"The Clockwork Smurf" was a comic book story created by Peyo. The adventure was actually a re-drawn version of a series of comic story-like ads that had appeared in comics in 1980 entitled Benco et les Schtroumpfs ("Benco And The Smurfs") featuring the Smurfs and an anthropomorphic jar of Benco Instant Choco Drink who is captured by Gargamel. When this story was published in book-form, however, the living Benco jar was replaced by a mechanical Smurf similar to the one that was featured in the Smurf cartoon show episode "The Clockwork Smurf".
This story was originally published in non-English comic book formats along with "The Smurflings" in the same book. It is currently published in English by Papercutz in their edition of "Smurf Soup".
Characters[]
- Handy Smurf
- Clockwork Smurf
- Gargamel
- Azrael
- Papa Smurf
- Farmer Smurf
- Grouchy Smurf
- Chef Smurf
- Greedy Smurf
- Brainy Smurf
- Smurfette
- Baby Smurf
- Lazy Smurf
- Harmony Smurf
- Butterfly Catching Smurf
- Unnamed Smurfs
Plot Summary[]
One day, Handy Smurf gets fed up with doing daily chores such as sweeping out his workshop and it is suggested that he should make a machine to do it for him. He therefore creates a mechanical Smurf called Clockwork Smurf to do common everyday tasks. The robot is also capable of creating sarsaparilla soup by simply chewing on a sarsaparilla leaf and then dispensing it as a liquid through the nozzle on the top portion of his hat.
One day, while out for a walk in the forest, Clockwork Smurf and Handy Smurf are captured by Gargamel who then creates a Clockwork Smurf of his own. He then fills the replica with a potion and leaves it in the forest. The Smurfs find the fake Clockwork Smurf and take him back to the village, assuming him to be the real Clockwork Smurf. Before they go to bed, the fake Clockwork Smurf serves them his fake sarsaparilla soup. The following morning, the Smurfs wake up to find that they have mutated into monsters!
Handy Smurf escapes, returns to the village and explains what has happened. In order to make a remedy, Papa Smurf needs to analyze the fake sarsaparilla soup, but the fake Clockwork Smurf has already left and returned to Gargamel's hovel. Papa Smurf and the monstrous Smurfs arm themselves and set off to rescue the captive Clockwork Smurf and force Gargamel to make them an antidote.
The fake Clockwork Smurf returns to Gargamel, who decides to stage a duel between him and the real Clockwork. He gives the fake a knife and fork while the original gets a spoon. Gargamel watches them and is so entertained that he fails to notice the Smurfs when they suddenly appear and attack him.
The real Clockwork Smurf succeeds in defeating his opponent as Gargamel is overwhelmed by the Smurfs and forced to surrender. The Smurfs tie him up but he then gleefully announces that there is no remedy to their condition. However, the real Clockwork Smurf then starts to produce sarsaparilla soup and drinking it restores the Smurfs to normal. They then force Gargamel to drink his fake sarsaparilla soup and this turns him into a hideous monster himself.
The Smurfs return to their village. Gargamel tells his fake Clockwork Smurf to drink a potion which will give him super-strength, recapture the real Clockwork Smurf and use his soup to return Gargamel to normal. But the fake Clockwork drinks the wrong potion which blows him up.
Notes[]
- Gargamel and Azrael get notably drunk together in this story.
- Smurfette and Baby Smurf have cameo appearances in this story.
- However, they were absent from the Benco Instant Choco Drink version of the story since it was made before the Smurfs 1981 TV series where Smurfette lives in the Smurf Village and Baby Smurf was introduced.
- In the redrawn 1988 adventure with Clockwork Smurf, Farmer wears a straw hat and Vanity wears his flower in one scene. In the original early 1980s version, they didn't have their accessories since it was made before the Smurf cartoon show gave the Smurfs personalized costumes.
- In the redrawn 1988 adventure with Clockwork Smurf, Handy has reverted back to his original design.
- Gargamel spanks the fake Clockwork Smurf for punching him, counting as a corporal punishment scene.