An early March 2020 gathering of about 3,500 cosplayers attempting to break a world record of the most people dressed as Smurfs in Landerneau, France drew the criticism of many over the callousness of participants over the large gathering amidst the covid19 respiratory illness affecting the world. Social media-based critics commented on the stupidity of large numbers of people meeting in one place and possibly encouraging the spreading of the virus in the local population. The irony of such a gathering centered around the Smurfs comic character did not elude this writer.

© Radio France - Nolwenn Quioc

This story predates George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968), which was based on Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend (1954). The story accurately depicts the risks of contamination in communities but unlike most zombie films since Night of the Living Dead, a cure can turn the Purple Smurfs back into regular Smurfs, while another bite from an infected individual can contaminate them anew.

This Smurf story had long been unavailable in the Unite States until publisher Paper Cutz released the Smurfs original adventure in 2010.  Due to its original French title “Les Schtroumpfs noirs” which when translated correctly comes off as The Black Smurfs, previous publishers feared accusations of racism by portraying the bad Smurfs as black. The purple styling was a solution reached by Hanna-Barbera Studios in the 1980s when they first adapted the Purple Smurf as a cartoon for kids.

Asian patients affected by coronavirus covid19 have faced social stigma because of their condition. Asians in North America and other parts of the world have also faced racism and attacks where others see them as the cause of the viral outbreak that began in China and as being responsible for the world epidemic.