An origin story for a mechanical Smurf in the likeness of Clockwork Smurf (titled "Le Schtroumpf Robot" or "The Robot Smurf" in English) would appear as a comic story in 1988, though the character that appears there was somewhat different from that of Clockwork (one of the differences being that he was fully able to talk), plus he had the ability to pour liquid out from his hat, which Clockwork was not able to do. Also, the comic book story centered around dealing with Gargamel and a fake version of the Robot Smurf instead of Prince Gerard and his evil aunt Imperia (who are created by Studio Peyo exclusively for the cartoon series).