Smurfs Up

Some fun shots I took the other day of a Smurf and California Raisin catching some waves.

Flea Market Finds

Took my intern to the Flea Market yesterday, and even though the pickins were pretty slim (did everyone think it was going to rain or something? Because it didn't!) we came away with some fun stuff for CHEAP!

For five bucks we came away with an original '88 soft-head Splinter (fortunately I have his robe and belt from a previous flea market TMNT accessory haul), a Space Usagi that will be going to a fellow toy blogger in a trade, Masters of the Universe Roboto, Hero World Cyborg, a TOMY wind-up Donald Duck, a traveling Smurf with bindle, a DUPLO goat and an Imaginext ankylosaurus.

A silly assortment of bits and bobs that made for a day full of fun for my intern and I!

Smurfs 2 Vexy (and Grouchy!)

Smurfs 2 doesn't hit theatres until July 31st, but the toys are already hitting retail.

I saw the first movie with my daughter, and I admit I didn't hate it like I thought I would. I've seen a lot worse done to beloved Saturday Morning properties!

I haven't seen the preview yet for this sequel, but this time around there's a new Smurfette in town, sort of...

Actually this is Vexy, a 'Naughty' created by Gargamel to, I don't know, trap the Smurfs...or something. Like I said, I haven't seen the preview, and only gleaned that info via a quick google search.

What I do know is that the in original origin of Smurfette was that she was created by Gargamel to, I don't know, trap the Smurfs...or something. And she had black hair. She became blonde when Papa Smurf turned her from evil, and turned her on to Miss Clairol apparently.

And so while Vexy the Naughty (a swell stripper name if I ever heard one!) isn't exactly Evil Smurfette, she's pretty close and probably inspired by that whole concept to begin with, so she's pretty cool.

Vexy comes in a two figure set with Grouchy. "I hate two figure sets with Grouchy!"

"I hate pseudo-Evil Smurfettes"

Oh come on Grouchy. Admit it, she's kinda cute!

Vexy is also voiced by Christina Ricci.

"I hate Christina Ricci!"

Grouchy! You need an attitude adjustment, pronto. I'm going to get my intern.

"I hate interns..."

"...AAAAHHH! Okay, okay, I LOVE interns! and Christina Ricci, and two figure sets, and proto evil Smurfettes with stripper names! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!"

These two figure sets are retailing for around $6.99, but for some reason my local target had this set and one other on clearance for $1.76! They must have thought they were holdovers from the last movie, or they weren't in the system yet, or...something. My local Target has done weird things like that before. Regardless, I got lucky to find them for so cheap!

Les Schtroumpfs Noirs at leToys R leUs

I was at Toys R Us yesterday and spotted their 'Decades' display - box sets of themed Smurfs throughout the decades since their first appearance on the toy shelves worldwide.

Much to my surprise, their sixties decade set includes the totally non-PC and totally cool black Smurf! WHOAH!

Unfortunately they were all out of this specific set, so I may have to order it online at ToysRus.com.

I've always wanted one of those black Smurfs, now I just might have the chance! GNAP!

This train's got the disappearing railroad blues.

My daughter had her Fisher Price Little People lined up and waiting for the train. The smiling faces and bright colors were so appealing, I just had to take a picture.

Here she is taking over the living room. And the TV. Although I have to admit that iCarly show is surprisingly charming and humorous. Who knew?

I handed the camera over to my daughter and she took a couple shots herself. Here's one of the chickens in the hay loft.

And here's one she took of Tracker Smurf making some cakes.

This shot is a little blurry; that circus train must have been rumbling by pretty fast!

They say it's your Smurfday, well it's my Smurfday too yeah!

I recently mentioned to Reis of Geek Orthodox that I still hadn't gotten a Gargamel and Azrael set from the recent Jakks Pacific Smurf figure releases.

In response, Reis bombed me with a ton of Smurfs and even a mushroom house! But most importantly, he included Gargamel and Azrael!

These guys are insanely out of scale to, well, anything and everything - including each other! But they are very on-model to their cartoon counterparts, so who's complaining?

Papa Smurf was also included in the batch Reis sent me! Yay! It's like getting Optimus Prime and Megatron in one set; I've got both faction leaders now!

Reis sent me so many Smurfs, in fact, that I just had to share the wealth. My youngest daughter already had the mushroom house shown on the right, so of course I gave the mushroom house that Reis gave me (on the left,) to my older daughter.

I think the one Reis sent me was Papa's house. The one on the right is Smurfette's.

Reis also sent a Smurfette and a Tracker Smurf. I already had Tracker, so I gave each daughter one, and since my youngest already had Smurfette the oldest got the spare. Gotta keep things fair ;)

At about the same time I was drowning in Reis' Smurf bomb, Leon of Open the Toy sent me an email asking to keep my eyes peeled for any Smurfs I could find for him, because he was having trouble finding them in Singapore.

I decided that he would love all those extra Smurfs more than we could here, so I packed what was left and shipped them overseas! The Smurfs look very happy in their new home too!

Thanks again to Reis who started this whole Smurf exchange. Sharing makes me feel all Smurfy inside.

Fa - La - Lala - Lala - Falalalalaaaaaa!

I was holding out on posting these guys until I could do a full-fledged forest photo shoot, but fellow lunatic toy collector/blogger Reis of Geek Orthodox fame tipped my hand.

But first, a little context.

I love the Smurfs. I collected the little figurines as a kid and got up every Saturday morning to watch the cartoon. I even trained myself to sneeze like a Smurf whenever I had to "aaah aaaah aaahh - Ahhh SMURF!"

I ate Smurfberry crunch every morning and to this day cannot hear the Nutcracker Suite without thinking of the commercial's theme song "Smurfberry Crunch is fun to eat - a Smurfy, fruity breakfast treat!"

I even once tried to steal my friend's brother's Papa Smurf. Yup, I had it bad.

In fact, Toyriffic's fourth post EVER was a Smurf, way back in December of 2007!

Anyways, a couple months ago I discovered new Smurf toys were popping up at Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, K-Mart etc.

Made by Jakks Pacific, these new Smurfs are similar to the old (and surprisingly still being made) PVC Smurf figurines, but with a little articulation, houses, vehicles and accessories giving the series a more "playable" angle.

I bought my daughter the Smurfette mushroom house playset back in March and tried not to obsess over how cool these new Smurfs were (could I, a grown man, love the Smurfs again?) all the while looking with longing at the smurf cars and figure two-packs on the shelves every time I made a trip to the toy aisle (which is like, every other day!)

Well, Doctor, about two weekends ago the Smurf became more than I could Smurf. I walked into K-Mart and saw a new release of two-packs - one set containing Gargamel and Azrael and one containing Wild Smurf and Tracker Smurf!

I, like my brother-in-Smurfs Reis, struggled with the upcoming rift in my mandom - the struggle to maintain manly dignity at mid-thirty-something while gazing in wide-eyed awe at shirtless little blue communists (one in a loin cloth no less!)

I snapped.

Unlike Reis, I couldn't get out of the store without at least ONE set - the struggle finally leading to the purchase of Wild Smurf and Tracker Smurf...with the promise to return later for Gargamel/Azreal if my man parts didn't fall off and I didn't suddenly develop a penchant for a house full of cats, or the musical Cats for that matter.

Well now I have two new blue friends who can't wait for their Redwood forest photo shoot, which should be coming soon. So without further ado, I give you:

Tracker Smurf -


"Tracker Smurf is the Smurfiest guide in the entire village. He loves to explore and never gets lost. Seen with a feather in his cap and a walking stick in his hand, he knows all the best picnic spots."


Wild Smurf -


"Wild Smurf may live in the forest, but he is a friend to everyone. Especially animals! Although other Smurfs can't understand what he says, he's always there to lend a helping hand."


Unfortunately Wild Smurf has a mistake - his hat is painted white in the front as if he wrapped a regular Smurf cap in leaves, when in actuality he made his cap out of leaves (he is wild, after all.) I will have to figure out a way to safely remove the white paint without damaging the plastic he is made of. But come on - a Wild Smurf figure? Really?!?! How Smurfin' cool!!! I couldn't pass him up!


Other Smurfs available in this new release include Grandpa and Granny Smurf, Painter Smurf, Tailor Smurf, and of course the previously mentioned non-Smurfs Gargamel and Azrael.

So turn in your man-cards, boys, and go get you some Smurfs!

(I just want to add that on Jakks Pacific's website the Smurfs are listed in the boy's section.

So there.)

Yipes! Dead Smurf!

Smurfs are cool. Ghosts are cool. If I remember my higher mathematics, then it is indisputable that Ghost Smurfs are VERY cool!

He has a ball and chain molded to his side. Which means he must have been some sort of prisoner Smurf first, and now he's dead. Makes you wonder about what really goes on behind the scenes in Smurf village.