Even dwarfs started small, even if they quickly became a huge success. When the comic wizard Peyo created them as extras for his knightly comic "Johann and Pfiffikus" in 1958, they had to be careful not to get accidentally tripped over, yet their charm was immediately undeniable. In no time, they became comic stars with their own series, soon populating countless children's rooms as small hard rubber figures, storming the charts, and conquering the TV screen before making their way to the big cinema screen. Nowadays, almost everyone has heard of the Smurfs and recognizes one as soon as they see it. The curious thing is: Not every Smurf fan knows how this success story began. And even those who think they have seen it all will hardly recognize the very first Smurf comics in the original.