless protest at this, he prefers to hide in his closet along with Azrael until the ogre has gone. However, Bigmouth has been known to help either Gargamel or the Smurfs, depending on who has more to offer him, usually food, but after the events of "Bigmouth's Friend", Bigmouth realized that Gargamel was no friend of his.
During the 1981 TV series, Bigmouth has proven himself to be capable of loving other things besides food. For example, he does become good friends with Clockwork Smurf in the episode "Bigmouth's Friend", and from that episode on, Bigmouth becomes an ally of the Smurfs after they save Clockwork, but he would still prove to be a nuisance on occasion. In "Lazy's Slumber Party", he is revealed to be in love with an ogress named Bignose, whom he eventually marries, and in "Bringing Up Bigfeet", we see him watching over a nephew of hers, a baby ogre called Bigfeet.
Personality
Bigmouth is a gluttonous ogre who could rival Greedy in eating. As with other ogres, he is superhumanly big and strong, but not very bright.
He is socially awkward and occasionally demanding; two reasons Bigmouth had few friends. This is because he tries too hard to get them, and on the rare occasion he did, his lack of social graces often drove those new friends away. This is showcased most brilliantly in "Bigmouth's Friend," where he walks in on a family picnic and simply wants to play, not knowing that they wanted family time together (and not someone walking in uninvited).
"Ogre Love" shows Bigmouth's stubborn and demanding side; he had fallen in love with Smurfette after she releases a splinter from his finger. When he had followed her to the village, he became popular with the Smurfs, with the exception of Smurfette herself, who was being held hostage by a stubborn Bigmouth. When she tries to explain he can't stay in the village, he decides to take her to his house, under Smurfette's will.
Bigmouth appears to love animals and little creatures. In "Adventures In Smurfsitting", he finds Baby Smurf near his house and decides to find something for the baby to eat. In "Papa Smurf Leaves The Nest", he takes care of a bird (who was really Papa Smurf in the bird's body after they had swapped bodies). However, in "Lost Cat", he had planned to eat Azrael and in "Smurf-Fu", he eats a horse off-screen, though it is possible that this is just a demonstration on how bad his appetite can go.
Relationships With Others
Comic Book/2021 TV series Version
Bigmouth often barges into Gargamel's castle or fights him in the forest, eating the wizard's food or chasing him when he accidentally causes Bigmouth to drop something. Most of Bigmouth's seen strength comes from his interactions with Gargamel as he can catapult him all the way to the other side of the forest, as shown in "Ogre Love".
He is an enemy to the Smurfs in the comics and 2021 series, as the Smurfs often run away from him when he tries to eat them. However, in "Ogre Love", he had once fallen in love with Smurfette after she pulled a splinter out of his thumb. He decides that they can be together forever, without considering most of Smurfette's feelings about this. A notable part of this episode is when he and Smurfette were having a conversation, he calls ogre ladies "unattractive" and informs her that he has very few friends.
In the comic books, Bigmouth has an ogre cousin who appears in the story "The Ogre And The Smurfs", in which he takes Gargamel as his personal hostage in order to find the Smurfs. Bigmouth told him about the little blue people, showing that he seems to be trustworthy and that he and Bigmouth are close enough for him to reveal information like this.
Bigmouth has a brother named Egghead in the 2021 series. They seem to enjoy each other's company, though they fight just as much, which is shown in "Chef Soup".
Bigmouth is one of the very few people who are a match for Jokey, when receiving one of Jokey's exploding gifts. Bigmouth, to everyone's surprise and Jokey probably the most, proceeded to eat it and making it explode in his mouth. He then remarked that it tasted good although it was a little too spicy for his taste.
1981 TV series Version
Bigmouth's treatment of Gargamel is the same as the comics and 2021 series, but Bigmouth had been known to help Gargamel on occasion until the events of "Bigmouth's Friend", Bigmouth realized that Gargamel was no friend of his after the wizard told him off. This new hatred of Gargamel continues in several episodes such as "Bringing Up Bigfeet" (in which he sends him flying back to his castle when he tries to capture the Smurflings, who were taking care of his and Bignose's baby nephew, Bigfeet) and "The Fastest Wizard In The World".
Bigmouth appears as either a nuisance to the Smurfs or an ally, though the nuisance part mostly disappears after "Bigmouth's Friend", where the Smurfs repair his new friend, Clockwork Smurf. From this moment on, Bigmouth becomes a friend of the Smurfs, and he comes to them for help in "Educating Bigmouth", where Bignose leaves him since he doesn't have any manners. The Smurfs help him win back Bignose in the end. In "Bringing Up Bigfeet", the Smurflings agree to babysit his newborn nephew, Bigfeet.
Bigmouth formed a friendship with Clockwork Smurf in "Bigmouth's Friend", where the Smurf instigates Bigmouth's turn to good. Clockwork in turn was also able to say his first word: "Hi!". When the Smurf was damaged, he was in tears until the Smurfs repaired him.
In this series, Bigmouth had a girlfriend who was named Bignose. Bignose is one of the few characters in which Bigmouth would not intentionally ever hurt. She was able to talk him out of any misbehavior.
Appearances
Trivia
- His character was voiced in the 1981 series by the late Lennie Weinrib and Mark Irons in the 2021 series.
- Bigmouth is referred to as "Big Mouth" on Nickelodeon press releases and captions. His name is also spelled like this on the title card of "Bigmouth's Roommate".
- He appears as an exclusive offer in the Smurfs' Village app game.
- Bigmouth's first comic book appearance was in "Smurf Soup", which was also his first cartoon show appearance. In both the comic book and his introductory cartoon episode he was identified as a giant instead of an ogre. Also, Bigmouth's speech patterns are different in both media presentations, as his comic book version is able to speak fluently in human language and his cartoon show version speaks in what is called "Hulk speak" (after Marvel Comics' The Incredible Hulk), addressing himself in the third person.
- Originally, "Smurfs Soup" was Bigmouth's only comic book appearance, but he would later make his return comic appearance in the "Smurfs Monsters" story "Bigmouth And The Lizards" in 2014, almost 38 years after his last comic appearance.
- Bigmouth was never an enemy of the Smurfs before the 2021 series. However, he did show enmity with Brainy in "Supersmurf" when Brainy sought vengeance on Bigmouth.
- Bigmouth claims to be a Tae Kwon Do artist. He says this in "Ogre Love", which may explain why he is so strong.
- In the Season 9 episode "The Monumental Grouch" of the 1980s series, we meet an ancestor ogre of Bigmouth's, Biggus Mouthicus.
- In the 1984 French Album "Schtroumpfs Parade", a song dedicated to Bigmouth was performed by Dorothée and The Smurfs titled "Grossebouffe".
- Bigmouth has his name in five episode titles which are "Peewit Meets Bigmouth", "Bigmouth Smurf", "Educating Bigmouth", "Bigmouth's Friend", and "Bigmouth's Roommate".