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MEMORIES:
pardus remembers...I'm not sure where it came from, but at some point in my childhood I acquired a Snorks shoe holder ... More »
Posted on 08/14/08
Manufacturer:
Smurfland--i.e. Belgium--gave us yet another lovable cartoon character that was short and bald: the Snork. As a people, Snorks evolved in Belgian comic books and made the long arduous journey across the Atlantic in the 1980s where they found the public already primed by their blue predecessors. Though there were many similarities, Snorks weren’t mere Smurf clones. Snorks were colorful little creatures that lived underwater and had a snorkel-like tube on top of their heads, which could propel them through the water. Obviously, this was an entire different species of fictional cartoon character.
Snork culture and technology was comparable to modern human accomplishments, with familiar objects and machines adapted to work in the aquatic environment. Hanna-Barbera released a Saturday morning cartoon show in 1984 and reception was warm, though not as enthusiastic as for the Smurfs. Snork merchandise soon appeared in the usual flavors: backpacks, bed sheets, school paraphernalia and of course the most popular of the bunch, PVC figurines. No two Snorks looked the same, their clothes being as varied as their personalities. There was All-Star Seaworthy, Uncle Gallio, Casey Kelp, Tooter Shellby and other similarly named denizens of the deep who frolicked and snorked around having adventures.
The show ended in 1989 but Snorks are remembered fondly by their adoring fans that may still be dusting around vast collections of figurines and dreaming of a Snork feature film that will bring these little beings back into the limelight. Till then, syndicated Snorks reruns will have to suffice.
