Gargamel
Encyclopedia
In the fictional world of The Smurfs
, Gargamel the sorcerer is the sworn enemy of the Smurfs and the main antagonist in the show and comic books. While described as a wizard in the narration, Gargamel is not depicted as possessing real magical powers to speak of. However, he is quite competent at creating magic potions for various usages and thus could be considered an alchemist
, rather than a wizard, of much intrigue. His main goal in life is to destroy the Smurfs or to capture enough of them to create a potion to turn base matter into gold.
He is voiced by the late Paul Winchell
in the English version of the cartoon, Philippe Dumat in the French version, Esteban Siller
in the Spanish version, Orlando Drummond in the Brazilian version, Paul van Gorcum in the Dutch version, Josip Marotti in the Croatian version, Kurt Goldstein in the German version, Péter Haumann in the Hungarian version (where he is named Hókuszpók, a wordplay on "hocus pocus"), Wiesław Drzewicz in the Polish version and Steve Kratz in the Swedish version. He is portrayed by Hank Azaria
in the live action movie
.
is worn and patched, and his teeth are rotten. He is a misanthrope
, hating pretty much everyone and the Smurfs in particular, though he will sometimes feign friendship if there is something in it for him. He is also an abject coward, surrendering or fleeing upon the merest hint of personal risk or harm. He is apparently named after Gargamelle, the mother of Gargantua in François Rabelais
' mock-epic novel sequence The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel
, although Gargamel was a common name in medieval France.
Gargamel lives in a run-down, though solidly built hovel with his mangy
cat Azrael. Gargamel frequently denigrates, insults, and abuses Azrael, but he does in fact love him. In one episode of The Smurfs, Gargamel is depressed and saddened that Azrael had run away, and wishes he would come back. In another episode, Balthazar wants to kill a wildcat that Azrael befriended for his fur, and Gargamel begged him not to.
Gargamel is an eternal bungler. Some of his schemes to catch Smurfs border on the bizarre (such as a "blue magnet
" that attracted solely blue items), though he does have rare moments of genius (the creation of Smurfette
, for one). He has a seemingly endless library of spellbooks
, potion
s, and gimmicks for his life's passion. However, no matter how elaborate Gargamel's plans, they invariably end in failure, causing him to spout his catch phrase
: "I hate those Smurfs!". Sometimes he will also throw a temper tantrum, and howl in grief that "I am brave and strong and they are puny and weak, and why can't I defeat those miserable vile little Smurfs?!" However, his defeats never discourage him, and he always vows, "I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!" (it is worth noting that he possibly does have softer feelings towards at least one Smurf, his daughter/creation Sassette, who refers to him as "Pappy Gargamel".)
in accordance with the famed alchemic
legend of the Philosopher's Stone
. The other smurfs rallied against him, freed the kidnapped smurf and the sorcerer was defeated and humiliated. Gargamel swore revenge: from now on the conflict would be personal.
Sometimes he wants to eat the Smurfs, other times he wants to use them to make gold, and still other times he has even more bizarre uses for them (in one instance he is so enraged by his loss that he yells "I don't want to eat them, I don't want to turn them into gold, all I want now is to DESTROY THEM!"). Though he often catches Smurfs who wander by his home or which he happens across in the forest, he does not know the location of the hidden Smurf village, a fact which continually frustrates him.
On some occasions, he has discovered the location of the village, but sooner or later gets led away from it due to either a magic spell put on him by Papa Smurf
or because of some other bizarre factor. Sometimes it is simply a matter of his being led away from the village while chasing the Smurfs, losing them and then being unable to find his way back.
On one occasion his obsessive search led him to explore the deepest caves, the muddiest marshlands and even going far out to sea. He was just about to give up and go home when, quite by chance, he did finally find the village — but, as always, circumstances were against him.
There were a few times in the series that Gargamel was on the same side as the Smurfs. In "Fountain of Smurf", Papa Smurf becomes a smurfling and the only way the Smurfs can get him back to normal is with Gargamel's help.
To try and cause trouble to the Smurfs, Gargamel has created other Smurfs, most notably Smurfette
. Smurfette was adopted by the Smurfs, but Sassette the smurfling, who the other smurflings created, was made from the same clay that Gargamel used for Smurfette. Sassette refers to Gargamel as "Pappy Gargamel" and she is the only one in Smurf village who wishes to see some good in him.
Not much is said of Gargamel's relationships with women, although in one episode an ugly witch named Hogatha turns herself into an attractive woman in order to seduce Gargamel into giving her his secrets. She almost succeeds, but her constant transformations from ugly to beautiful prove to be too hard for her, and Gargamel eventually is informed of the ruse. One time, Gargamel almost actually got married. His "mummy" decided it was high time he took a wife and introduced him to a lovely princess, who didn't really love him. He didn't really have any feelings for the princess either, until he saw in her hope chest a definitive map to the Smurf Village and then proclaimed his love for her and accepted her hand in marriage. (Of course, he still didn't love her, just the map to the Smurf Village.) Fortunately for the future Mrs. Gargamel (and the Smurfs' well-being), some Smurfs showed up to the wedding and wrought enough havoc as to ruin the wedding completely.
series about a fun-loving little girl, written and drawn by Vicq and Jidéhem
. In a story drawn in 1975, it is shown that the Smurfs have survived to the 20th century since Sophie and her friend Little Bernard find them in a nearby wood — the Smurfs being on a winter holiday. Gargamel appears, though he is renamed Edgar Gamel, who is said to be a bit of a sorcerer and who claims to have studied occult science
s. He too wants revenge on the Smurfs, implying that he is the original Gargamel who has also lived as far as the 20th century — or else a descendant who has also had trouble with his ancestor's little sources of frustration.
cartoon series
, even in the opening theme where he shouts out loud his hatred for the Smurfs and his desperate attempts to catch them.
Despite his never-ending hatred and frustration for the Smurfs, more than once has he had to rely on Papa Smurf to help save him from a more wicked enemy's plans (such as Balthazar) or to rescue him from a potion gone horribly wrong. Other times, they have had to team up to fight a common enemy. On another occasion, the episode "The Fountain of Smurf", Papa Smurf drinks too much water from the fountain and becomes a smurfling. The Smurfs rely on Gargamel to come to their aid and help turn Papa Smurf back. In quite a funny, and ironic, ending, Gargamel and Azrael, themselves, fall into the Fountain of Youth.
In later episodes he acquired an apprentice named Scruple, who was frequently rejected from a boarding school
for young wizards and only Gargamel was willing to teach him magic. Scruple seems moderately brighter and more savvy than his master, though still inexperienced in the ways of magic
. Although Scruple aids Gargamel in capturing the Smurfs, his main problem is with the students of the wizard academy who berate him for failing to qualify for admission. However, in the scheme of things, the smugness of the students proves to be a weakness for them, as Scruple has some success using Gargamel's magic to cause them problems.
In 1989, the final season of the series, where the Smurfs are constantly traveling through time, different incarnations of Gargamel would appear, such as showing him as an Indian fakir
, a Russian peasant
, or a Spanish bullfighter. In one of the earlier episodes of the final seasons, where Gargamel is shown as an Egyptian pharaoh
, Papa Smurf believes that all these similar-looking men (and their cats) seen must be ancestor
s of the infamous Gargamel and Azrael of their present time.
The Smurfs
The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centred on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo on October 23, 1958...
, Gargamel the sorcerer is the sworn enemy of the Smurfs and the main antagonist in the show and comic books. While described as a wizard in the narration, Gargamel is not depicted as possessing real magical powers to speak of. However, he is quite competent at creating magic potions for various usages and thus could be considered an alchemist
Alchemist
An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist may also refer to:-People and groups:*The Alchemist , a hip hop music producer and rapper*Alchemist , an Australian progressive metal band...
, rather than a wizard, of much intrigue. His main goal in life is to destroy the Smurfs or to capture enough of them to create a potion to turn base matter into gold.
He is voiced by the late Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell was an American ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s...
in the English version of the cartoon, Philippe Dumat in the French version, Esteban Siller
Esteban Siller
Esteban Siller is a Mexican voice actor from Monterrey, Nuevo León.-Filmography:*Otto in Robin Hood *Almirante Boom in Mary Poppins *Gargamel in The Smurfs...
in the Spanish version, Orlando Drummond in the Brazilian version, Paul van Gorcum in the Dutch version, Josip Marotti in the Croatian version, Kurt Goldstein in the German version, Péter Haumann in the Hungarian version (where he is named Hókuszpók, a wordplay on "hocus pocus"), Wiesław Drzewicz in the Polish version and Steve Kratz in the Swedish version. He is portrayed by Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
in the live action movie
The Smurfs (film)
The Smurfs is a 2011 American 3D family film based on The Smurfs comic book series created by Peyo and the 1980s animated TV series it spawned. It was directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, and Sofía Vergara. It is the first CGI/live-action hybrid film to...
.
Appearance
Gargamel is a man who is perpetually stooped. His dark robeRobe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe derives from Middle English robe , borrowed from Old French robe , itself taken from the Frankish word *rouba , and is related to the word rob...
is worn and patched, and his teeth are rotten. He is a misanthrope
Misanthropy
Misanthropy is generalized dislike, distrust, disgust, contempt or hatred of the human species or human nature. A misanthrope, or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings...
, hating pretty much everyone and the Smurfs in particular, though he will sometimes feign friendship if there is something in it for him. He is also an abject coward, surrendering or fleeing upon the merest hint of personal risk or harm. He is apparently named after Gargamelle, the mother of Gargantua in François Rabelais
François Rabelais
François Rabelais was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs...
' mock-epic novel sequence The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel
Gargantua and Pantagruel
The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel is a connected series of five novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais. It is the story of two giants, a father and his son and their adventures, written in an amusing, extravagant, satirical vein...
, although Gargamel was a common name in medieval France.
Gargamel lives in a run-down, though solidly built hovel with his mangy
Mange
Mange is the common name for a class of persistent contagious skin diseases caused by parasitic mites. Since mites also infect plants, birds, and reptiles, the term "mange," suggesting poor condition of the hairy coat due to the infection, is sometimes reserved only for pathological...
cat Azrael. Gargamel frequently denigrates, insults, and abuses Azrael, but he does in fact love him. In one episode of The Smurfs, Gargamel is depressed and saddened that Azrael had run away, and wishes he would come back. In another episode, Balthazar wants to kill a wildcat that Azrael befriended for his fur, and Gargamel begged him not to.
Gargamel is an eternal bungler. Some of his schemes to catch Smurfs border on the bizarre (such as a "blue magnet
Magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other magnets.A permanent magnet is an object...
" that attracted solely blue items), though he does have rare moments of genius (the creation of Smurfette
Smurfette
Smurfette is a female character from the Smurfs.Smurfette was the only female Smurf until the creation of Sassette. A Granny Smurf was also later introduced, although it is unclear how she was created. Thierry Culliford, the son of Peyo and current head of the Studio Peyo, announced in 2008 that...
, for one). He has a seemingly endless library of spellbooks
Grimoire
A grimoire is a textbook of magic. Such books typically include instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination and also how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, and demons...
, potion
Potion
A potion is a consumable medicine or poison.In mythology and literature, a potion is usually made by a magician, sorcerer, dragon, fairy or witch and has magical properties. It might be used to heal, bewitch or poison people...
s, and gimmicks for his life's passion. However, no matter how elaborate Gargamel's plans, they invariably end in failure, causing him to spout his catch phrase
Catch phrase
A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...
: "I hate those Smurfs!". Sometimes he will also throw a temper tantrum, and howl in grief that "I am brave and strong and they are puny and weak, and why can't I defeat those miserable vile little Smurfs?!" However, his defeats never discourage him, and he always vows, "I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!" (it is worth noting that he possibly does have softer feelings towards at least one Smurf, his daughter/creation Sassette, who refers to him as "Pappy Gargamel".)
His conflict with the Smurfs
When Gargamel first appeared in Le Voleur de schtroumpf ("The Smurfnapper"), published in 1959, he captured a smurf which he needed as an ingredient for a potion to make goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in accordance with the famed alchemic
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
legend of the Philosopher's Stone
Philosopher's stone
The philosopher's stone is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals into gold or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal...
. The other smurfs rallied against him, freed the kidnapped smurf and the sorcerer was defeated and humiliated. Gargamel swore revenge: from now on the conflict would be personal.
Sometimes he wants to eat the Smurfs, other times he wants to use them to make gold, and still other times he has even more bizarre uses for them (in one instance he is so enraged by his loss that he yells "I don't want to eat them, I don't want to turn them into gold, all I want now is to DESTROY THEM!"). Though he often catches Smurfs who wander by his home or which he happens across in the forest, he does not know the location of the hidden Smurf village, a fact which continually frustrates him.
On some occasions, he has discovered the location of the village, but sooner or later gets led away from it due to either a magic spell put on him by Papa Smurf
Papa Smurf
Papa Smurf is a male fictional character from The Smurfs. At 542 years old is the third-oldest Smurf after Grandpa and Nanny, and well above the typical age of the other Smurfs, which are approximately 100 years old...
or because of some other bizarre factor. Sometimes it is simply a matter of his being led away from the village while chasing the Smurfs, losing them and then being unable to find his way back.
On one occasion his obsessive search led him to explore the deepest caves, the muddiest marshlands and even going far out to sea. He was just about to give up and go home when, quite by chance, he did finally find the village — but, as always, circumstances were against him.
There were a few times in the series that Gargamel was on the same side as the Smurfs. In "Fountain of Smurf", Papa Smurf becomes a smurfling and the only way the Smurfs can get him back to normal is with Gargamel's help.
To try and cause trouble to the Smurfs, Gargamel has created other Smurfs, most notably Smurfette
Smurfette
Smurfette is a female character from the Smurfs.Smurfette was the only female Smurf until the creation of Sassette. A Granny Smurf was also later introduced, although it is unclear how she was created. Thierry Culliford, the son of Peyo and current head of the Studio Peyo, announced in 2008 that...
. Smurfette was adopted by the Smurfs, but Sassette the smurfling, who the other smurflings created, was made from the same clay that Gargamel used for Smurfette. Sassette refers to Gargamel as "Pappy Gargamel" and she is the only one in Smurf village who wishes to see some good in him.
Relationships
Gargamel has also worked with other enemies of the Smurfs, although in many cases these other villains, such as Lord Balthazar, prove to be much more efficient and focused enemies of the Smurfs, and even so much as smash their alliance with Gargamel and enslave him.Not much is said of Gargamel's relationships with women, although in one episode an ugly witch named Hogatha turns herself into an attractive woman in order to seduce Gargamel into giving her his secrets. She almost succeeds, but her constant transformations from ugly to beautiful prove to be too hard for her, and Gargamel eventually is informed of the ruse. One time, Gargamel almost actually got married. His "mummy" decided it was high time he took a wife and introduced him to a lovely princess, who didn't really love him. He didn't really have any feelings for the princess either, until he saw in her hope chest a definitive map to the Smurf Village and then proclaimed his love for her and accepted her hand in marriage. (Of course, he still didn't love her, just the map to the Smurf Village.) Fortunately for the future Mrs. Gargamel (and the Smurfs' well-being), some Smurfs showed up to the wedding and wrought enough havoc as to ruin the wedding completely.
Gargamel in modern times
Sophie was another popular Belgian comicBelgian comics
Belgian comics are a distinct subgroup in the comics history, and played a major role in the development of European comics, alongside France with whom they share a long common history...
series about a fun-loving little girl, written and drawn by Vicq and Jidéhem
Jidéhem
Jean De Mesmaeker known by the pseudonym Jidéhem, is a Belgian comics artist in the Marcinelle school tradition. A creator of his own series Sophie, and Ginger, and noted for his work with Starter and Uhu-man, he is perhaps best known for his collaborations and assistance to the work of André...
. In a story drawn in 1975, it is shown that the Smurfs have survived to the 20th century since Sophie and her friend Little Bernard find them in a nearby wood — the Smurfs being on a winter holiday. Gargamel appears, though he is renamed Edgar Gamel, who is said to be a bit of a sorcerer and who claims to have studied occult science
Occult science
Occult science is the systematic research into or formulation of occult concepts in a manner that follows - in its method or presentation - the way natural science researches or describes phenomena of the physical world....
s. He too wants revenge on the Smurfs, implying that he is the original Gargamel who has also lived as far as the 20th century — or else a descendant who has also had trouble with his ancestor's little sources of frustration.
Cartoon series
Being the earliest of the Smurfs' sworn enemies, it was inevitable that Gargamel would be a recurring character in the Hanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
cartoon series
The Smurfs (1981 TV series)
The Smurfs is an American animated television series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1981 to August 25, 1990...
, even in the opening theme where he shouts out loud his hatred for the Smurfs and his desperate attempts to catch them.
Despite his never-ending hatred and frustration for the Smurfs, more than once has he had to rely on Papa Smurf to help save him from a more wicked enemy's plans (such as Balthazar) or to rescue him from a potion gone horribly wrong. Other times, they have had to team up to fight a common enemy. On another occasion, the episode "The Fountain of Smurf", Papa Smurf drinks too much water from the fountain and becomes a smurfling. The Smurfs rely on Gargamel to come to their aid and help turn Papa Smurf back. In quite a funny, and ironic, ending, Gargamel and Azrael, themselves, fall into the Fountain of Youth.
In later episodes he acquired an apprentice named Scruple, who was frequently rejected from a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for young wizards and only Gargamel was willing to teach him magic. Scruple seems moderately brighter and more savvy than his master, though still inexperienced in the ways of magic
Magic (fantasy)
Magic in fiction is the endowing of fictional characters or objects with magical powers.Such magic often serves as a plot device, the source of magical artifacts and their quests...
. Although Scruple aids Gargamel in capturing the Smurfs, his main problem is with the students of the wizard academy who berate him for failing to qualify for admission. However, in the scheme of things, the smugness of the students proves to be a weakness for them, as Scruple has some success using Gargamel's magic to cause them problems.
In 1989, the final season of the series, where the Smurfs are constantly traveling through time, different incarnations of Gargamel would appear, such as showing him as an Indian fakir
Fakir
The fakir or faqir ; ) Derived from faqr is a Muslim Sufi ascetic in Middle East and South Asia. The Faqirs were wandering Dervishes teaching Islam and living on alms....
, a Russian peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
, or a Spanish bullfighter. In one of the earlier episodes of the final seasons, where Gargamel is shown as an Egyptian pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
, Papa Smurf believes that all these similar-looking men (and their cats) seen must be ancestor
Ancestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
s of the infamous Gargamel and Azrael of their present time.