Asterix
Astérix |
 |
Some of the many recurring and regular characters in Asterix. In the centre of the group is AsterixAsterix is a fictional character, the titular hero of the French comic book series The Adventures of Asterix.The series portrays him as a diminutive but fearless Gaulish warrior living in the time of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Asterix was created in 1959 by writer René Goscinny and illustrator...
, the eponymous hero of the series. |
| Created by: |
René GoscinnyRené Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family...
and Albert UderzoAlbert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
|
| Genre: |
Humor and satireSatire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
|
| Publisher: |
Dargaud Les Éditions Dargaud is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1943 by Georges Dargaud.Initially, Dargaud published novels for women...
(France) |
| Original publication period: |
29 October 1959 – 22 October 2010 |
| Status: |
Still running |
| Country of origin: |
France |
| Language of origin: |
French |
| Number of books published: |
34 |
| Website: |
official website |
Asterix or
The Adventures of Asterix is a
series of
FrenchFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
comic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s written by
René GoscinnyRené Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family...
and illustrated by
Albert UderzoAlbert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
(Uderzo also took over the job of writing the series after the death of Goscinny in 1977). The series first appeared in French in the magazine
Pilotethumb|Cover of the first Pilote teaser issue, #0.Pilote was a French comics periodical 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 le Gaulois, Blueberry, Achille Talon, and Valérian et...
on October 29, 1959. As of 2009, 34 comic books in the series have been released.
The series follows the exploits of a village of indomitable
GaulGaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
s as they resist
RomanThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
occupation. They do so by means of a magic potion, brewed by their
druidA druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
, which gives the recipient superhuman strength. The protagonist, the titular character
AsterixAsterix is a fictional character, the titular hero of the French comic book series The Adventures of Asterix.The series portrays him as a diminutive but fearless Gaulish warrior living in the time of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Asterix was created in 1959 by writer René Goscinny and illustrator...
, along with his friend
ObelixObelix is a fictional character from 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 fatness, the menhirs he carries around on his back and his superhuman strength...
have various adventures. The "ix" suffix of both names echoes the name of
VercingetorixVercingetorix was the chieftain of the Arverni tribe, who united the Gauls in an ultimately unsuccessful revolt against Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars....
, a historical Gaul chieftain. In many cases, the stories have them travel to various countries around the world, though other books 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 comicsFranco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
in the world, with the series being translated into over 100 languages, and it is popular in most
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries. Asterix is less well known in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The success of the series has led to the adaptation of several books into 13 films: eight animated, and five with live actors. There have also been a number of
games based on the characters, and a theme park near Paris,
Parc AstérixParc Astérix is a theme amusement park in France, based on the stories of Asterix . Situated approximately north of Paris and from Disneyland Resort Paris, in Plailly in the département of Oise, it opened in 1989...
, is themed around the series. To date, 325 million copies of 34 Asterix books have been sold worldwide, making co-creators René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo France's bestselling authors abroad.
History
Prior to creating the Asterix series, Goscinny and Uderzo had previously had success with their series
Oumpah-pahOumpah-pah le Peau-Rouge is a comics series created by comics artist Albert Uderzo and comics author René Goscinny, best known as the creators of Asterix the Gaul. The series first appeared in the weekly Journal de Tintin in 1958 though it remained serialised for a relatively short time...
, which was published in the
TintinLe journal de Tintin or Kuifje , was a weekly Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century...
magazine.
Astérix was originally serialised in the magazine
Pilotethumb|Cover of the first Pilote teaser issue, #0.Pilote was a French comics periodical 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 le Gaulois, Blueberry, Achille Talon, and Valérian et...
, in the very first issue published on 29 October 1959. In 1961 the first book was put together entitled
Asterix the GaulAsterix the Gaul is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo .-Plot summary:...
. From then on, books were released generally on a yearly basis.
Uderzo's first sketches portrayed Asterix as a huge and strong traditional Gaulish warrior. But Goscinny had a different picture in his mind. He visualized Asterix as a shrewd small sized warrior who would prefer intelligence over strength. However, Uderzo felt that the small sized 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 Pilote ceased. Pilote was taken over by
Georges DargaudLes Éditions Dargaud is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1943 by Georges Dargaud.Initially, Dargaud published novels for women...
.
When Goscinny died, Uderzo continued the series alone on the demand of the readers who implored him to continue. He continued the series but on a less frequent basis. Most critics and fans of the series prefer Goscinny's albums. Uderzo created his own publishing company, Les Editions Albert-René, which published every album drawn and written by Uderzo alone since then. However,
DargaudLes Éditions Dargaud is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1943 by Georges Dargaud.Initially, Dargaud published novels for women...
, 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%).
Although Uderzo declared he did not want anyone to continue the series after his death, which is similar to the request
HergéGeorges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
made regarding his
The Adventures of TintinThe Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
, his attitude changed and in December 2008 he sold his stake to Hachette, which took over the company and now own the rights. This has provoked a family row.
In a letter published in the French newspaper
Le MondeLe Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, Uderzo's daughter, Sylvie, has attacked her father's decision for selling the family publishing firm and the rights to produce new
Astérix adventures after his death. She is reported as saying "...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”. Anne Goscinny also gave her agreement to the continuation of the series and sold her rights at the same time. A few months later, Uderzo appointed three illustrators, who had been his assistants for many years, to continue the series.
List of titles
Numbers 1 - 24, 32 and 34 are by both Goscinny and Uderzo. Numbers 25 - 31 and 33 are solely the work of Uderzo. Years stated are for their initial release.
- 1. Asterix the Gaul
Asterix the Gaul is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo .-Plot summary:...
(1961)
- 2. Asterix and the Golden Sickle
Asterix and the Golden Sickle is the second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first serialized in Pilote issues 42-74 in 1960.-Plot summary:...
(1962)
- 3. Asterix and the Goths
Asterix and the Goths is the third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first published in 1963 in French and translated into English in 1974.-Plot summary:...
(1963)
- 4. Asterix the Gladiator
Asterix the Gladiator is the fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first serialized in the magazine Pilote, issues 126-168, in 1962.-Plot summary:...
(1964)
- 5. Asterix and the Banquet
Asterix and the Banquet is the fifth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first serialized in the magazine Pilote, issues 172-213, in 1963.-Plot:...
(1965)
- 6. Asterix and Cleopatra
Asterix and Cleopatra is the sixth book in the Asterix comic book series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 215-257, in 1963.-Synopsis:...
(1965)
- 7. 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 and it was first published in serial form in Pilote magazines, issues 261-302, in 1964...
(1966)
- 8. Asterix in Britain
Asterix in Britain is the eighth in the Asterix comic book series. It was published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 307-334, in 1965, and in album form in 1966...
(1966)
- 9. 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...
(1966)
- 10. 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:...
(1967)
- 11. Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield
Asterix and the Chieftain's 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 1967.The book is inspired by the battle of Alesia, where the Gaulish warrior chief...
(1968)
- 12. 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 , it was translated into English in 1972...
(1968)
- 13. Asterix and the Cauldron
Asterix and the Cauldron is the thirteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo...
(1969)
- 14. Asterix in Spain
Asterix in Spain is the fourteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was originally serialized in the megazine Pilote, issues 498-519, in 1969, and translated into English in 1971...
(1969)
- 15. Asterix and the Roman Agent
Asterix and the Roman Agent is the fifteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo...
(1970)
- 16. Asterix in Switzerland
Asterix in Switzerland is the sixteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo...
(1970)
- 17. The Mansions of the Gods
The Mansions of the Gods is the seventeenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo...
(1971)
- 18. Asterix and the Laurel Wreath
Asterix and the Laurel Wreath is the eighteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was originally serialized in the magazine Pilote, issues 621-642, in 1971 and translated in to English in 1974.-Plot summary:The story begins in Rome where Asterix and...
(1972)
- 19. Asterix and the Soothsayer
Asterix and the Soothsayer is the nineteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 652-673 in 1972.-Plot summary:...
(1972)
- 20. Asterix in Corsica
Asterix in Corsica is the twentieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 687-708 in 1973...
(1973)
- 21. Asterix and Caesar's Gift
Asterix and Caesar's Gift is the twenty-first volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was the first Asterix adventure that was not published in serial form in Pilote prior to its publication as a book.-The gift of Caesar:The story begins c...
(1974)
- 22. Asterix and the Great Crossing
Asterix and the Great Crossing is the twenty-second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo .-Plot summary:...
(1975) Asterix Conquers RomeAsterix Conquers Rome first published in 1976, was the comic book adaptation of the animated Asterix film The Twelve Tasks of Asterix and "unofficially" the twenty-third Asterix volume to be published. It has very rarely been printed and is not widely known even amongst Asterix fans...
(1976)
- 23. Obelix and Co.
Obelix and Co. is the twenty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . The book's main focus is on the attempts by the Gaul-occupying Romans to corrupt the one remaining village that still holds out against them by instilling capitalism.-Plot...
(1976)
- 24. Asterix in Belgium
Asterix in Belgium is the twenty-fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo .It is noted as the last Asterix story Goscinny worked on...
(1979)
- 25. Asterix and the Great Divide
Asterix and the Great Divide is the twenty-fifth volume of the Asterix comic book series. It was first published in 1980.-Plot summary:In a village similar to Asterix's, two rival chiefs, Cleverdix and Majestix, have been elected...
(1980)
- 26. Asterix and the Black Gold
Asterix and the Black Gold is the twenty-sixth volume of Asterix comic book series, originally published in 1981. It is the second book to be published after the death of René Goscinny and is thus both written and drawn by Albert Uderzo.The book describes Asterix's and Obelix's voyage to the...
(1981)
- 27. Asterix and Son
Asterix and Son is the twenty-seventh volume of the Asterix comic book series, created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo .-Plot summary:A baby boy inexplicably appears at the porch of Asterix's house one morning...
(1983)
- 28. Asterix and the Magic Carpet
Asterix and the Magic Carpet is the twenty-eighth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first published in 1987...
(1987) How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little BoyHow Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy is an Asterix story written by René Goscinny and originally published in the French magazine Pilote issue 291 , with only a few drawings...
(1989)
- 29. 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 male-female relationships and military secrets.-Plot summary:...
(1991)
- 30. Asterix and Obelix All at Sea
Asterix and Obelix All at Sea is the thirtieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by Albert Uderzo. The album was dedicated to Uderzo's grandchild, as well as American actor Kirk Douglas.-Plot summary:...
(1996)
- 31. Asterix and the Actress
Asterix and the Actress is the 31st volume of the Asterix comic book series, written and illustrated by Albert Uderzo.-Plot summary:For Asterix and Obelix' birthday party, their parents have decided to come from Condatum...
(2001)
- 32. Asterix and the Class Act
Asterix and the Class Act is officially the thirty-second album of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo , published in 2003. Unlike the other Asterix books it is a compilation of short stories, rather than one long story...
(2003)
- 33. Asterix and the Falling Sky
Asterix and the Falling Sky is the thirty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by Albert Uderzo . It was released on October 14, 2005....
(2005)
- 34. Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book
Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book is the thirty-fourth episode of the Asterix comic book series, designed and written by Albert Uderzo. The usage of previous Asterix stories led to co-creator Late René Goscinny also being credited...
(2009)
Asterix Conquers RomeAsterix Conquers Rome first published in 1976, was the comic book adaptation of the animated Asterix film The Twelve Tasks of Asterix and "unofficially" the twenty-third Asterix volume to be published. It has very rarely been printed and is not widely known even amongst Asterix fans...
is a comic book adaptation of the animated film
The Twelve Tasks of AsterixThe Twelve Tasks of Asterix is an animated feature film based on the Asterix comic book series. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the creators of the series, wrote the story and directed the film themselves; with co-direction by Pierre Watrin and the screenplay co-written by Pierre Tchernia, a...
. It was released in 1976, making it technically the 23rd
Asterix volume to be published. But it has been rarely reprinted and is not considered to be
canonicalIn the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
to the series. The only English translation ever to be published were in the
Asterix Annual 1980 and as a standalone volume in 1984.
In 2007, Les Editions Albert René released a tribute volume titled
Astérix et ses AmisAstérix et ses amis is a tribute volume published in 2007 by Les Editions Albert René. The full original title is Astérix et ses Amis - Hommage à Albert Uderzo. It was released to pay tribute to Albert Uderzo, for his 80th birthday...
, a 60 pages comic book made up of various short stories (from one to four pages). It was a tribute to Albert Uderzo on the occasion of his 80th birthday by 34 renowned European comics artists. The volume was translated into nine languages, but has not yet been translated into English.
Synopsis and characters
The main setting for the series is an unnamed coastal village in
ArmoricaArmorica or Aremorica is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul that includes the Brittany peninsula and the territory between the Seine and Loire rivers, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic coast...
, a province of
GaulGaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
(modern
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), in the year 50 BC.
Julius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
has conquered nearly all of Gaul for the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The little Armorican village, however, has held out because the villagers can gain temporary superhuman strength by drinking a magic potion brewed by the local village
druidA druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
, Getafix.
The main protagonist and hero of the village is
AsterixAsterix is a fictional character, the titular hero of the French comic book series The Adventures of Asterix.The series portrays him as a diminutive but fearless Gaulish warrior living in the time of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Asterix was created in 1959 by writer René Goscinny and illustrator...
, 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 fat and unintelligent friend,
ObelixObelix is a fictional character from 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 fatness, the menhirs he carries around on his back and his superhuman strength...
, who, because he fell into the druid's cauldron of the potion as a baby, has permanent superhuman strength. Obelix is usually accompanied by
DogmatixDogmatix is a fictional character, a tiny white dog who belongs 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 fixe meaning an obsession...
, 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 "Dogmatix" in English, but "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 (
LutetiaLutetia was a town in pre-Roman and Roman Gaul. The Gallo-Roman city was a forerunner of the re-established Merovingian town that is the ancestor of present-day Paris...
,
CorsicaCorsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
etc.), neighbouring nations (
BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
,
BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
etc.), and far away lands (
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
,
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
,
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
etc.).
The series employs science-fiction and
fantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
elements in the more recent books; for instance, the use of extraterrestrials in
Asterix and the Falling SkyAsterix and the Falling Sky is the thirty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by Albert Uderzo . It was released on October 14, 2005....
and the city of
AtlantisAtlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
in
Asterix and Obelix All at SeaAsterix and Obelix All at Sea is the thirtieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by Albert Uderzo. The album was dedicated to Uderzo's grandchild, as well as American actor Kirk Douglas.-Plot summary:...
.
Humour
The humour encountered in the
Asterix comics is typically French, often centering on puns, caricatures, and
tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
stereotypeA stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s of contemporary European nations and French regions. 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
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
translation, the Roman legionnaires are made to speak in 20th century Roman dialect and Obelix's famous "
Ils sont fous ces romains" ("These Romans are crazy") is translated as "Sono pazzi questi romani", alluding to the Roman abbreviation
SPQRSPQR is an initialism from a Latin phrase, Senatus Populusque Romanus , referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic, and used as an official emblem of the modern day comune of Rome...
. In another example: Hiccups are written
onomatopoeically in French as "hips," but in English as "hic," allowing Roman legionnaries in at least one of the English translations to
declineIn linguistics, declension is the inflection of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and articles to indicate number , case , and gender...
their hiccups in Latin ("hic, haec, hoc"). The newer albums share a more universal humour, both written and visual.
In spite of (or perhaps because of) this stereotyping, and notwithstanding some alleged streaks of French
chauvinismChauvinism, in its original and primary meaning, is an exaggerated, bellicose patriotism and a belief in national superiority and glory. It is an eponym of a possibly fictional French soldier Nicolas Chauvin who was credited with many superhuman feats in the Napoleonic wars.By extension it has come...
, the humour has been very well received by European and Francophone cultures around the world.
Translations
The 34 books or albums (one of which is a compendium of short stories) in the series have been translated into more than 100 languages and dialects. Besides the original
FrenchFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, most albums are available in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
,
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
,
CzechCzech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
,
DutchDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
,
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
,
GalicianGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
,
DanishDanish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
,
IcelandicIcelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
,
NorwegianNorwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
,
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
,
FinnishFinnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
,
SpanishSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
,
CatalanCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
,
BasqueBasque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
,
PortuguesePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
(and
Brazilian PortugueseBrazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
),
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
,
modern GreekGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
,
HungarianHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
,
PolishPolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
,
RomanianRomanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
,
TurkishTurkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, Slovene,
BulgarianBulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
,
SerbianSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
,
CroatianCroatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
,
LatvianLatvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
, and
WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, as well as
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
.
Some albums have also been translated into languages as diverse as
Esperantois the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
, Scots Gaelic,
IndonesianIndonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
,
PersianPersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Mandarin,
KoreanKorean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
,
Japaneseis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
,
BengaliBengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Afrikaans,
ArabicArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
,
HindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
,
HebrewHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
,
FrisianWest Frisian is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian,...
, Romansch,
VietnameseVietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, and Sinhala (Singhalese) and
Ancient GreekAttic Greek is the prestige dialect of Ancient Greek that was spoken in Attica, which includes Athens. Of the ancient dialects, it is the most similar to later Greek, and is the standard form of the language studied in courses of "Ancient Greek". It is sometimes included in Ionic.- Origin and range...
.
In France,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and especially in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, several volumes were translated into a variety of regional
languageLanguage may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s and
dialectThe term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s, such as
AlsatianAlsatian is a Low Alemannic German dialect spoken in most of Alsace, a region in eastern France which has passed between French and German control many times.-Language family:...
,
BretonBreton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
, Chtimi (
PicardPicard is a language closely related to French, and as such is one of the larger group of Romance languages. It is spoken in two regions in the far north of France – Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy – and in parts of the Belgian region of Wallonia, the district of Tournai and a part of...
) and
CorsicanCorsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was...
in France, Bavarian,
SwabianSwabian is one of the Alemannic dialects of High German. It is spoken in Swabia, a region which covers much of Germany's southwestern state Baden-Württemberg, including its capital Stuttgart, the rural area known as the Swabian Alb, and Bavaria...
and
Low GermanLow German or Low Saxon is an Ingvaeonic West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands...
in Germany,
KashubianKashubian or Cassubian is one of the Lechitic languages, a subgroup of the Slavic languages....
and Silesian in Poland, and Savo,
KareliaKarelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
,
RaumaRauma is a town and municipality of ca. inhabitants on the west coast of Finland, north of Turku, and south of Pori. Granted town privileges on May 17, 1442 , Rauma is known of its high quality lace , and of the old wooden architecture of its centre , which is a Unesco world heritage...
and
Helsinki slangHelsinki slang or stadin slangi is a local dialect and a sociolect of the Finnish language mainly used in the capital Helsinki...
dialects in Finland. Also, in Portugal, a special edition of the first volume,
Asterix the GaulAsterix the Gaul is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo .-Plot summary:...
, was translated into local language Mirandese. In Greece, a number of volumes have appeared in the
Cretan GreekCretan Greek is a dialect of the Greek language, spoken by more than half a million people in Crete and many thousands in the diaspora....
,
Cypriot GreekThe Cypriot dialect of Modern Greek, known as Kypriaka , Cypriot Greek is spoken by 750,000 people in Cyprus and diaspora Greek Cypriots.Cypriot Greek is distinct enough that it can be classified as a distinct dialect of the Standard Greek....
and Pontic Greek dialects. In the Italian version, while the Gauls speak standard Italian, the legionaries speak in the
RomanesqueRomanesco or Romanesque is a regional language or sociolect subsumed within the Italian language spoken in Rome. It is part of the Central Italian dialects and is thus genetically closer to the Tuscan dialect and Standard Italian....
dialect. In former Yugoslavia, "Forum" publishing house translated Corsican in "
Asterix in CorsicaAsterix in Corsica is the twentieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 687-708 in 1973...
" into Montenegrin dialect of
Serbo-CroatianSerbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
(today called
Montenegrin languageMontenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro...
).
In the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
several volumes were translated into
FrisianWest Frisian is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian,...
, a language related to
Old EnglishOld English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
spoken in the province of
FrieslandFriesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
. Also in the Netherlands two volumes were translated into
LimburgishLimburgish, also called Limburgian or Limburgic is a group of East Low Franconian language varieties spoken in the Limburg and Rhineland regions, near the common Dutch / Belgian / German border...
, a regional language spoken not only in
Dutch LimburgLimburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
but also in
Belgian LimburgLimburg is the easternmost province of modern Flanders, which is one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern Belgium. It is located west of the river Meuse . It borders on the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Belgian provinces of Liège, Flemish Brabant...
and
North Rhine-Westphalia, GermanyNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
.
HungarianHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
-language books have been issued in
YugoslaviaThe Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
for the Hungarian minority living in
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. Although not a fully autonomic dialect, it slightly differs from the language of the books issued in
HungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. In Sri Lanka, the cartoon series was adapted into Sinhala (
Singhalese) as Sura Pappa, the only Sri Lankan translation of a foreign cartoon that managed to keep the spirit of the original series intact.
Most volumes have been translated into
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and
Ancient GreekAttic Greek is the prestige dialect of Ancient Greek that was spoken in Attica, which includes Athens. Of the ancient dialects, it is the most similar to later Greek, and is the standard form of the language studied in courses of "Ancient Greek". It is sometimes included in Ionic.- Origin and range...
with accompanying teachers' guides as a way of teaching these ancient languages.
English translation
The translation of the books into English has been done by
Derek HockridgeDerek Hockridge was born in 1934 in Wales and brought up in Birmingham. His degree at the University of Wales, Cardiff, was followed by teacher training at St Edmund Hall, Oxford...
and
Anthea BellAnthea Bell OBE is a British translator who has translated numerous literary works, especially children's literature, from French, German, Danish and Polish to English...
.
Films
Various motion pictures based upon the series have been made.
- Two Romans in Gaul, 1967, live-action, in which Asterix and Obelix appear in a cameo.
- Asterix the Gaul
Asterix the Gaul is a 1967 Belgian/French animated film, based on the comic book of the same name, which was the first book in the highly popular comic series Asterix by Goscinny and Uderzo. The film sticks to the book's plot very closely....
, 1967, animated, based on the book Asterix the GaulAsterix the Gaul is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo .-Plot summary:...
.
- Asterix and the Golden Sickle, 1967, animated, based upon the comic book Asterix and the Golden Sickle
Asterix and the Golden Sickle is the second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first serialized in Pilote issues 42-74 in 1960.-Plot summary:...
, incomplete and never released.
- Asterix and Cleopatra
Asterix and Cleopatra is a Belgian/French animated film released in 1968; it is the second Asterix adventure to be made into a feature film...
, 1968, animated, based on the book Asterix and CleopatraAsterix and Cleopatra is the sixth book in the Asterix comic book series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 215-257, in 1963.-Synopsis:...
.
- The Dogmatix Movie, 1973, animated, a unique story based on Dogmatix and his animal friends, Albert Uderzo created a comic version of the never release movie in 2003.
- The Twelve Tasks of Asterix
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix is an animated feature film based on the Asterix comic book series. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the creators of the series, wrote the story and directed the film themselves; with co-direction by Pierre Watrin and the screenplay co-written by Pierre Tchernia, a...
, 1976, animated, a unique story not based on an existing comic.
- Asterix Versus Caesar
Asterix Versus Caesar is the first of the 1980s Asterix films and the fourth film adaption based on the Asterix comic books...
, 1985, animated, based on both Asterix the LegionaryAsterix 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:...
and Asterix the GladiatorAsterix the Gladiator is the fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first serialized in the magazine Pilote, issues 126-168, in 1962.-Plot summary:...
.
- Asterix in Britain
Asterix in Britain is an animated film released in 1986; the fifth Asterix feature film, and the last from Dargaud Films. It is based on the book of the same name...
, 1986, animated, based upon the book Asterix in BritainAsterix in Britain is the eighth in the Asterix comic book series. It was published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 307-334, in 1965, and in album form in 1966...
.
- Asterix and the Big Fight
Asterix and the Big Fight is a 1989 animated movie directed by Philippe Grimond as a French-German co-production which was produced by Yannick Piel as Astérix et le coup du menhir. It is based on the Asterix comic book series. The movie has a different plot from the book of the same name...
, 1989, animated, based on both Asterix and the Big FightAsterix 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 and it was first published in serial form in Pilote magazines, issues 261-302, in 1964...
and Asterix and the SoothsayerAsterix and the Soothsayer is the nineteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 652-673 in 1972.-Plot summary:...
.
- Asterix Conquers America
Asterix Conquers America is a 1994 animated movie directed by Gerhard Hahn. It was produced in Germany as Asterix in Amerika by Gerhard Hahn and Jürgen Wohlrabe, and is the first Asterix film produced outside of France...
, 1994, animated, loosely based upon the comic Asterix and the Great CrossingAsterix and the Great Crossing is the twenty-second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo .-Plot summary:...
.
- Asterix and Obelix take on Caesar, 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 and Albert Uderzo .-Plot summary:...
, Asterix and the SoothsayerAsterix and the Soothsayer is the nineteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 652-673 in 1972.-Plot summary:...
, Asterix and the GothsAsterix and the Goths is the third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first published in 1963 in French and translated into English in 1974.-Plot summary:...
, Asterix the LegionaryAsterix 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:...
, and Asterix the GladiatorAsterix the Gladiator is the fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first serialized in the magazine Pilote, issues 126-168, in 1962.-Plot summary:...
.
- Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, 2002, live-action, based upon the comic book Asterix and Cleopatra
Asterix and Cleopatra is the sixth book in the Asterix comic book series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 215-257, in 1963.-Synopsis:...
.
- Asterix and Obelix in Spain, 2004, live-action, based upon the comic book Asterix in Spain
Asterix in Spain is the fourteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was originally serialized in the megazine Pilote, issues 498-519, in 1969, and translated into English in 1971...
, incomplete and never released because Asterix and the Vikings was in production as the first Asterix cartoon since Asterix conquers Amerika.
- Asterix and the Vikings
Asterix and the Vikings is an animated feature film, produced in France and Denmark, and directed by Stefan Fjeldmark and Jesper Møller. The story was adapted from the graphic novel Asterix and the Normans, which was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo...
, 2006, animated, loosely based upon the comic book Asterix and the NormansAsterix 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...
.
- Asterix at the Olympic Games
Asterix at the Olympic Games is a French film, adapted from René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's Astérix comic series. It was filmed essentially in Spain in the course of the year 2006. Its €78 million budget makes it one of the most expensive European movies ever...
, 2008, live-action, loosely based upon the comic book Asterix at the Olympic GamesAsterix at the Olympic Games is the 12th comic book album in the Asterix series. Serialized in Pilote issues 434-455 in 1968 , it was translated into English in 1972...
.
- Asterix & Obelix: On Her Majesty's Service, 2012, live-action, based upon the book Asterix in Britain
Asterix in Britain is the eighth in the Asterix comic book series. It was published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 307-334, in 1965, and in album form in 1966...
and will be first Asterix movie in stereoscopy 3D
- Asterix: The Land of Gods, 2014 (latest), animated, loosely based upon the comic book The Mansions of the Gods
The Mansions of the Gods is the seventeenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo...
and will be the first animated Asterix movie in stereoscopy 3D.
Principal cast and characters
| Characters |
Film |
Barney Entertainment Ltd. |
| Asterix & Obelix take on Caesar |
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, originally titled Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, is a 2002 French-German film based on the comic book Astérix et Cléopatre by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and a sequel for the 1999 movie Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar. It was the most expensive French...
|
Astérix at the Olympic GamesAsterix at the Olympic Games is a French film, adapted from René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's Astérix comic series. It was filmed essentially in Spain in the course of the year 2006. Its €78 million budget makes it one of the most expensive European movies ever...
|
| Asterix |
Christian ClavierChristian Clavier is a French actor. He is the brother of French film director Stéphane Clavier.-Biography:After his high class studies at the Neuilly Lycée Pasteur—though asserted here and there, he never studied at Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris —he started his acting career with the...
|
Clovis Cornillac Clovis Cornillac is a French theater, television and cinema actor.- Biography :Clovis Cornillac was born to actors Myriam Boyer and Roger Cornillac. He started studying theatre at the age of 14....
|
Craig Charles Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
|
| Obelix |
Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor...
|
Bernard Bresslaw, Howard Lew Lewis, Brad Garrett |
| Getafix |
Claude Piéplu Claude Léon Auguste Piéplu was a French film and television actor.-Filmography:*Shadoks et le Big Blank, Les *Astérix et Obélix contre César *Chapeau bas...
|
Claude Rich Claude Rich is a French actor. He began his career as a theater actor, before his film debut in 1955 with René Clair, Les Grandes Manoeuvres.He married the actress Catherine Renaudin on 26 June 1959...
|
Jean-Pierre Cassel Jean-Pierre Cassel was a French actor.-Life and career:Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite , an opera singer, and Georges Crochon, a doctor. Cassel was discovered by Gene Kelly as he tap danced on stage, and later cast in the 1957 film The Happy Road...
|
| Troubadix |
Pierre Palmade Pierre Palmade is a French actor and comedian.-Biography:He has done dubbing for the films, Pédale douce and Pédale dure...
|
|
Franck Dubosc |
Andrew SachsAndrew Sachs is a German-born British actor. He made his name on British television and is best known for his portrayals of Manuel in Fawlty Towers, a role for which he was BAFTA-nominated, and Ramsay Clegg in Coronation Street.-Early life:Sachs was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Katharina , a...
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| Majestix |
Michel Galabru Michel Louis Edmond Galabru is a French actor born on 27 October 1922 in Safi, Morocco.-Career:Over the course of his career, Galabru appeared in over 200 movies and worked with such renowned directors as Bertrand Blier, Costa-Gavras, Luc Besson , and Jean-Luc Godard...
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Éric Thomas Eric Jackson Thomas, born 24 March 1953 in Hartlepool, County Durham, is an academic who has been Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol since 2001. He was chair of the Worldwide Universities Network from 2003 - 2007...
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| Methusalix |
Sim Sim was a French humorist, writer and comedian.Born as Simon Jacques Eugène Berryer, he was part of the team of Les Grosses Têtes, a humoristic program on radio and TV...
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Sim Sim was a French humorist, writer and comedian.Born as Simon Jacques Eugène Berryer, he was part of the team of Les Grosses Têtes, a humoristic program on radio and TV...
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| Falbala |
Laetitia Casta Laetitia Marie Laure Casta is a French model and actress.-Early life:Laetitia Casta was born in Pont-Audemer, Normandy, France. Her mother, Line Blin, is from Normandy. Her father, Dominique Casta, is from Corsica. She has an older brother, Jean-Baptiste, and a younger sister, Marie-Ange...
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| Julius Caesar |
Gottfried John-Life and work:During the 1970s and early 1980s, Gottfried John played various roles in films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, notably that of Reinhold in the epic Berlin Alexanderplatz . He is internationally known for his portrayals of General Ourumov in the James Bond film GoldenEye and Julius...
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Alain ChabatAlain Chabat is a French actor and director who appeared in La Cité de la peur, French Twist, The Taste of Others and The Science of Sleep.- Life and career :Chabat was born in Oran, French Algeria. He is Jewish....
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Alain DelonAlain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared to French actors such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot...
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Didier Cauchy |
Victor Loukianenko |
Benoît Poelvoorde Benoît Poelvoorde is a Belgian actor and comedian who often associates cynicism, humour and drama in his movies.His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still young...
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| Tullius Destructivus |
Roberto BenigniRoberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...
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Joe Askeley |
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Jamel Debbouze Jamel Debbouze is an actor, comedian and producer of Moroccan descent.-Biography:Debbouze is the oldest of five brothers. He was born in Paris, France, but his family moved to Morocco the following year...
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| Cleopatra |
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Monica BellucciMonica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
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| Pyradonis |
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Gérard Darmon Gérard Darmon is a French movie actor and singer.Second husband to Mathilda May.He has three children: Virginie and the last two by Mathilda May, daughter Sarah and son Jules...
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| Alafolix |
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Stéphane Rousseau Stéphane Rousseau is a Québécois actor and comedian. He starred in the Academy Award winning film The Barbarian Invasions . He has also been in Asterix at the Olympic Games...
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Vanessa Hessler |
Games
Many
gamebookA gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
s, boardgames and video games are based upon the Asterix series. In particular, many video games were released by various computer game publishers.
Theme park
Parc AsterixParc Astérix is a theme amusement park in France, based on the stories of Asterix . Situated approximately north of Paris and from Disneyland Resort Paris, in Plailly in the département of Oise, it opened in 1989...
, a theme park 22 miles north of
ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, based upon the series, was opened in 1989. It is one of the most visited sites in France, with around 1.6 million visitors per year.
Influence in popular culture
- The first French
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
satellite, which was launched in 1965, was named Astérix-1Astérix, the first French satellite, was launched on November 26, 1965 by a rocket of type Diamant A from Hammaguir in Algeria. It was originally designated A-1, as the French Army's first satellite, but later renamed after the popular French cartoon character Astérix...
in honour of Asterix. Asteroid 29401 Asterix29401 Asterix is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 1, 1996 by M. Tichy and Z. Moravec at Klet. It is named after the French comic character Asterix.- External links :*...
was also named in honor of the character. Coincidentally, the word Asterix/Asterisk originates from the Greek for Little Star.
- During the campaign for Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to host the 1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
Asterix appeared in many posters over the Eiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
.
- The French company Belin
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
introduced a series of "Asterix" potato chips shaped in the forms of Roman shieldsScutum is the Latin word for "shield", although it has in modern times come to be specifically associated with the rectangular, semi-cylindrical body shield carried by Roman legionaries.-History:...
, gourdA gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
s, wild boar, and boneBones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
s.
- In the UK in 1995, Asterix coins were presented free in every Nutella
Nutella is the brand name of a chocolate spread. Nutella, manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero, was introduced on the market in 1963. The recipe was developed from an earlier Ferrero spread released in 1944. Nutella is now sold in over 75 countries....
jar.
- Asterix and Obelix appeared on the cover of Time Magazine for a special edition about France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. 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
OpenBSD is a Unix-like computer operating system descended from Berkeley Software Distribution , a Unix derivative developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It was forked from NetBSD by project leader Theo de Raadt in late 1995...
features a parody of an Asterix story.
- Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
Number 579, published by DC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
in 1986, written by LofficierJean-Marc Lofficier is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comic books and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier .-Biography:Jean-Marc Lofficier was born in Toulon, France in 1954...
and Illustrated by Keith GiffenKeith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
, featured an homage to Asterix where SupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Jimmy OlsenJimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
are drawn back in time to a small village of indomitable Gauls.
- Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
is delighted at the sight of a rack with TintinThe Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
and Asterix comics in a comic book store, depicted in The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Husbands and Knives"Husbands and Knives" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season, and was first broadcast on November 18, 2007. It features guest appearances from Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman and Dan Clowes as themselves as well as Jack Black as Milo. It was written by Matt Selman and directed by Nancy...
".
- In the episode "Goodnight Mr. Bean", Mr. Bean and Teddy are reading an Asterix comic book.
- Obelix is referenced in The King Blues
The King Blues are a punk band from London, England, credited for fusing ska and folk together with influences from punk rock and hardcore punk. Tariq Ali described the band's sounds as 'rough, radical music that should unsettle the rulers of this country. A new generation of musicians are...
' 2008 single "My Boulder". The song features the lyrics, "If I'm Obelix, you are my boulder".
- On 29 October 2009, the Google homepage of a great number of countries displayed a logo commemorating 50 years of Asterix.
See also
- Bande dessinée
- English translations of Asterix
All Asterix stories by Goscinny and Uderzo which have been officially translated into English were translated by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge. Their first volume was published by Brockhampton Press in 1969. However there have been some additional translations, one in English prior to the...
- List of Asterix games
- List of Asterix volumes
- Kajko i Kokosz
Kajko i Kokosz is a notable comic book series by Janusz Christa, published in Poland between 1970's and 1980s. It is based around a story of two Slavic warriors named Kajko and Kokosz, loosely resembling both Asterix and Obelix, as well as two personalities from Christa's earlier series on Kajtek...
- Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Roman control of the area lasted for less than 500 years....
, after Julius Caesar's conquest of 58–51 BC that consisted of five provinces
Sources
External links