Asterix facts for kids
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Some of the many characters in Asterix. In the front row are the regular characters, with Asterix himself in the centre.
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| Author |
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|---|---|
| Original title | Astérix le Gaulois |
| Translator |
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| Illustrator |
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| Country | France (origin), other (for translated books) |
| Language | French (original), other 111 |
| Genre | |
| Publisher | Dargaud, Editions Albert René, Hachette for canonical volumes in French; others for non-canonical volumes (1976–1996) in French; Hodder, Hachette and others for non-canonical volumes (1976–1996) in English |
| Published | 29 October 1959 – 22 October 2010 (original period); 2009–present (revised-edition period) |
| Published in English | 1969–present (both periods) |
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a very popular series of French comics. It tells exciting stories about a small village of brave Gauls who are the only ones still fighting against the mighty Roman army in 50 BC.
Contents
About Asterix
Asterix first appeared in a French comics magazine called Pilote on October 29, 1959. It was created by René Goscinny, who wrote the stories, and Albert Uderzo, who drew the amazing pictures. After Goscinny passed away in 1977, Uderzo continued to write and draw the comics until 2009. Later, a new team, Jean-Yves Ferri (writer) and Didier Conrad (artist), took over in 2013.
The Story
The stories are set in 50 BC, in a small village in Gaul (which is now France). This village is the only place that the powerful Roman Empire has not been able to conquer. How do they do it? They have a secret weapon: a magic potion!
- The village druid, Panoramix (called Getafix in English), brews this special potion.
- Anyone who drinks it gets super strength for a short time.
- The main characters are Asterix, a clever and brave warrior, and his best friend Obelix, who is big and strong and accidentally fell into the magic potion as a baby, so he is always super strong.
- Together, Asterix and Obelix go on many adventures, often traveling to different countries. Sometimes, their adventures happen right in their own village.
You might notice that many characters in the series have names ending with "ix," like Asterix and Obelix. This ending comes from "rix," which means "king" or "chief" in the old Gaulish language. Many real Gaulish leaders, like Vercingetorix, had names ending this way.
Why Asterix is So Popular
The Asterix series is one of the most famous comics from France and Belgium. It has been translated into 111 different languages and dialects, which shows how many people around the world love it!
- Over 370 million Asterix books have been sold worldwide.
- The creators, René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, became France's best-selling authors outside of their home country.
Asterix in Movies and Games
Because the comics are so popular, the stories have been made into many other things:
- There are 13 Asterix films. Nine of these are animated cartoons, and four are live-action movies with real actors. One of the live-action films, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, was a huge hit in France.
- Many video games have been made based on the characters and their adventures.
- Near Paris, France, there is even a theme park called Parc Astérix where you can experience the world of Asterix.
- The very first French satellite, launched in 1965, was also named Astérix after the comic character.
Images for kids
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Some of the many characters in Asterix. In the front row are the regular characters, with Asterix himself in the centre.
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Évariste Vital Luminais' (1821–1896) paintings of Goths had been rather popular in France and are a possible model for the Asterix series.
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The official Netflix announcement poster
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Asterix ham and cheese-flavored potato chips
See also
In Spanish: Astérix el Galo para niños
