Dogmatix ( ; ) is a fictional white

terrier Terrier () is a Dog type, type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many Dog breed, breeds or landraces of the terrier Dog type, type, which are typically small, wiry, Gameness, game, and fearless. There are fi ...

dog who is a companion to Obelix in the ''

Asterix ''Asterix'' ( or , "Asterix the Gauls, Gaul"; also known as ''Asterix and Obelix'' in some adaptations or ''The Adventures of Asterix'') is a Franco-Belgian comics, French comic album book series, series about a Gaulish village which, thanks ...

'' comics. ''Dogmatix'' is a pun on the words ''

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

'' and ''

dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...

tic''. In the original French, his name is a pun on the expression '' idée fixe'' ('fixed idea'), meaning an obsession. On January 6, 2021, it was announced that the character would have his own animated television series titled ''

Dogmatix and the Indomitables 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 a pun on the expression ''Idée fixe (psycho ...

''.

Character synopsis

Dogmatix is the only animal among the main characters of the series. His role is minor and funny in most of the stories, serving mainly as a 'bone' of contention between

and Obelix as to whether he should be allowed to accompany them on their adventures. However, he is often seen doing something interesting in the background and occasionally fulfills an important part of the plot. In the words of the authors, Dogmatix is the only known "canine ecologist": he loves trees and howls in distress whenever one is damaged. Despite his small size, he is quite fearless. He has drunk the magic potion on a number of occasions, but his favourite treat is to 'chew a bone'. A dog similar to Dogmatix appeared in page 28 of Asterix & the Golden Sickle. Dogmatix first appears in '' Asterix and the Banquet''. Sitting outside a butcher's shop in

Lutetia Lutetia, ( , ; ) also known as and ( ; ; ), was a Gallo-Roman culture, Gallo–Roman town and the predecessor of modern-day Paris. Traces of an earlier Neolithic settlement () have been found nearby, and a larger settlement was established ...

, he observes Asterix and Obelix go in. He then follows them all around Gaul, appearing in nearly every panel of the remainder of the story. The two men do not notice him until the very end, when he finally attracts Obelix's attention at the closing banquet and is given a pat on the head and a bone. Goscinny's original script simply specified that a little dog sat next to the butcher's shop: it was Uderzo who came up with the idea of including the dog for the rest of the story. The dog was meant to be a one-off character (hence his leaving the village in the final picture after Obelix gives him a bone) but he was so effective it was decided to bring him back. ''

Pilote ''Pilote'' (), for a while subtitled ''the magazine of Asterix and Obelix'' (French: ''Le Journal D’Astérix et D’Obélix'' ) was a French comics magazine published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major Franco-Belgian comics, French ...

'', the magazine that published Asterix, held a contest to find a name for the dog. Hundreds of suggestions were received. The winning name, Idéfix, was submitted by Hervé Ambroise, Dominique and Anne Boucard, and Rémi Dujat. Goscinny and Uderzo found the name Idéfix appropriate because, in ''Asterix and the Banquet'', the dog's "fixed idea", and his reason for following Asterix and Obelix, had been to obtain a bone from them. In the next adventure, '' Asterix and Cleopatra'', Dogmatix is given his name and plays a more active role. Asterix and Obelix argue about whether or not Dogmatix should accompany them to Egypt, but he proves his worth by following the

Gauls The Gauls (; , ''Galátai'') were a group of Celts, Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman Gaul, Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). Th ...

into a

pyramid A pyramid () is a structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of any polygon shape, such as trian ...

in which they were lost and guiding them out safely. Like many dogs, Dogmatix is protective of his master, especially when he falls for, or is shown affection by, beautiful young women. In '' Asterix the Legionary'' he makes clear his loathing for Panacea with whom Obelix had fallen in love. He shows the same attitude to Influenza in ''

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'' maga ...

'' and Melodrama in '' Asterix and the Great Divide''. However, despite his loyalty to his master, Dogmatix has been shown to side with Asterix in arguments on various occasions, such as in '' Asterix and the Soothsayer'' and '' Obelix and Co.'' His friendship with Pepe in '' Asterix in Spain '' and '' Asterix in Corsica'' causes Obelix to become jealous. Likewise, Dogmatix is unimpressed by Obelix's attraction towards Panacea in the earlier stages of '' Asterix the Legionary'' and is hostile and growls when his master asks her to look after him while he is away. However, Panacea kisses him straightaway, putting him into a lovestruck daze. Like the other villagers, he does not like Cacofonix and his only dialogue (in a thought bubble) is in Asterix and the Magic Carpet where he comments on Cacofonix's music skills, when Cacophonix was commenting on Wazizneim. In '' Asterix and the Actress'', he finds a mate and returns with a litter of puppies.

Dogmatix books

Dogmatix's great popularity gave rise to a line of children's books in 1973 featuring his "adventures". These were in the form of text with illustrations and were not consistent with the ''Asterix'' stories. # (Dogmatix the Athlete) # (Dogmatix and the Little Girl) # (Dogmatix at the Circus) # (The Crazy Chase) # (Dogmatix Makes a Friend) # (Dogmatix and the Boar Hunt) # (Dogmatix and the Storm) # (The Well-Deserved Tea Party) # (Dogmatix and the Baby) - not translated to English # (Dogmatix and the Lost Fish) # (Dogmatix's Birthday) - not translated to English # (Dogmatix in the Snow) - not translated to English # (Dogmatix the Wizard) - not translated to English # (Dogmatix and the Parrot) # (Dogmatix goes to war) - not translated to English # (Dogmatix and the Little Rabbit) - not translated to English Although they carry the Goscinny/Uderzo byline, these are licensed works aimed at the children's market. They lack the style and sophistication of the main ''Asterix'' creative team, and have little or no editing for continuity. Although widely translated (not by the regular English translators of the ''Asterix'' comics), these comics did not become very popular and are mostly forgotten. The English editions of these works also contain many glaring mistakes. For example, the chief's wife is referred to as "Bacteria", while her usual name is Impedimenta; Bacteria is the name of Unhygenix’s wife. In 1983, an attempt was made to revive the series with two new stories. These were translated by

Derek Hockridge Derek Hockridge (1934 – 8 August 2013) was a British translator, teacher, lecturer, and occasional actor, who was perhaps best known for his translations of the '' Asterix'' comic book series. Born in Wales and brought up in Birmingham, he com ...

and

Anthea Bell Anthea Bell (10 May 1936 – 18 October 2018) was an English translator of literary works, including children's literature, from French, German and Danish language, Danish. These include ''The Castle (novel), The Castle'' by Franz Kafka, ''Aus ...

, the regular English language translators of the ''Asterix'' albums. # (Dogmatix and the Ugly Little Eagle) # (Dogmatix and the Magic Potions)

Comic albums

Idéfix et les Irréductibles (Dogmatix and the Indomitables) #Pas de quartier pour le latin ! 2021. (Show no mercy to the Romans !) #Les Romains se prennent une gamelle ! 2022 June (The Romans go to the Dogs !) # Ça balance pas mal à Lutèce ! 2022 October (Ruffin’ and Rollin’ in Lutetia) # Les irréductibles font leur cirque ! 2023 June (The Indomitables ruff things up) # Idéfix et le druide 2023 October (Dogmatix and the Druid)

References

{{Asterix, type=char Comics characters introduced in 1963 Fictional dogs Asterix characters Male characters in comics de:Figuren aus Asterix#Idefix