List of Zzzap! Characters - Smart Arty (1993-1998)

Smart Arty (1993-1998)

Smart Arty is a caricatured French painter who featured in Series 1 to Series 7 and was played by Neil Buchanan. Smart's trademark is to blow the unseen audience kisses at the beginning and end of every segment.

All of Smart Arty sketches began with him painting the same picture of himself. In Series 1, the sketches featured Smart creating large pictures out of rather unusual objects. From Series 2 onwards, the sketches involved drawings created with a magic pen which brought his many drawings to life This was performed in the style of Maurice Minor sketches in Kenny Everett's shows and the cartoon Penny Crayon. his sketches were accompanied by the music of Boccherini's Menuet and Trio, from his String Quartet in E.

In recognition of ZZZAP one of the Art Attack 'Big Art Attacks' featured on the show was a giant picture of Smart Arty.

Smart Arty would always do the same thing at the start of each sketch. He would always wave at the camera and would do 2 hops to the wall. In some of Smart Arty's sketches, Cuthbert Lilly, who was Arty's friend, would appear. He would help Smart Arty open a pot of paint or help him look after a baby.

Smart Arty's first ever sketch on the program was in Series 1, Episode 1, when he made a black sellotape picture of Laurel and Hardy. His last ever sketch was in Series 7, Episode 16. The sketch showed him planting some seeds in his garden. He was at the Bottom Row on the right side.