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''Asterix'' or ''The Adventures of Asterix'' (french: Astérix or , "Asterix the
Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
") is a ''
bande dessinée (singular ; literally 'drawn strips'), abbreviated BDs and also referred to as Franco-Belgian comics (), are comics that are usually originally in French and created for readership in France and Belgium. These countries have a long traditio ...
''
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...
about a village of indomitable
Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
ish
warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...
s who adventure around the world and fight the
Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...
, with the aid of a magic potion, during the era of
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
, in an ahistorical telling of the time after the
Gallic Wars The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and British tribes fought to defend their homela ...
. The series first appeared in the Franco-Belgian comic magazine ''
Pilote Cover of the first ''Pilote'' issue #0 ''Pilote'' () was a French comic magazine published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major French or Belgian comics talents of its day the magazine introduced major series such as ''Astérix'', '' ...
'' on 29 October 1959. It was written by
René Goscinny René Goscinny (, ; 14 August 1926 – 5 November 1977) was a French comic editor and writer, who created the ''Astérix'' comic book series with illustrator Albert Uderzo. Raised largely in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he attended French schoo ...
and illustrated by
Albert Uderzo Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (; ; 25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), better known as Albert Uderzo, was a French comic book artist and scriptwriter. He is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the ''Astérix'' series in collaboration with Re ...
until Goscinny's death in 1977. Uderzo then took over the writing until 2009, when he sold the rights to publishing company
Hachette Hachette may refer to: * Hachette (surname) * Hachette (publisher), a French publisher, the imprint of Lagardère Publishing ** Hachette Book Group, the American subsidiary ** Hachette Distribution Services, the distribution arm See also * Hachett ...
; he died in 2020. In 2013, a new team consisting of
Jean-Yves Ferri Jean-Yves Ferri () (born 20 April 1959) is a French writer, designer, and colourist of comics. On 25 July 2011, he was chosen as the writer for the next installment of the Asterix series created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Uderzo person ...
(script) and
Didier Conrad Didier Conrad (born 6 May 1959) is a French comics artist and writer. Since 2012, he has been the artist of the popular ''Asterix'' series. Biography Beginnings Didier Conrad was born in Marseille of parents originally from Switzerland. He dev ...
(artwork) took over. , 39 volumes have been released, with the most recent released in October 2021.


Description

Asterix comics usually start with the following introduction:
'' The year is 50 BC. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely... One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. And life is not easy for the Roman legionaries who garrison the fortified camps of Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum and Compendium...''
The series follows the adventures of a village of
Gauls The Gauls ( la, Galli; grc, Γαλάται, ''Galátai'') were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). They s ...
as they resist
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
occupation in 50 BC. They do so using a
magic potion A potion () is a liquid "that contains medicine, poison, or something that is supposed to have magic powers.” It derives from the Latin word ''potus'' which referred to a drink or drinking. The term philtre is also used, often specifically ...
, brewed by their
druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
Getafix (Panoramix in the French version), which temporarily gives the recipient superhuman strength. The protagonists, the title character
Asterix ''Asterix'' or ''The Adventures of Asterix'' (french: Astérix or , "Asterix the Gaul") is a ''bande dessinée'' comic book series about a village of indomitable Gaulish warriors who adventure around the world and fight the Roman Republic, wi ...
and his friend
Obelix Obelix (; french: Obélix) is a cartoon character in the French comic book series ''Asterix''. He works as a menhir sculptor and deliveryman, and is Asterix's best friend. Obelix is noted for his obesity, the menhirs he carries around on his bac ...
, have various adventures. The "-ix" ending of both names (as well as all the other pseudo-Gaulish "-ix" names in the series) alludes to the "-rix" suffix (meaning "king", like "-rex" in Latin) present in the names of many real Gaulish chieftains such as
Vercingetorix Vercingetorix (; Greek: Οὐερκιγγετόριξ; – 46 BC) was a Gallic king and chieftain of the Arverni tribe who united the Gauls in a failed revolt against Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Despite h ...
,
Orgetorix Orgetorix was a wealthy aristocrat among the Helvetii, a Celtic-speaking people residing in what is now Switzerland during the consulship of Julius Caesar of the Roman Republic. Planned migration In 61 BC, he convinced the Helvetians to attempt t ...
, and
Dumnorix Dumnorix (spelled Dubnoreix on coins) was a chieftain of the Aedui, a Celtic tribe in Gaul in the 1st century B.C. He was the younger brother of Divitiacus, the Aedui druid and statesman. The Aedui were allies of Rome, but Dumnorix was a leader o ...
. In some of the stories, they travel to foreign countries, while other tales are set in and around their village. For much of the history of the series (volumes 4 through 29), settings in Gaul and abroad alternated, with even-numbered volumes set abroad and odd-numbered volumes set in Gaul, mostly in the village. The ''Asterix'' series is one of the most popular Franco-Belgian comics in the world, with the series being translated into 111 languages and dialects . The success of the series has led to the adaptation of its books into 15 films: ten animated, and five live action (two of which, '' Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra'' and ''
Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar ''Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar'' (french: Astérix & Obélix contre César) is a 1999 feature film directed by Claude Zidi, the first installment in the ''Asterix'' film series based on Goscinny and Uderzo's Astérix comics. The film combines ...
'', were major box office successes in France). There have also been a number of
games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
based on the characters, and a theme park near Paris,
Parc Astérix Parc Astérix is a theme park in France based on the comic book series ''Asterix'' by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny. With around 2.3 million visitors yearly, Parc Astérix is France's second largest theme park, behind only Disneyland Paris wit ...
. The very first French satellite,
Astérix ''Asterix'' or ''The Adventures of Asterix'' (french: Astérix or , "Asterix the Gaul") is a ''bande dessinée'' comic book series about a village of indomitable Gaulish warriors who adventure around the world and fight the Roman Republic, wi ...
, launched in 1965, was named after the character, whose name is close to Greek ἀστήρ and Latin ''astrum'', meaning a "star". As of 20 April 2022, 385million copies of ''Asterix'' books had been sold worldwide and translated in 111 languages making it the world's most widely translated comic book series, with co-creators René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo being France's best-selling authors abroad. In April 2022, Albert and René’s general director Céleste Surugue hosted a 45-minute talk titled "The Next Incarnation of a Heritage Franchise: Asterix" and spoke about the success of the Asterix franchise of which he noted "The idea was to find a subject with a strong connection with French culture and while looking at the country's history, they ended up choosing its first defeat, namely the Gaul's Roman colonisation". He also went on to say how since 1989, Parc Asterix attracts an average of 2.3 million visitors per year. Other notable mentions were how the franchise includes 10 animated movies, which recorded over 53 million viewers worldwide. The inception of Studios Idefix in 1974 and the opening of Studio 58 in 2016 were among the necessary steps to make Asterix a "100% Gaulish production," considered the best solution to keep the creative process under control from start to finish and to employ French manpower. He also noted how a new album is now published every two years, with print figures of 5 million and an estimate readership of 20 million.


History

Prior to creating the ''Asterix'' series, Goscinny and Uderzo had had success with their series ''
Oumpah-pah ''Oumpah-pah le Peau-Rouge'' (''Ompa-pa the Redskin'') is a comics series created by comics artist Albert Uderzo and comics author René Goscinny, best known as the creators of Asterix. The series first appeared in the weekly ''Tintin'' magaz ...
'', which was published in ''
Tintin Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to: ''The Adventures of Tintin'' * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series ** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...
'' magazine. ''Astérix'' was originally serialised in ''
Pilote Cover of the first ''Pilote'' issue #0 ''Pilote'' () was a French comic magazine published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major French or Belgian comics talents of its day the magazine introduced major series such as ''Astérix'', '' ...
'' magazine, debuting in the first issue on 29 October 1959. In 1961 the first book was put together, titled ''
Asterix the Gaul ''Asterix the Gaul'' is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). In ''Le Monde'' 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll conducted by the French retailer Fnac and the Paris n ...
''. From then on, books were released generally on a yearly basis. Their success was exponential; the first book sold 6,000 copies in its year of publication; a year later, the second sold 20,000. In 1963, the third sold 40,000; the fourth, released in 1964, sold 150,000. A year later, the fifth sold 300,000; 1966's ''Asterix and the Big Fight'' sold 400,000 upon initial publication. The ninth ''Asterix'' volume, when first released in 1967, sold 1.2 million copies in two days. Uderzo's first preliminary sketches portrayed Asterix as a huge and strong traditional Gaulish warrior. But Goscinny had a different picture in his mind, visualizing Asterix as a shrewd, compact warrior who would possess intelligence and wit more than raw strength. However, Uderzo felt that the downsized hero needed a strong but dim companion, to which Goscinny agreed. Hence, Obelix was born. Despite the growing popularity of ''Asterix'' with the readers, the financial backing for the publication ''Pilote'' ceased. ''Pilote'' was taken over by
Georges Dargaud Georges Dargaud (27 April 1911 – 18 July 1990) was a French publisher of comics, most famously '' Tintin magazine'', ''Asterix'', and ''Lucky Luke'', through his Dargaud company. Biography Dargaud started out working as a broker for an advertis ...
. When Goscinny died in 1977, Uderzo continued the series by popular demand of the readers, who implored him to continue. He continued to issue new volumes of the series, but on a less frequent basis. Many critics and fans of the series prefer the earlier collaborations with Goscinny. Uderzo created his own publishing company,
Éditions Albert René Éditions Albert René is a French publishing house created in 1979 by cartoonist Albert Uderzo, two years after the death of his collaborater scriptwriter René Goscinny. The company Hachette Livre owns 100% of the publishing house since 2011. É ...
, which published every album drawn and written by Uderzo alone since then. However,
Dargaud Société Dargaud, doing business as Les Éditions Dargaud, is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1936 by Georges Dargaud (), publishing its first comics in 1943. ...
, the initial publisher of the series, kept the publishing rights on the 24 first albums made by both Uderzo and Goscinny. In 1990, the Uderzo and Goscinny families decided to sue Dargaud to take over the rights. In 1998, after a long trial, Dargaud lost the rights to publish and sell the albums. Uderzo decided to sell these rights to Hachette instead of Albert-René, but the publishing rights on new albums were still owned by Albert Uderzo (40%), Sylvie Uderzo (20%) and Anne Goscinny (40%). In December 2008, Uderzo sold his stake to Hachette, which took over the company. In a letter published in the French newspaper ''
Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
'' in 2009, Uderzo's daughter, Sylvie, attacked her father's decision to sell the family publishing firm and the rights to produce new ''Astérix'' adventures after his death. She said:
... the co-creator of ''Astérix'', France's comic strip hero, has betrayed the Gaulish warrior to the modern-day Romans – the men of industry and finance.
However, René Goscinny's daughter, Anne, also gave her agreement to the continuation of the series and sold her rights at the same time. She is reported to have said that "''Asterix'' has already had two lives: one during my father's lifetime and one after it. Why not a third?". A few months later, Uderzo appointed three illustrators, who had been his assistants for many years, to continue the series. In 2011, Uderzo announced that a new ''Asterix'' album was due out in 2013, with
Jean-Yves Ferri Jean-Yves Ferri () (born 20 April 1959) is a French writer, designer, and colourist of comics. On 25 July 2011, he was chosen as the writer for the next installment of the Asterix series created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Uderzo person ...
writing the story and Frédéric Mébarki drawing it. A year later, in 2012, the publisher Albert-René announced that Frédéric Mébarki had withdrawn from drawing the new album, due to the pressure he felt in following in the steps of Uderzo. Comic artist
Didier Conrad Didier Conrad (born 6 May 1959) is a French comics artist and writer. Since 2012, he has been the artist of the popular ''Asterix'' series. Biography Beginnings Didier Conrad was born in Marseille of parents originally from Switzerland. He dev ...
was officially announced to take over drawing duties from Mébarki, with the due date of the new album in 2013 unchanged. In January 2015, after the
murders Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...
of seven cartoonists at the satirical Paris weekly ''
Charlie Hebdo ''Charlie Hebdo'' (; meaning ''Charlie Weekly'') is a French satirical weekly magazine, featuring cartoons, reports, polemics, and jokes. Stridently non-conformist in tone, the publication has been described as Anti-racism, anti-racist, sceptica ...
'', ''Astérix'' creator Albert Uderzo came out of retirement to draw two ''Astérix'' pictures honouring the memories of the victims.


List of titles

Numbers 1–24, 32 and 34 are by Goscinny and Uderzo. Numbers 25–31 and 33 are by Uderzo alone. Numbers 35–39 are by
Jean-Yves Ferri Jean-Yves Ferri () (born 20 April 1959) is a French writer, designer, and colourist of comics. On 25 July 2011, he was chosen as the writer for the next installment of the Asterix series created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Uderzo person ...
and
Didier Conrad Didier Conrad (born 6 May 1959) is a French comics artist and writer. Since 2012, he has been the artist of the popular ''Asterix'' series. Biography Beginnings Didier Conrad was born in Marseille of parents originally from Switzerland. He dev ...
. Years stated are for their initial
album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
release. # ''
Asterix the Gaul ''Asterix the Gaul'' is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). In ''Le Monde'' 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll conducted by the French retailer Fnac and the Paris n ...
'' (1961) # ''
Asterix and the Golden Sickle ''Asterix and the Golden Sickle'' (, "The Golden Sickle") is the second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first serialized in ''Pilote'' magazine issues 42–74 in 1960. ...
'' (1962) # ''
Asterix and the Goths ''Asterix and the Goths'' is the third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first published in 1963 in French and translated into English in 1974. Plot summary Asterix and ...
'' (1963) # ''
Asterix the Gladiator ''Asterix the Gladiator'' is the fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first serialized in the magazine '' Pilote'', issues 126–168, in 1962. Plot summary While st ...
'' (1964) # ''
Asterix and the Banquet ''Asterix and the Banquet'' (, "Asterix's Tour of Gaul") is the fifth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first serialized in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 172–213, in 196 ...
'' (1965) # ''
Asterix and Cleopatra ''Asterix and Cleopatra'' is the sixth book in the Asterix album series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 215–257, in 1963. Synopsis The book begins with an argument be ...
'' (1965) # ''
Asterix and the Big Fight ''Asterix and the Big Fight'' is a French comic book, the seventh in the Asterix comic book series. It was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Its original French title is ''Le Combat des chefs'' ("The Battle of the Chief ...
'' (1966) # '' Asterix in Britain'' (1966) # ''
Asterix and the Normans ''Asterix and the Normans'' is the ninth book in the Asterix comic book series, written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 340–361, in 1966. It depicts a meeting bet ...
'' (1966) # ''
Asterix the Legionary ''Asterix the Legionary'' is the tenth Asterix book in the Asterix comic book series by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published as a serial in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 368–389, in 1966. Synopsis Asterix and Obelix are sett ...
'' (1967) # ''
Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield ''Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield'' (, "The Arvernian Shield") is the eleventh volume in the Asterix comic book series, written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo. It was originally published as a serial in Pilote issues 399–421 in ...
'' (1968) # ''
Asterix at the Olympic Games ''Asterix at the Olympic Games'' is the 12th comic book album in the Asterix series. Serialized in Pilote issues 434–455 in 1968 (to coincide with the Mexico City Olympics), it was translated into English in 1972 (to coincide with the Munich ...
'' (1968) # ''
Asterix and the Cauldron ''Asterix and the Cauldron'' is the thirteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first serialized in the magazine'' Pilote'', issues 469–491, in 1968, and translated i ...
'' (1969) # ''
Asterix in Spain ''Asterix in Spain'' (, "Asterix in Hispania") is the fourteenth volume of the ''Asterix'' List of Asterix volumes, comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in ''Pilote'' magaz ...
'' (1969) # '' Asterix and the Roman Agent'' (1970) # ''
Asterix in Switzerland ''Asterix in Switzerland'' (, "Asterix in the land of the Helvetii") is the sixteenth volume of the ''Asterix'' comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in ''Pilote'' magazine ...
'' (1970) # ''
The Mansions of the Gods ''The Mansions of the Gods'' is the seventeenth graphic novel of the Asterix comic book series, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo and released in 1971. Originally released as a serial for the magazine '' Pilote'', it was ...
'' (1971) # ''
Asterix and the Laurel Wreath ''Asterix and the Laurel Wreath'' (, "Caesar's Laurels") is the eighteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in the magazine'' Pilote'', issues 621 ...
'' (1972) # ''
Asterix and the Soothsayer ''Asterix and the Soothsayer'' (, "The Divine") is the nineteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 652-673 in 1972. Plot summary ...
'' (1972) # ''
Asterix in Corsica ''Asterix in Corsica'' is the twentieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo ( artwork). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 687–708 in 1973. It is the best-selling title in the histor ...
'' (1973) # ''
Asterix and Caesar's Gift ''Asterix and Caesar's Gift'' is the twenty-first volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was the first Asterix adventure that was not published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magaz ...
'' (1974) # ''
Asterix and the Great Crossing ''Asterix and the Great Crossing'' is the twenty-second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). Plot summary Unhygienix has run out of fresh fish. Since his stock has to be transpo ...
'' (1975) # ''
Obelix and Co. ''Obelix and Co.'' is the twenty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). The book's main focus is on the attempts by the Gaul-occupying Romans to corrupt the one remaining vi ...
'' (1976) # ''
Asterix in Belgium ''Asterix in Belgium'' (french: Astérix chez les Belges, lit=Asterix among the Belgians/Belgae) is the twenty-fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (story) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It is noted as the last A ...
'' (1979) # ''
Asterix and the Great Divide ''Asterix and the Great Divide'' (, "The Great Ditch") is the twenty-fifth volume of the Asterix comic book series. First published in French in 1980, it was translated into English in 1981. It is the first Asterix adventure to be written by illu ...
'' (1980) # ''
Asterix and the Black Gold ''Asterix and the Black Gold'' (French: ''L'Odyssée d'Astérix'' literally "Asterix's Odyssey") is the twenty-sixth volume of Asterix comic book series, originally published in 1981. It is the second book to be both written and drawn by Albert U ...
'' (1981) # ''
Asterix and Son ''Asterix and Son'' (, "Asterix's Son") is the twenty-seventh volume of the Asterix comic book series, created by author René Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo. It was the third Asterix album to be written and illustrated by Uderzo. Plot ...
'' (1983) # ''
Asterix and the Magic Carpet ''Asterix and the Magic Carpet'' is the twenty-eighth volume of the Asterix comic book series by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first published in 1987, and was translated into English in 1988. It is the four ...
'' (1987) # ''
Asterix and the Secret Weapon ''Asterix and the Secret Weapon'' is the twenty-ninth volume of the Asterix comic book series and the fifth by Albert Uderzo alone. It parodies feminism, gender equality/relationships, and military secrets. Plot summary The story begins when a ...
'' (1991) # ''
Asterix and Obelix All at Sea ''Asterix and Obelix All at Sea'' (, "Obelix's galley hip) is the thirtieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by Albert Uderzo. The album was dedicated to Uderzo's grandchild, as well as to the American actor Kirk Douglas. Plot summary A ...
'' (1996) # ''
Asterix and the Actress ''Asterix and the Actress'' (, "Asterix and Latraviata") is the 31st volume of the Asterix comic book series, written and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Plot summary Asterix and Obelix receive a surprise birthday visit from their mothers, who ha ...
'' (2001) # ''
Asterix and the Class Act ''Asterix and the Class Act'' (french: link=no, Astérix et la rentrée gauloise, "Asterix and the Gaulish return; ''la rentrée'' is the French return to school after the summer break) is officially the thirty-second album of the Asterix comic ...
'' (2003) # ''
Asterix and the Falling Sky ''Asterix and the Falling Sky'' (, "The Sky Falls On His Head") is the thirty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, the ninth solely written and illustrated by Albert Uderzo and the only volume to introduce science fiction elements into ...
'' (2005) # '' Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book'' (2009) # ''
Asterix and the Picts ''Asterix and the Picts'' is the 35th book in the Asterix series, and is the first book to be written by someone other than René Goscinny or Albert Uderzo. It was written by Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrated by Didier Conrad. The English-language v ...
'' (2013) # ''
Asterix and the Missing Scroll ''Asterix and the Missing Scroll'' (, "Caesar's Papyrus") is the 36th book in the Asterix comics series, and the second written by Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrated by Didier Conrad. A central theme is censorship and the battle over information. The ...
'' (2015) # ''
Asterix and the Chariot Race ''Asterix and the Chariot Race'' (French: ''Astérix et la Transitalique'', "Asterix and the Trans-Italic") is the 37th book in the Asterix series, and the third to be written by Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrated by Didier Conrad. The book was rele ...
'' (2017) # ''
Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter (French: ''La Fille de Vercingétorix'', "The Daughter of Vercingetorix") is the 38th book in the Asterix series, and the fourth to be written by Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrated by Didier Conrad. The book ...
'' (2019) # ''
Asterix and the Griffin Asterix and the Griffin (French: ''Astérix et le Griffon'') is the 39th book in the Asterix series, and the fifth to be written by Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrated by Didier Conrad. The book was released worldwide in more than 20 languages on 2 ...
'' (2021) *Non-canonical volumes: ** ''
Asterix Conquers Rome ''Asterix Conquers Rome'' (French: ''Les 12 Travaux d'Asterix'', literally "The 12 Tasks of Asterix"), first published in 1976, is the comic book adaptation of the animated Asterix film ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'' and "unofficially" the twent ...
'', to be the 23rd volume, before ''Obelix and Co.'' (1976) - comic ** ''
How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy How may refer to: * How (greeting), a word used in some misrepresentations of Native American/First Nations speech * How, an interrogative word in English grammar Art and entertainment Literature * ''How'' (book), a 2007 book by Dov Seidma ...
'' (1989) - special issue album ** ''Uderzo Croqué par ses Amis'' (''Uderzo sketched by his friends'') (1996) - tribute album by various artists ** ''
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'' (''Les Douze travaux d'Astérix'') is a 1976 Belgian/French animated feature film based on the ''Asterix'' comic book series, and the third in the animated franchise. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the crea ...
'' (2016) - special issue album, illustrated text ''
Asterix Conquers Rome ''Asterix Conquers Rome'' (French: ''Les 12 Travaux d'Asterix'', literally "The 12 Tasks of Asterix"), first published in 1976, is the comic book adaptation of the animated Asterix film ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'' and "unofficially" the twent ...
'' is a comics adaptation of the animated film ''
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'' (''Les Douze travaux d'Astérix'') is a 1976 Belgian/French animated feature film based on the ''Asterix'' comic book series, and the third in the animated franchise. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the crea ...
''. It was released in 1976 and was the 23rd volume to be published, but it has been rarely reprinted and is not considered to be
canonical The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean "according to the canon" the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, "canonical example ...
to the series. The only English translations ever to be published were in the ''
Asterix Annual 1980 ''Asterix Conquers Rome'' (French: ''Les 12 Travaux d'Asterix'', literally "The 12 Tasks of Asterix"), first published in 1976, is the comic book adaptation of the animated Asterix film ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'' and "unofficially" the twent ...
'' and never an English standalone volume. A picture-book version of the same story was published in English translation as ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'' by Hodder & Stoughton in 1978. In 1996, a tribute album in honour of Albert Uderzo was released titled ''Uderzo Croqué par ses Amis'', a volume containing 21 short stories with Uderzo in Ancient Gaul. This volume was published by
Soleil Productions Soleil Productions is a French publisher of both original and imported comic books. History Soleil was founded in 1989 in Toulouse. Soleil quickly became known as a publisher of cartoons and parodies such as Rahan, Blek le Roc et Tarzan. It so ...
and has not been translated into English. In 2007, Éditions Albert René released a tribute volume titled '' Astérix et ses Amis'', a 60-page volume of one-to-four-page short stories. It was a tribute to Albert Uderzo on his 80th birthday by 34 European cartoonists. The volume was translated into nine languages. , it has not been translated into English. In 2016, the French publisher Hachette, along with Anne Goscinny and Albert Uderzo decided to make the special issue album ''The XII Tasks of Asterix'' for the 40th anniversary of the film ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix''. There was no English edition.


Synopsis and characters

The main setting for the series is an unnamed coastal village, rumoured to be inspired by
Erquy Erquy (; ; Gallo: ''Erqi'') is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Erquy is located in a cove of the Penthièvre coast bordered by cape Erquy on one side and a volcanic rock formation called ''pointe ...
in
Armorica Armorica or Aremorica (Gaulish: ; br, Arvorig, ) is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul between the Seine and the Loire that includes the Brittany Peninsula, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic Coast ...
(present-day
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
), a province of
Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
(modern France), in the year 50 BC. Julius Caesar has conquered nearly all of Gaul for the Roman Empire during the
Gallic Wars The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and British tribes fought to defend their homela ...
. The little Armorican village, however, has held out because the villagers can gain temporary superhuman strength by drinking a
magic potion A potion () is a liquid "that contains medicine, poison, or something that is supposed to have magic powers.” It derives from the Latin word ''potus'' which referred to a drink or drinking. The term philtre is also used, often specifically ...
brewed by the local village druid,
Getafix This is a list of characters in the ''Asterix'' comics. Main characters Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix are the first characters with short descriptions usually listed at the beginning of each of the ''Asterix'' books (after the map of Gaul). They ...
. His chief is Vitalstatistix. The main protagonist and hero of the village is
Asterix ''Asterix'' or ''The Adventures of Asterix'' (french: Astérix or , "Asterix the Gaul") is a ''bande dessinée'' comic book series about a village of indomitable Gaulish warriors who adventure around the world and fight the Roman Republic, wi ...
, who, because of his shrewdness, is usually entrusted with the most important affairs of the village. He is aided in his adventures by his rather corpulent and slower thinking friend,
Obelix Obelix (; french: Obélix) is a cartoon character in the French comic book series ''Asterix''. He works as a menhir sculptor and deliveryman, and is Asterix's best friend. Obelix is noted for his obesity, the menhirs he carries around on his bac ...
, who, because he fell into the druid's cauldron of the potion as a baby, has permanent superhuman strength (because of this, Getafix steadfastly refuses to allow Obelix to drink the potion, as doing so would have a dangerous and unpredictable result, as shown in
Asterix and Obelix All at Sea ''Asterix and Obelix All at Sea'' (, "Obelix's galley hip) is the thirtieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by Albert Uderzo. The album was dedicated to Uderzo's grandchild, as well as to the American actor Kirk Douglas. Plot summary A ...
). Obelix is usually accompanied by
Dogmatix Dogmatix () is a fictional white terrier dog who is a companion to Obelix in the ''Asterix'' comics. Dogmatix is a pun on the words dog and dogmatic. In the original French, his name is ''Idéfix'', itself a pun on the French expression '' idée ...
, his little dog. (Except for Asterix and Obelix, the names of the characters change with the language. For example, Obelix's dog's name is "Idéfix" in the original French edition.) Asterix and Obelix (and sometimes other members of the village) go on various adventures both within the village and in far away lands. Places visited in the series include parts of
Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
(
Lutetia The Gallo-Roman town of ''Lutetia'' (''Lutetia Parisiorum'' in Latin, in French ''Lutèce'') was the predecessor of the modern-day city of Paris. It was founded in about the middle of the 3rd century BCE by the Parisii, a Gallic tribe. Tra ...
,
Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
etc.), neighbouring nations (
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
,
Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
etc.), and far away lands (
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
,
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
etc.). The series employs
science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
and
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
elements in the more recent books; for instance, the use of
extraterrestrials Extraterrestrial life, colloquially referred to as alien life, is life that may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been conclusively detected, although efforts are underway. Such life might ...
in ''
Asterix and the Falling Sky ''Asterix and the Falling Sky'' (, "The Sky Falls On His Head") is the thirty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, the ninth solely written and illustrated by Albert Uderzo and the only volume to introduce science fiction elements into ...
'' and the city of
Atlantis Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas (mythology), Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus (dialogue), Timaeus'' and ''Critias (dialogue), Critias'' ...
in ''
Asterix and Obelix All at Sea ''Asterix and Obelix All at Sea'' (, "Obelix's galley hip) is the thirtieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by Albert Uderzo. The album was dedicated to Uderzo's grandchild, as well as to the American actor Kirk Douglas. Plot summary A ...
''. With rare exceptions, the ending of the albums usually shows a big banquet with the village's inhabitants gathering - the sole exception is the
bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise t ...
Cacofonix This is a list of characters in the ''Asterix'' comics. Main characters Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix are the first characters with short descriptions usually listed at the beginning of each of the ''Asterix'' books (after the map of Gaul). They ...
restrained and gagged to prevent him from singing (but in
Asterix and the Normans ''Asterix and the Normans'' is the ninth book in the Asterix comic book series, written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 340–361, in 1966. It depicts a meeting bet ...
the blacksmith Fulliautomatix was tied up). Mostly the banquets are held under the starry nights in the village, where roast boar is devoured and all (but one) are set about in merrymaking. However, there are a few exceptions, such as in
Asterix and Cleopatra ''Asterix and Cleopatra'' is the sixth book in the Asterix album series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 215–257, in 1963. Synopsis The book begins with an argument be ...
.


Humour

The humour encountered in the ''Asterix'' comics often centers around
pun A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophonic ...
s,
caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...
s, and
tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scott ...
stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
s of contemporary European nations and
French regions France is divided into eighteen administrative regions (french: régions, singular ), of which thirteen are located in metropolitan France (in Europe), while the other five are overseas regions (not to be confused with the overseas collecti ...
. Much of the humour in the initial Asterix books was French-specific, which delayed the translation of the books into other languages for fear of losing the jokes and the spirit of the story. Some translations have actually added local humour: In the Italian translation, the Roman legionaries are made to speak in 20th-century Roman dialect, and Obelix's famous ''Ils sont fous, ces Romains'' ("These Romans are crazy") is translated properly as ''Sono pazzi questi romani'', humorously alluding to the Roman abbreviation ''
SPQR SPQR, an abbreviation for (; en, "The Roman Senate and People"; or more freely "The Senate and People of Rome"), is an emblematic abbreviated phrase referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic. It appears on Roman currency, at ...
''. In another example:
Hiccups A hiccup (scientific name ''singultus'', from a Latin word meaning "to catch one's breath while sobbing"; also spelled hiccough) is an involuntary contraction (myoclonic jerk) of the diaphragm that may repeat several times per minute. The hic ...
are written onomatopoeically in French as ''hips'', but in English as "hic", allowing Roman legionaries in more than one of the English translations to
decline Decline may refer to: *Decadence, involves a perceived decay in standards, morals, dignity, religious faith, or skill over time * "Decline" (song), 2017 song by Raye and Mr Eazi * ''The Decline'' (EP), an EP by NOFX *The Decline (band), Australian ...
their hiccups absurdly in Latin (''hic, haec, hoc''). The newer albums share a more universal humour, both written and visual.


Character names

All the fictional characters in ''Asterix'' have names which are puns on their roles or personalities, and which follow certain patterns specific to nationality. Certain rules are followed (most of the time) such as Gauls (and their neighbours) having an "-ix" suffix for the men and ending in "-a" for the women; for example, Chief Vitalstatistix (so called due to his portly stature) and his wife
Impedimenta This is a list of characters in the ''Asterix'' comics. Main characters Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix are the first characters with short descriptions usually listed at the beginning of each of the ''Asterix'' books (after the map of Gaul). They ...
(often at odds with the chief). The male Roman names end in "-us", echoing Latin nominative male singular form, as in
Gluteus Maximus The gluteus maximus is the main extensor muscle of the hip. It is the largest and outermost of the three gluteal muscles and makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of each side of the hips. It is the single largest muscle in the human ...
, a muscle-bound athlete whose name is literally the butt of the joke. Gothic names (present-day Germany) end in "-ic", after Gothic chiefs such as Alaric and
Theoderic Theodoric is a Germanic given name. First attested as a Gothic name in the 5th century, it became widespread in the Germanic-speaking world, not least due to its most famous bearer, Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. Overview The name ...
; for example
Rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...
the interpreter. Greek names end in "-os" or "-es"; for example,
Thermos A vacuum flask (also known as a Dewar flask, Dewar bottle or thermos) is an insulating storage vessel that greatly lengthens the time over which its contents remain hotter or cooler than the flask's surroundings. Invented by Sir James Dewa ...
the restaurateur. British names usually end in "-ax" or "-os" and are often puns on the
taxation A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal person, legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regiona ...
associated with the later
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
; examples include Mykingdomforanos, a British tribal chieftain, Valuaddedtax the druid, and Selectivemploymentax the mercenary. Names of Normans end with "-af", for example Nescaf or Cenotaf. Egyptian characters often end in ''-is'', such as the architects Edifis and Artifis, and the scribe Exlibris. Indic names, apart from the only Indic female characters Orinjade and Lemuhnade, exhibit considerable variation; examples include Watziznehm, Watzit, Owzat, and Howdoo. Other nationalities are treated to
pidgin A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn from s ...
translations from their language, like Huevos y Bacon, a Spanish chieftain (whose name, meaning
eggs and bacon A full breakfast is a substantial cooked breakfast meal, often served in the United Kingdom and Ireland, that typically includes back bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding, baked beans, some form of potato, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and a ...
, is often guidebook Spanish for tourists), or literary and other popular media references, like Dubbelosix (a sly reference to
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
's codename "007"). Most of these jokes, and hence the names of the characters, are specific to the translation; for example, the druid named
Getafix This is a list of characters in the ''Asterix'' comics. Main characters Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix are the first characters with short descriptions usually listed at the beginning of each of the ''Asterix'' books (after the map of Gaul). They ...
in English translation - "get a fix", referring to the character's role in dispensing the
magic potion A potion () is a liquid "that contains medicine, poison, or something that is supposed to have magic powers.” It derives from the Latin word ''potus'' which referred to a drink or drinking. The term philtre is also used, often specifically ...
- is ''Panoramix'' in the original French and ''Miraculix'' in German. Even so, occasionally the wordplay has been preserved: Obelix's dog, known in the original French as ''Idéfix'' (from '' idée fixe'', a "fixed idea" or obsession), is called ''Dogmatix'' in English, which not only renders the original meaning strikingly closely ("dogmatic") but in fact adds another layer of wordplay with the syllable "Dog-" at the beginning of the name. The name ''Asterix'',
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
''Astérix'', comes from ', meaning "
asterisk The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
", which is the typographical symbol * indicating a footnote, from the Greek word ἀστήρ (''aster''), meaning a "star". His name is usually left unchanged in translations, aside from accents and the use of local
alphabet An alphabet is a standardized set of basic written graphemes (called letters) that represent the phonemes of certain spoken languages. Not all writing systems represent language in this way; in a syllabary, each character represents a syll ...
s. For example, in
Esperanto Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...
,
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
, Slovene, Latvian, and
Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...
it is ''Asteriks'' (in Turkish he was first named ''Bücür'' meaning "shorty", but the name was then standardised). Two exceptions include Icelandic, in which he is known as ''Ástríkur'' ("Rich of love"), and Sinhala, where he is known as (''Soora Pappa''), which can be interpreted as "
Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
". The name ''Obelix'' (''Obélix'') may refer to "
obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by Anc ...
", a stone column from ancient Egypt, but also to another typographical symbol, the obelisk or obelus (). For explanations of some of the other names, see List of ''Asterix'' characters.


Ethnic stereotypes

Many of the ''Asterix'' adventures take place in other countries away from their homeland in Gaul. In every album that takes place abroad, the characters meet (usually modern-day) stereotypes for each country, as seen by the French. * Italics (Italians) are the inhabitants of Italy. In the adventures of Asterix, the term "Romans" is used by non-Italics to refer to all inhabitants of Italy, who at that time had extended their dominion over a large part of the Mediterranean basin. But as can be seen in ''
Asterix and the Chariot Race ''Asterix and the Chariot Race'' (French: ''Astérix et la Transitalique'', "Asterix and the Trans-Italic") is the 37th book in the Asterix series, and the third to be written by Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrated by Didier Conrad. The book was rele ...
'', in the Italic peninsula this term is used only to refer to the people from the capital, with many Italics preferring to identify themselves as Umbrians, Etruscans, Venetians, etc. Various topics from this country are explored, as in this example, Italian gastronomy (pasta, pizza, wine), art, famous people (Pavarotti, Berlusconi, Mona Lisa), and even the controversial issue of political corruption.
Romans in general appear more similar to the historical Romans, than to modern-age Italians. * Goths (Germans) are disciplined and militaristic, they are composed of many factions that fight amongst each other (which is a reference to Germany before
Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of J ...
, and to East and West Germany after the Second World War), and they wear the
Pickelhaube The ( pl. ; from german: Pickel, lit=point' or 'pickaxe, and , , a general word for "headgear"), also , is a spiked helmet that was worn in the 19th and 20th centuries by Prussian and German military officers, firefighters and police. Although ...
helmet common during the
German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
. In later appearances, the Goths tend to be more good-natured. * Helvetians (Swiss) are neutral, eat
fondue Fondue (, , ) is a Swiss melted cheese dish served in a communal pot ( ''caquelon'' or fondue pot) over a portable stove () heated with a candle or spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was promote ...
, and are obsessed with cleaning, accurate time-keeping, and banks. * The Britons (English) are
phlegmatic The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types w ...
, and speak with early 20th-century aristocratic slang (similar to
Bertie Wooster Bertram Wilberforce Wooster is a fictional character in the comedic Jeeves stories created by British author P. G. Wodehouse. An amiable English gentleman and one of the "idle rich", Bertie appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose intelligenc ...
). They stop for
tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...
every day (making it with hot water and a drop of milk until Asterix brings them actual
tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...
leaves), drink lukewarm beer (
Bitter Bitter may refer to: Common uses * Resentment, negative emotion or attitude, similar to being jaded, cynical or otherwise negatively affected by experience * Bitter (taste), one of the five basic tastes Books * '' Bitter (novel)'', a 2022 nove ...
), eat tasteless foods with mint sauce (
Rosbif This glossary of names for the British include nicknames and terms, including affectionate ones, neutral ones, and derogatory ones to describe British people, and more specifically English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish people. Many of th ...
), and live in streets containing rows of identical houses. In ''Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia'' the Britons all wore woollen pullovers and Tam o' shanters. * Hibernians (Irish) inhabit Hibernia, the Latin name of Ireland and they fight against the Romans alongside the Britons to defend the British Isles. * Iberians (Spanish) are filled with
pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...
and have rather choleric tempers. They produce
olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
, provide very slow aid for chariot problems on the Roman roads and (thanks to Asterix) adopt
bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
as a tradition. * When the Gauls visited North America in ''
Asterix and the Great Crossing ''Asterix and the Great Crossing'' is the twenty-second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). Plot summary Unhygienix has run out of fresh fish. Since his stock has to be transpo ...
'', Obelix punches one of the attacking Native Americans with a
knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
blow. The warrior first hallucinates American-style emblematic eagles; the second time, he sees stars in the formation of the Stars and Stripes; the third time, he sees stars shaped like the United States Air Force roundel. Asterix's inspired idea for getting the attention of a nearby Viking ship (which could take them back to Gaul) is to hold up a torch; this refers to the
Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...
(which was a gift from France). * Corsicans are proud, patriotic, and easily aroused but lazy, making decisions by using pre-filled ballot boxes. They harbour
vendettas A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one par ...
against each other, and always take their
siesta A ''siesta'' (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The ...
. * Greeks are
chauvinists Chauvinism is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. It can be described as a form of extreme patriotism ...
and consider Romans, Gauls, and all others to be
barbarians A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less c ...
. They eat stuffed grape leaves (
dolma Dolma (Turkish for “stuffed”) is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, and common in modern national cuisines of regions and countries that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Some types of dolma are made with whol ...
), drink resinated wine (
retsina Retsina ( el, Ρετσίνα) is a Greek white (or rosé) resinated wine, which has been made for at least 2,000 years. Its unique flavor is said to have originated from the practice of sealing wine vessels, particularly amphorae, with Alepp ...
), and are hospitable to tourists. Most seem to be related by blood, and often nepotism, suggest some cousin appropriate for a job. Greek characters are often depicted in side profile, making them resemble figures from classical Greek vase paintings. * Normans (Vikings) drink endlessly, they always use cream in their cuisine, they don't know what fear is (which they're trying to discover), and in their home territory (Scandinavia), the night lasts for 6 months.
Their depiction in the albums is a mix of stereotypes of Swedish Vikings and the Normans, Norman French. * Cimbri, Cimbres (Danes) are very similar to the Normans with the greatest difference being that the Gauls are unable to communicate with them. Their names end in "-sen", a common ending of surnames in Denmark and Norway akin to "-son". * Belgians speak with a funny accent, snub the Gauls, and always eat French fries, sliced roots deep-fried in bear fat. They also tell Belgian jokes. * Lusitanians (Portuguese) are short in stature and polite (Uderzo said all the Portuguese who he had met were like that). * The Indians have elephant trainers, as well as gurus who can fast for weeks and levitate on magic carpets. They worship thirty-three million deities and consider cows as sacred. They also bathe in the Ganges river. * Egyptians are short with prominent noses, endlessly engaged in building pyramids and palaces. Their favorite food is lentil soup and they sail feluccas along the banks of the Nile River. * Persians (Iranians) produce carpets and staunchly refuse to mend foreign ones. They eat caviar, as well as roasted camel and the women wear burqas. * Hittites, Sumerians, Akkadian Empire, Akkadians, Assyrian people, Assyrians, and Babylonians (the last four peoples: Iraqis) are perpetually at war with each other and attack strangers because they confuse them with their enemies, but they later apologize when they realize that the strangers are not their enemies. This is likely a criticism of the constant conflicts among the Middle Eastern peoples. * The Jews are all depicted as Yemenite Jews, with dark skin, black eyes, and beards, a tribute to Marc Chagall, the famous painter whose painting of King David hangs at the Knesset (Israeli Parliament). * Numidians, contrary to the Berbers, Berber inhabitants of ancient Numidia (located in North Africa), are obviously Africans from sub-Saharan Africa. The names end in "-tha", similar to the historical king Jugurtha of Numidia. * The Picts (Scots) wear a typical dress with a kilt (skirt), have the habit of drinking "malt water" (whisky) and throwing logs (caber tossing) as a popular sport and their names all start with "Mac-". * Sarmatians (Ukrainians), inhabit the North Black Sea area, which represents present-day Ukraine. Their names end in "-ov", like many Ukrainian surnames. When the Gauls see foreigners speaking their foreign languages, these have different representations in the cartoon speech bubbles: *Iberian: Same as Spanish, with inversion of exclamation marks ('¡') and question marks ("¿") *Goth language: Gothic script (incomprehensible to the Gauls, except Getafix, who speaks Gothic) *Viking (Normans and Cimbres): "Ø" and "Å" instead of "O" and "A" (incomprehensible to the Gauls) *Amerindian: Pictograms and sign language (generally incomprehensible to the Gauls) *Egyptians and Kushites: Hieroglyphs with explanatory footnotes (incomprehensible to the Gauls) *Greek: Straight letters, carved as if in stone *Sarmatian: In their speech balloons, some letters (E, F, N, R ...) are written in a mirror-reversed form, which evokes the modern Cyrillic alphabet.


Translations

The various volumes have been translated into more than 100 languages and dialects. Besides the original French language, most albums are available in Bengali, Estonian, English, Czech, Dutch, German, Galician, Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Spanish, Catalan, Basque, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Turkish, Slovene, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Latvian, Welsh, and also in Latin. Some books have also been translated into languages including Esperanto, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Indonesian, Persian, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Bengali, Afrikaans, Arabic, Hindi, Hebrew, Frisian, Romansch, Vietnamese, Sinhala, Ancient Greek, and Luxembourgish. In Europe, several volumes were translated into a variety of regional languages and dialects, such as Alsatian language, Alsatian, Breton language, Breton, Chtimi (Picard language, Picard), and Corsican language, Corsican in France; Austro-Bavarian language, Bavarian, Swabian German, Swabian, and Low German in Germany; and Savonian dialects, Savo, Karelia, Rauma, Finland, Rauma, and Helsinki slang dialects in Finland. In Portugal a special edition of the first volume,
Asterix the Gaul ''Asterix the Gaul'' is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). In ''Le Monde'' 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll conducted by the French retailer Fnac and the Paris n ...
, was translated into local language Mirandese. In Greece, a number of volumes have appeared in the Cretan Greek, Cypriot Greek, and Pontic Greek dialects. In the Italian version, while the Gauls speak standard Italian, the legionaries speak in the Romanesco dialect, Romanesque dialect. In the former Yugoslavia, the "Forum" publishing house translated Corsican text in ''
Asterix in Corsica ''Asterix in Corsica'' is the twentieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo ( artwork). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 687–708 in 1973. It is the best-selling title in the histor ...
'' into the Montenegrin dialect of Serbo-Croatian (today called Montenegrin language, Montenegrin). In the Netherlands, several volumes were translated into West Frisian language, West Frisian, a Germanic language spoken in the province of Friesland; into Limburgish language, Limburgish, a regional language spoken not only in Limburg (Netherlands), Dutch Limburg but also in Limburg (Belgium), Belgian Limburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; and into Tweants dialect, Tweants, a dialect in the region of Twente in the eastern province of Overijssel. Hungarian-language books were published in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia for the Magyars, Hungarian minority living in Serbia. Although not translated into a fully autonomous dialect, the books differ slightly from the language of the books issued in Hungary. In Sri Lanka, the cartoon series was adapted into Sinhala as ''Sura Pappa''. Most volumes have been translated into Latin and Attic Greek, Ancient Greek, with accompanying teachers' guides, as a way of teaching these ancient languages.


English translation

Before Asterix became famous, translations of some strips were published in British comics including ''Valiant'', ''Ranger'', and ''Look & Learn'', under names ''Little Fred and Big Ed'' and ''Beric the Bold'', set in Roman-occupied Britain. These were included in an exhibition on Goscinny's life and career, and Asterix, in London's Jewish Museum in 2018. In 1970 William Morrow and Company, William Morrow published English translations in hardback of three Asterix albums for the American market. These were ''
Asterix the Gaul ''Asterix the Gaul'' is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). In ''Le Monde'' 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll conducted by the French retailer Fnac and the Paris n ...
'', ''
Asterix and Cleopatra ''Asterix and Cleopatra'' is the sixth book in the Asterix album series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 215–257, in 1963. Synopsis The book begins with an argument be ...
'' and ''
Asterix the Legionary ''Asterix the Legionary'' is the tenth Asterix book in the Asterix comic book series by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published as a serial in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 368–389, in 1966. Synopsis Asterix and Obelix are sett ...
''. Lawrence Hughes in a letter to ''The New York Times'' stated, "Sales were modest, with the third title selling half the number of the first. I was publisher at the time, and Bill Cosby tried to buy film and television rights. When that fell through, we gave up the series." The first 33 Asterix albums were translated into English by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge (including the three volumes reprinted by William Morrow), who were widely praised for maintaining the spirit and humour of the original French versions. Hockridge died in 2013, so Bell translated books 34 to 36 by herself, before retiring in 2016 for health reasons. She died in 2018. Adriana Hunter became translator. US publisher Papercutz (publisher), Papercutz in December 2019 announced it would begin publishing "all-new more American translations" of the Asterix books, starting on 19 May 2020. The launch was postponed to 15 July 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new translator is Joe Johnson, a professor of French and Spanish at Clayton State University.


Adaptations

The series has been adapted into various media. There are 18 films, 15 board games, 40 video games, and 1 theme park.


Films

* ''Deux Romains en Gaule'', 1967 black and white television film, mixed media, live-action with Asterix and Obelix animated. Released on DVD in 2002. * ''Asterix the Gaul (film), Asterix the Gaul'', 1967, animated, based on the album ''
Asterix the Gaul ''Asterix the Gaul'' is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). In ''Le Monde'' 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll conducted by the French retailer Fnac and the Paris n ...
''. * ''Asterix and the Golden Sickle'', 1967, animated, based upon the album ''
Asterix and the Golden Sickle ''Asterix and the Golden Sickle'' (, "The Golden Sickle") is the second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first serialized in ''Pilote'' magazine issues 42–74 in 1960. ...
'', incomplete and never released. * ''Asterix and Cleopatra (film), Asterix and Cleopatra'', 1968, animated, based on the album ''
Asterix and Cleopatra ''Asterix and Cleopatra'' is the sixth book in the Asterix album series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 215–257, in 1963. Synopsis The book begins with an argument be ...
''. * ''The Dogmatix Movie'', 1973, animated, a unique story based on Dogmatix and his animal friends, Albert Uderzo created a comic version (consisting of eight comics, as the film is a combination of 8 different stories) of the never-released movie in 2003. * ''
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'' (''Les Douze travaux d'Astérix'') is a 1976 Belgian/French animated feature film based on the ''Asterix'' comic book series, and the third in the animated franchise. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the crea ...
'', 1976, animated, a unique story not based on an existing comic. * ''Asterix Versus Caesar'', 1985, animated, based on both ''
Asterix the Legionary ''Asterix the Legionary'' is the tenth Asterix book in the Asterix comic book series by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published as a serial in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 368–389, in 1966. Synopsis Asterix and Obelix are sett ...
'' and ''
Asterix the Gladiator ''Asterix the Gladiator'' is the fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first serialized in the magazine '' Pilote'', issues 126–168, in 1962. Plot summary While st ...
''. * ''Asterix in Britain (film), Asterix in Britain'', 1986, animated, based upon the album '' Asterix in Britain''. * ''Asterix and the Big Fight (film), Asterix and the Big Fight'', 1989, animated, based on both ''
Asterix and the Big Fight ''Asterix and the Big Fight'' is a French comic book, the seventh in the Asterix comic book series. It was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Its original French title is ''Le Combat des chefs'' ("The Battle of the Chief ...
'' and ''
Asterix and the Soothsayer ''Asterix and the Soothsayer'' (, "The Divine") is the nineteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 652-673 in 1972. Plot summary ...
''. * ''Asterix Conquers America'', 1994, animated, loosely based upon the album ''
Asterix and the Great Crossing ''Asterix and the Great Crossing'' is the twenty-second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). Plot summary Unhygienix has run out of fresh fish. Since his stock has to be transpo ...
''. * ''
Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar ''Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar'' (french: Astérix & Obélix contre César) is a 1999 feature film directed by Claude Zidi, the first installment in the ''Asterix'' film series based on Goscinny and Uderzo's Astérix comics. The film combines ...
'', 1999, live-action, based primarily upon ''
Asterix the Gaul ''Asterix the Gaul'' is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). In ''Le Monde'' 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll conducted by the French retailer Fnac and the Paris n ...
'', ''
Asterix and the Soothsayer ''Asterix and the Soothsayer'' (, "The Divine") is the nineteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 652-673 in 1972. Plot summary ...
'', ''
Asterix and the Goths ''Asterix and the Goths'' is the third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first published in 1963 in French and translated into English in 1974. Plot summary Asterix and ...
'', ''
Asterix the Legionary ''Asterix the Legionary'' is the tenth Asterix book in the Asterix comic book series by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published as a serial in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 368–389, in 1966. Synopsis Asterix and Obelix are sett ...
'', and ''
Asterix the Gladiator ''Asterix the Gladiator'' is the fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first serialized in the magazine '' Pilote'', issues 126–168, in 1962. Plot summary While st ...
''. * '' Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra'', 2002, live-action, based upon the album ''
Asterix and Cleopatra ''Asterix and Cleopatra'' is the sixth book in the Asterix album series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 215–257, in 1963. Synopsis The book begins with an argument be ...
''. * ''Asterix and Obelix in Spain'', 2004, live-action, based upon the album ''
Asterix in Spain ''Asterix in Spain'' (, "Asterix in Hispania") is the fourteenth volume of the ''Asterix'' List of Asterix volumes, comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in ''Pilote'' magaz ...
'', incomplete and never released because of disagreement with the team behind the movie and the creator of the comics. * ''Asterix and the Vikings'', 2006, animated, loosely based upon the album ''
Asterix and the Normans ''Asterix and the Normans'' is the ninth book in the Asterix comic book series, written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 340–361, in 1966. It depicts a meeting bet ...
''. * ''Asterix at the Olympic Games (film), Asterix at the Olympic Games'', 2008, live-action, loosely based upon the album ''
Asterix at the Olympic Games ''Asterix at the Olympic Games'' is the 12th comic book album in the Asterix series. Serialized in Pilote issues 434–455 in 1968 (to coincide with the Mexico City Olympics), it was translated into English in 1972 (to coincide with the Munich ...
''. * ''Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia'', 2012, live-action, loosely based upon the album '' Asterix in Britain'' and ''
Asterix and the Normans ''Asterix and the Normans'' is the ninth book in the Asterix comic book series, written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 340–361, in 1966. It depicts a meeting bet ...
''. * ''Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods'', 2014, computer-animated, based upon the album ''
The Mansions of the Gods ''The Mansions of the Gods'' is the seventeenth graphic novel of the Asterix comic book series, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo and released in 1971. Originally released as a serial for the magazine '' Pilote'', it was ...
'' and is the first animated ''Asterix'' movie in stereoscopic 3D. * ''Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion'', 2018, computer-animated, original story. * ''Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom'', 2023, live-action, original story


Television series

On 17 November, 2018, a 52 eleven-minute episode Computer animation, computer-animated series centred around Dogmatix was announced to be in production by Studio 58 and Futurikon for broadcast on France Télévisions in 2020. On 21 December, 2020, it was confirmed that ''Dogmatix and the Indomitables'' had been pushed back to fall 2021, with o2o Studio producing the animation. The show is distributed globally by Mediawan, LS Distribution. The series premiered on the Okoo streaming service on 2 July before beginning its linear broadcast on France 4 on 28 August 2021. On 3 March, 2021, it was announced that Asterix the Gaul is to star in a new Netflix animated series directed by Alain Chabat. The series will be adapted from one of the classic volumes, ''
Asterix and the Big Fight ''Asterix and the Big Fight'' is a French comic book, the seventh in the Asterix comic book series. It was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Its original French title is ''Le Combat des chefs'' ("The Battle of the Chief ...
'', where the Romans, after being constantly embarrassed by Asterix and his village cohorts, organize a brawl between rival Gaulish chiefs and try to fix the result by kidnapping a druid along with his much-needed magic potion. The series will debut in 2023. The series will be CG-Animated.


Games

Many gamebooks, board games and video games are based upon the ''Asterix'' series. In particular, many video games were released by various computer game publishers.


Theme park

Parc Astérix Parc Astérix is a theme park in France based on the comic book series ''Asterix'' by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny. With around 2.3 million visitors yearly, Parc Astérix is France's second largest theme park, behind only Disneyland Paris wit ...
, a theme park 22 miles north of Paris, based upon the series, was opened in 1989. It is one of the most visited sites in France, with around 2.3  million visitors per year.


Influence in popular culture

*The first French satellite, which was launched in 1965, was named ''Astérix (satellite), Astérix-1'' in honour of Asterix. Asteroids 29401 Asterix and 29402 Obelix were also named in honour of the characters. Coincidentally, the word Asterix/Asterisk originates from the Greek for ''Little Star''. *During the campaign for Paris to host the 1992 Summer Olympics, Asterix appeared in many posters over the Eiffel Tower. *The French company Kraft Foods, Belin introduced a series of ''Asterix'' crisps shaped in the forms of scutum (shield), Roman shields, gourds, wild boar, and bones. * In the UK in 1995, ''Asterix'' coins were presented free in every Nutella jar. * In 1991, Asterix and Obelix appeared on the cover of ''Time (magazine), Time'' for a special edition about France, art directed by Mirko Ilić, Mirko Ilic. In a 2009 issue of the same magazine, Asterix is described as being seen by some as a symbol for France's independence and defiance of globalisation. Despite this, Asterix has made several promotional appearances for fast food chain McDonald's, including one advertisement which featured members of the village enjoying the traditional story-ending feast at a McDonald's restaurant. * Version 4.0 of the operating system OpenBSD features a parody of an Asterix story. * ''Action Comics'' Issue #579, published by DC Comics in 1986, written by Jean-Marc Lofficier, Lofficier and Illustrated by Keith Giffen, featured a homage to ''Asterix'' where Superman and Jimmy Olsen are drawn back in time to a small village of indomitable Gauls. * In 2005, the Mirror World ''Asterix'' exhibition was held in Brussels. The Belgian post office also released a set of stamps to coincide with the exhibition. A book was released to coincide with the exhibition, containing sections in French, Dutch and English. * On 29 October 2009, the Google homepage of a great number of countries displayed a Google logo, logo (called Google Doodle) commemorating 50 years of ''Asterix''. * Although they have since changed, the #2 and #3 heralds in the Society for Creative Anachronism's Kingdom of Ansteorra were the Asterisk and Obelisk Heralds. * Asterix and Obelix were the official mascots of the 2017 IIHF World Championship, 2017 Ice Hockey World Championships, jointly hosted by France and Germany. * In 2019, France issued a commemorative €2 coin to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Asterix. * The Royal Canadian Navy has a supply vessel named MV Asterix. A second Resolve-Class ship, to have been named MV Obelix, was cancelled. * Asterix, Obelix and Vitalstatistix appear in Larry Gonick's ''The Cartoon History of the Universe'' volume 2, especially in the depiction of the Gallic invasion of Italy (390 – 387 BCE). In the final panel of that sequence, as they trudge off into the sunset, Obelix says "Come on, Asterix! Let's get our own comic book."


See also

* List of ''Asterix'' characters *Bande dessinée *English translations of Asterix, English translations of ''Asterix'' *List of Asterix games, List of ''Asterix'' games *List of Asterix volumes, List of ''Asterix'' volumes *Kajko i Kokosz *Potion *Roman Gaul, after Julius Caesar's conquest of 58–51 BC that consisted of five provinces *''Commentarii de Bello Gallico''


References


Sources


''Astérix'' publications in ''Pilote''
BDoubliées

Bedetheque


Relevant literature

*Tosina Fernández, Luis J. “Creatividad paremiológica en las traducciones al castellano de Astérix”. ''Proverbium'' vol. 38, 2021, pp. 361-376
''Proverbiium'' PDF
*Tosina Fernández, Luis J. “Paremiological Creativity and Visual Representation of Proverbs: An Analysis of the Use of Proverbs in the Adventures of Asterix the Gaul”. Proceedings of the Fourteenth Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Proverbs, 2nd to 8th November 2020, at Tavira, Portugal, edited by Rui J.B. Soares and Outi Lauhakangas, Tavira: Tipografia Tavirense, 2021, pp. 256-277.


External links


Official site
at Don Markstein's Toonopedia, from the original on 6 April 2012.
''Asterix'' around the World – The many languagesAlea Jacta Est (''Asterix'' for grown-ups)
Each ''Asterix'' book is examined in detail

- Cultural allusions
The ''Asterix'' Annotations
– album-by-album explanations of all the historical references and obscure in-jokes {{Authority control Asterix, French comic strips Pilote titles Dargaud titles Alternate history comics Lagardère SCA franchises Satirical comics Comic franchises Fantasy comics Historical comics Humor comics Pirate comics 1959 comics debuts Fiction set in Roman Gaul Comics set in ancient Rome Comics set in France Brittany in fiction Comics set in the 1st century BC French comics adapted into films Comics adapted into animated films Comics adapted into animated series Comics adapted into video games 1959 establishments in France Works about rebels Works about rebellions Fiction about rebellions Gallia Lugdunensis Comics by Albert Uderzo Armorica