Nine Culliford, born Janine Devroye, died yesterday at the age of 86.

She was a close comics collaborator with her late husband, Pierre Culliford better known as Peyo, creator of the Smurfs.

But as her husband's colourist, she was also the person who decided the Smurfs should be blue.

And she continued to work on the Smurfs comics after her husband died in 1992 aged 64, working with their son Thierry as producer and colourists, working with new artists who took over the popular characters.

The next Smurfs film, The Lost Village, is scheduled for release next spring.