“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…”
Every Asterix comic begins on this rather sedate note. But the action is fast and furious and funny. Made incredibly strong by a magic potion brewed by their clever druid, the Gauls resist the repeated attacks of Julius Caesar and his powerful Roman legions. The Gauls who make this possible are the wily warrior Asterix and his chubby friend Obelix (who does not need to drink any magic potion for strength, as he fell into a cauldron of potion as a baby).
Their efforts to protect their village take them to different parts of the ancient world, and what results is history with an interesting twist. There are 33 Asterix albums to date. Written originally in French by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo, they have been translated into more than 100 languages and dialects. A rare feat, as much of the humour depends on puns and clever word-play. There are plenty of fights, and some running gags ( the bard who finds himself gagged when he threatens to sing; Obelix begging to have a drop of magic potion; a group of pirates who end up losing their ship every time) that add to the fun.
The names of the characters often speak for themselves. Asterix and Obelix get their names from asterisk and obelisk, the typographical symbols that are used to indicate footnotes. Asterix is the ‘star’ of the adventures. Obelix is a menhir delivery-man, and menhir is a stone monolith- an obelisk. The druid is Getafix; the bard, Cacofonix; the fishmonger, Unhygienix, and the chief, Vitalstatistix.
The art-work contributes equally to the enjoyment of the books; Uderzo’s drawings of buildings and costumes are detailed and accurate. Among the people we can find some clever caricatures – Cleopatra looks rather like actress Elizabeth Taylor; a Roman spy (called Doubleosix) looks like James Bond; the bards in ‘Asterix in Britain’ look like the Beatles! The strength of Asterix and Obelix comes not just from the magic potion. It comes from the magical combination of great art, excellent narration and a wonderful sense of fun.
Trivia
- Asterix appeared for the first time on the comic page of Pilote magazine in Oct 1959. The first album was published in 1961.
- When writer Goscinny died in 1977, Uderzo continued to write the stories as well. Both are national heroes in France.
- The first French satellite launched in 1965 was called ‘Asterix-1’.
- Parc Asterix is a popular amusement park near Paris.
- Asterix Potato Chips? A French company marketed potato chips shaped like wild boars and shields.