Writer

Writer's Notes On "Smurphony Of The Night"

The title of the story comes from the Konami Playstation videogame Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night.
The first personal journal log entry makes references to the cartoon episodes "Harmony Steals The Show" and "The Smurflings", though here in Empath's recollection of events, the Smurflings play a different song, "Smurfbop", which is supposed to be the Smurf version of "Mmmbop" by Hanson.
Smurfs Without Hats is intended to be the Smurf version of the 80's New Wave band Men Without Hats, and "The Smurfy Dance" their version of "The Safety Dance", which they sing a portion of.
Azrael Rocks is intended to be the Smurf version of the rock band Aerosmith. They sing a portion of what sounds like a Smurf version of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way", which Clumsy alludes to in his conversation with Brainy and Jokey.
Papa Smurf sings a portion of what sounds like a Smurf version of John Mellencamp's "Small Town", which he later performs in the closing moments of the Smurfstock festival at the beginning of Chapter 8.
Miner mentions the Crowns Of The Titans, which Greedy and Papa Smurf wore in "The Master Smurf".
A Smurf character, presumably Vanity, sings a portion of a Smurf version of a Right Said Fred song.
Empath in his talking with Brainy refers to events in "Tick-Tock Smurfs", where he causes the Smurfs to get stressed out with his "daily management plan".
Smurfette sings a portion of what sounds like a Smurf version of Madonna's "Frozen", which Clumsy correctly identifies her song as.
Vladimir calls Smurfette "the blue rose that sits beside my organ by the pale moonlight" -- a reference to the cartoon episode "Smurfette's Rose", where she wishes to see a blue rose, and her wish causes her to turn white and smell like a rose.
Brainy mentions the title of a song Papa Smurf sang to Flowerbell (though its actual title is "You're Only As Old As You Think You Are") from the episode "Papa's Wedding Day", though interestingly Brainy seems to deprecate Papa Smurf's talent for creating music.
Smurfette had two pet mice by the name of Squeaky, both of which appeared in the episode "Squeaky".
Sweepy, from one of the later seasons of the cartoon show, appears as a member of the Barber Smurf Quartet, who sing a portion of a modified version of "If You Knew Suzie".
The cartoon standard of Brainy being flung out of the village and dumped on his head rears its humorous head here.
Lord Vladimir assaulting Empath by plunging his hand into his heart is similar to the assault of a holographic maintenance person on board a vacant space station who attacks B'elanna Torres from the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Revulsion". A similar attack was also done by a Superman villain named Loophole who appeared shortly after the closing chapter of the "Death And Return Of Superman" story arc of 1992 and 1993. The evil priest Mola Ram also did this to a sacrificial victim in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom.
The "smurfsong" effectively hurting Lord Vladimir could be seen as a reflection of the song's general level of annoyance.