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WHAT'S three apples tall, wears a white pointy hat and is blue all over? Three generations of children know the answer, of course: "It's the Smurfs!"
The popular creatures with their own special Smurf language were created by Pierre 'Peyo' Culliford, a cartoon artist born in Brussels in 1928 who died in 1992.
Les Schtroumpfs, as Peyo originally named them, made a first fleeting appearance as extras in a story published by Belgian magazine Spirou on October 23, 1958.
Readers immediately took a liking to the party-loving, little blue creatures living in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest, prompting the publisher to come up with a separate comic strip about them.
In 1975, the Smurfs appeared in their first full-length feature movie in Belgium. International stardom came after their 1981 debut on the US NBC network in cartoons produced by the Hanna-Barbera studios.
Watched by children in dozens of countries, the Smurfs have generated a global turnover of some $5 billion since their debut. Smurf-mania has since spread around the world ... and the creatures have a huge following in Bahrain.
Office administrator Anood Abbas, 20, from Isa Town, is a fan. She said: "I was tiny when I first saw the Smurfs. I think we should arrange a Smurf party in Bahrain to celebrate their birthday."
Although they might be turning 50 years old this year, the Smurfs' popularity remains unaffected in the age of the internet.
A Google search for the term 'smurf', for instance, produces nearly seven million entries.
And officials from IMPS, the Smurf licensing company, estimate annual revenues from the sale of Smurf video games and other merchandise in Europe at between five and 12 million euros.
Ferrero, Haribo, BASF and Henkel are among the multi-nationals that have recently expressed an interest in boosting sales by associating their brands with the Smurfs, while Junk Food, a United States chain, is targeting its teenage clients with Smurf T-shirts.
Peyo's son Thierry Culliford says his father had always been attracted to the world of gnomes and goblins.
Though exact estimates tend to differ, it is believed that there are about 100 male Smurfs, one female - Smurfette - and a baby Smurf.
With the exception of Papa Smurf, the bearded village chief, all Smurfs look alike. They are named either according to their principal activity (handy, farmer, cook, painter), or according to their personality (brainy, lazy, grouchy or vain).
Peyo's relatives say that while he was never politically active, his scripts were inevitably influenced by real world events.
One story, in which northern and southern Smurfs argue over the Smurf language, is believed to be a parody of Belgium, which is divided between French-speaking Walloons and Dutch-speaking Flemish.
Another theory holds that the Smurf village is meant to replicate an ideal communist society. Its proponents note that Papa Smurf wears red while their sworn enemy - Gargamel the sorcerer, who wants to transform them into gold - is a metaphor for capitalism.
A more realistic interpretation, which would also explain their global popularity, is provided by Peyo's belief that "deep down, we are all Smurfs".
The Smurfs' 50th birthday is to be celebrated over the coming months with a series of initiatives across the world.
These include a 3D full-feature movie using modern computer technology and small Smurf-like white figurines mysteriously popping up overnight in 20 cities in 15 countries.
Celebrities are to be asked to paint giant Smurf statues, which will then be auctioned off for charity by the United Nations Children's Fund.
Moreover, Smurf cartoons currently in the pipeline will reflect some of the changes that have marked society since their debut.
GulfWeekly's TV Weekly editor Marie-Claire said: "Looking back you would think I along with millions of other children around the world would have been freaked out by these weird looking blue creatures that lived in rainbow-coloured mushrooms, but the opposite was true. I couldn't get enough of the Smurfs!
"There's something about the Smurfs that managed to capture our imaginations and want to know what brave new adventure they were going to go on next. I have to admit that once or twice I did ask my mother to please get me some smurfberries from the supermarket but for some reason she could never find them ... hmmm.
"As I grew up and found other interests, the Smurfs sadly went by the wayside but when I look at cartoons these days I can't help wishing about the cartoons of old instead of the rubbish they show today. Let's face it, the creators of most current cartoons must be on some serious drugs to come up with things like Sponge Bob Square Pants, Cow & Chicken, Ed, Edd 'n Eddy and other such obnoxious drivel!
"Roll on geniuses like Paris Hilton who give the Smurfs great publicity when she was overheard by the Press in Russia talking about some Russian dwarves dressed up as Smurfs to promote Haribo Smurf jelly: "Oh my, real Smurfs. I always wanted one when I was a kid. Can I take them home? I didn't realise this is where they came from!"
Bless her little Jimmy Choos!
