There was a short article on todays daily newspaper about the smurfs turning 50. It's app. the same as the text Dominique found from the german magazine.
Here is the translation:
Smurfs turn 50
Smurf-characters were originally made as sidecaracters for a belgium comic-album.
Dispite that the success of the blue little people has carried for 50 years.
The smurfs celebrate their half century journey with a new moviecontract and with fresh female characters march.
The smurfs adventures have been turned into over 30 languages. The marketing value of these little people is app. 4 billion dollars (about 2,7 billion euros).