Created by Pierre Culliford, they began appearing on PVC figurines in 1965, sixteen years before their U.S. television debut.  
These characters made their first appearance in the comic strip "Johan and Pirlouit" in the European publication Spirou.  Created by Pierre Culliford, they began appearing on PVC figurines in 1965, sixteen years before their U.S. television debut.  Among their ranks, Hefty was strong, Handy could fix things, and Brainy needed to be repeatedly punched in the face. FTP, give the collective name for these tiny blue communists, whose cartoon antics were a staple of Saturday mornings in the 1980s.
These characters made their first appearance in the comic strip "Johan and Pirlouit" in the European publication Spirou.  
The Smurfs