Asterix

Asterix is a popular French comic book series that tells stories about a small Gaulish village. The villagers are able to resist the powerful Roman Army because they have a magic potion that gives them super strength. The main characters, Asterix and his friend Obelix, have many exciting adventures together, often traveling to Rome and other places.

The series began in 1959 in a comic magazine called Pilote. It was created by René Goscinny, who wrote the stories, and Albert Uderzo, who drew the pictures. After Goscinny passed away in 1977, Uderzo continued to write and draw until 2009. In 2013, new creators took over, and as of 2025, there have been 41 books in the series. These comics have been very popular, with over 393 million copies sold around the world, making them one of the best-selling comic series ever.

Description

Asterix comics begin with the year 50 BC, when most of Gaul is ruled by the Romans. But one small village of brave Gauls still fights back. They use a magic potion made by their wise druid, Getafix, which gives them great strength for a short time. The main characters, Asterix and his friend Obelix, have many exciting adventures together.

The stories sometimes take them to faraway places and sometimes keep them close to their village. The Asterix comics are very popular and have been turned into 15 films, games, and even a theme park. The series has been translated into many languages and sold millions of copies around the world.

Publication history

Before creating the Asterix series, the creators had success with another comic called Oumpah-pah, which appeared in Tintin magazine. Asterix first appeared in Pilote magazine on 29 October 1959. The first book, Asterix the Gaul, came out in 1961. From then on, new books were released almost every year. The series became very popular quickly—the first book sold 6,000 copies, but by the fifth book, sales had grown to 300,000 copies.

The artists originally imagined Asterix as a very big, strong warrior. But they decided instead to make him clever and quick-witted, with a strong but not-so-smart friend named Obelix. After the creator Goscinny passed away in 1977, the other creator, Uderzo, continued making new Asterix books, though not as often. In later years, new artists were chosen to continue the series after Uderzo retired.

List of titles

Main article: List of Asterix volumes

Here is a list of the main books in the Asterix series, along with some special books made to honor the creators.

The main books are:

There are also some special books that are not part of the main story, like:

• Asterix Conquers Rome
• How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy
• Uderzo Croqué par ses Amis
• Astérix et ses Amis
• The Twelve Tasks of Asterix

These special books tell extra stories or celebrate the creators of Asterix.

Synopsis and characters

Main article: List of Asterix characters

The stories take place in a small village in Gaul, which is modern-day France, around the year 50 BC. Most of Gaul has been taken over by Julius Caesar and the Romans, but this village remains free. The villagers have a special magic potion made by their druid, Getafix, that gives them temporary super strength.

The main characters are Asterix, a clever warrior, and his strong but not-so-clever friend Obelix. Obelix fell into the magic potion as a baby and now has permanent super strength. They have many adventures together, traveling to places like Rome, Britain, and even faraway lands. The stories often end with a big feast where everyone celebrates together.

Humour

The humour in the Asterix comics comes from funny word games, silly pictures, and stereotypes of different European countries and French regions. The jokes in the early books were mostly for French readers, making it tricky to translate them into other languages without losing the fun. Later books use jokes that are easier for everyone to understand.

All the characters in Asterix have names that are jokes based on who they are or what they do. For example, the chief's name, Vitalstatistix, makes fun of his big size. The names change depending on the language the book is translated into, but the funny meaning stays the same. The main characters, Asterix and Obelix, keep their names almost the same in every language, except in a few places where they get new funny names.

Translations

The Asterix books have been translated into more than 120 languages and dialects. They are available in many languages such as Arabic, Chinese, English, German, Japanese, Spanish, and many more.

In Europe, some books were translated into regional languages and dialects. For example, in France, they were translated into Alsatian and Breton. In Germany, they were translated into Bavarian and Low German. Special editions exist in dialects like Mirandese in Portugal and Cretan Greek in Greece. The Italian version has the Gauls speak standard Italian while the Roman soldiers speak a Romanesque dialect.

English translation

Main article: English translations of Asterix

In the early 1960s, some Asterix stories appeared in British comics under different names like Little Fred and Big Ed, set in Roman-occupied Britain.

In 1970, three Asterix albums were published in English in the United States. The first 33 books were translated by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge, who were praised for keeping the fun and spirit of the original stories. After Hockridge passed away, Bell continued alone until she retired in 2016. Adriana Hunter then took over as translator.

In December 2019, the publisher Papercutz announced new English translations of all Asterix books, planned to start in May 2020 but delayed to July 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new translator is Joe Johnson, a professor of French and Spanish.

Adaptations

The Asterix series has been turned into many different kinds of media, including films, games, and even a theme park. There are 18 films based on the series, some animated and some live-action, as well as many board games and video games.

Films

Main article: List of Asterix films

The films include titles like Asterix the Gaul, Asterix and Cleopatra, and Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom. Some films are based directly on the comics, while others tell new stories.

Television series

There are also television shows based on Asterix. One animated series, Dogmatix and the Indomitables, started in 2021. Another animated miniseries called Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight came out on Netflix in 2025.

Games

Main article: List of Asterix games

Many games have been made from the Asterix comics, including gamebooks, board games, and video games.

Theme park

Main article: Parc Astérix

A theme park called Parc Astérix opened in 1989, about 22 miles north of Paris. It’s very popular, with millions of visitors each year.

In popular culture

The story of Asterix has been loved by many and has appeared in many places. The first French satellite, named Astérix-1, was launched in 1965 in honor of the character. Two asteroids, 29401 Asterix and 29402 Obelix, were also named after them.

Asterix has appeared in many different places, like on posters for events, special coins, and even in video games. In one game, a character looks a bit like Obelix. Asterix has been used to celebrate France in magazines and even in ads for restaurants. The story has been copied in software and comics, and there have been special shows and stamps made for Asterix. In 2009, Google made a special logo to celebrate Asterix’s 50th anniversary. Asterix and Obelix were also chosen as symbols for an ice hockey event in 2017. In 2019, France made a special coin to mark 60 years of Asterix.