Asterix co-creator Albert Uderzo dies aged 92
- Reference: 1585116004
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/25/asterix_cocreator_albert_uderzo_dies/
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Uderzo and writer Renee Goscinny created Asterix in 1959, with the character first appearing in a children's magazine. Two years later the first standalone Asterix album – Asterix the Gaul – appeared. The pair went on to produce another 25 volumes together, most of them bestsellers that comfortably shifted a million copies.
After Goscinny's death in 1977, Uderzo took over writing duties, creating and illustrating six albums.
Asterix remained a cultural touchstone on his watch.
Your correspondent happened to be in France on holiday on the day 1996's Uderzo-created Asterix and Obelix All at Sea appeared. Even in the mid-sized Provençal town I visited that day, pallet-loads of the new book could be found outside tabacs – French tobacco-newsagent-convenience stores – and bookstores. I saw locals buy a copy and quickly occupy a park bench to read the latest installment in Asterix's adventures.
For the uninitiated – both of you – Asterix books were set during Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. A typical Asterix story started with the titular character at home in the bucolic village in which he lived with a bunch of oddball Gauls. The village was the only part of Gaul to mount a successful resistance to Roman occupation, thanks the local druid's magic potion that imparted temporary invulnerability and super-strength. Despite endless Roman plotting, and considerable idiocy on the part of Asterix's sidekick Obelix, Asterix was always able to quaff some potion just in time to save the day. The Gauls would end up feasting and laughing while Julius Caesar seethed.
The books worked on multiple levels. Plots rattled along with splendidly villainous and absurd enemies who made it impossible not to support team Asterix. The books would often turn into the comics equivalent of road movies as characters toured the ancient world, offering a chance for a sweet buddy comedy dynamic between the shrewd warrior Asterix and his too-carefree pal Obelix. Historical figures and incidents were gently retold with an emphasis on humor.
Uderzo's cartooning was bright and wonderfully satirical. He conveyed plenty of emotion and brilliantly supported plots – Asterix could go from tightly drawn and confident to shaggy and fatigued over the course of a book, before snapping back to crisper lines once the magic potion hit his veins.
Another feature of the books was a cast with wonderful names that worked as puns across language barriers. Asterix is an obvious pun on "Asterisk". Obelix was a giant of a man and therefore a pun on "Obelisk". Thanks to brilliant translators like the late [1]Anthea Bell , characters such as a dog named "Idéfix" – perhaps a tough concept to grasp outside France – became the more accessible but still biting "Dogmatix".
Asterix is comfortably France's premier popular literary cultural export. It's been filmed 14 times, translated into over 100 languages, turned into at least 40 video games and is the subject of a French theme park. Various sources suggest the books have sold more than 370 million copies.
More sales will flow in future. Uderzo anointed the current Asterix creative team of writer Jean-Yves Ferri and artist Didier Conrad to continue the series. And American publisher Papercutz has commissioned new translations of the Asterix back catalog designed to appeal to local readers. The [2]first volume is due in May 2020.
At the time of writing, [3]Asterix.com offers nothing but Uderzo's illustration of Asterix and Obelix in mourning, drawn after the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks, and the following tribute:
Thank you Maestro
It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Albert Uderzo, the co-creator of Asterix with René Goscinny.
For more than 60 years, Asterix has aroused in millions of readers around the world, page after page, and with each re-reading, a pleasure and a deep joy.
Already a veritable myth, the little Gaul is today part of the universal literary and artistic heritage, and will continue for a long time to carry its values of tolerance and resistance in its adventures.
Beyond the immense artist that he was, we lose an exceptional man, whom all those who had the chance to meet him cherished.
We send our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Albert Uderzo.
As does the team at The Register and, we hope, our readers too. Because Uderzo, Goscinny and Asterix illuminated either our own childhoods, or those of kids all of us will know. ®
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/16/anthea-bell-asterix-translator-interview
[2] http://papercutz.com/shop-all/asterix-omnibus-vol-1
[3] https://www.asterix.com/
Re: O tempora, o mores!
As with you, this was a spur for me to try to learn French and I even considered learning Latin to understand the throw-away quips which clearly had relevance. Sadly my desire far outstripped my abilities and I had to rely on better able people to translate for me.
Re: O tempora, o mores!
I bought Asterix in the Latin to encourage my children to learn - and it worked.
Re: O tempora, o mores!
"I shudder to think what the new American-translations of the back-catalogue will be like."
My french teacher in the UK was always adament that the english translations were funnier than the french originals, because the puns were better. Unfortunately, whilst I can struggle through the french versions, I've never been fluent enough to spot the puns in french, so I'll never know if he was right.
Incidentally, in Paris, there is a "Rue Goscinny" complete with speech bubbles from a book or two on a handful of lamp posts. I'm not aware of a Rue Uderzo though...
Re: O tempora, o mores!
I certainly contend that Asterix in Britain is funnier in the English version. Goscinny credited Anthea Bell with some better jokes according to her obituary: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/18/anthea-bell-obituary
For me the translation of Idéfix to Dogmatix is exquisite.
There's a great very translator-geeky appreciation of the English translations here: https://auntymuriel.com/2012/12/23/asterix-in-translation-the-genius-of-anthea-bell-and-derek-hockridge/
I started collecting the books when I was about 11. My father used to pinch them and my Tintin books on a regular basis. He probably read them all far more times than me.
"I'm not aware of a Rue Uderzo though..."
That's because it's extremely unusual for a street to be named after a living person. I'm sure there will be a Rue Uderzo soon.
Re: O tempora, o mores!
When I was learning French years ago, I remember one of the most satisfying moments was when I "got" a pun in an Asterix book. Even the jokes based on national stereotypes were well done, like the Britons drinking their hot water with a splash of milk (tea hadn't been 'discovered' in Europe in Roman times).
I really must get round to completing my collection.
I still have my collection from 40 years ago
And its memories still bring back a smile to my face. Thanks, Uderzo
The heroes from my childhood
My dad introduced me to Asterix when I was about eight. The gauls followed me through my childhood and stayed with me. One of the very first things I unpacked after moving to a new house three years ago was my Asterix collection (along with the Discworld and HHGTTG books obviously). And then I reread the whole collection of course.
Obelix' words often echo through my mind whenever I visit a country for the first time; "These Norwegians are crazy!".
Venit Vidit Vicit
Re: The heroes from my childhood
The discworld books are also a good example of stellar translation, in the other direction (English -> French)
English
Growing up a country with English as a second language, my introduction to the "English" language was somewhat ironically through Tintin and Asterix. Not that I understood every word at the start, and it was not until later that I began to understand the humour. We were introduced to Asterix by an uncle who used lend them to us.
Getafix
If you are travelling in France* don't forget to visit Parc Astérix in Plailly. They have some wonderful roller-coasters and IMHO the theming really captures the spirit of the books.
* When such possibilities resume.
Re: Getafix
We took the children on a long trip when they were younger (they quickly gre into Interrail), and when give the choice, Parc Astérix was a clear favourite over the faitly near Disneyworld.
Adieu Albert, et merci pour le rire. :-(
That's the lockdown comfort reading sorted.
When I was first working in London I picked up a few of them and read them on the tube, much to the chagrin of the guy I commuted with. He asked if I wouldn't mind buying a pr0n mag to hide them in as it would be less embarrassing. He was a Tintin reader, poor lad.
I have the whole collection
Book by book, I collected them over about two decades. There are a few I had to buy again, because they were worn out.
I will now read them again, with him in mind.
Re: I have the whole collection
I have almost all in Portuguese, and started an English version. My kids are all grown-up, but I am not.
resistance
The village was the only part of Gaul to mount a successful resistance to Roman occupation
Sound familiar?
Also some of the characters...
??? - Moderatrix
Getafix - Lester
Cacofonix - amanfrommars
Re: resistance
I'd suggest impedimenta or Bacteria for the 1st option
Asterix and Tintin...
The two major memories from my childhood were Asterix and Tintin, and now that's all the great authors gone.
Asterix was my introduction to comics when they became the only interesting thing in the children's section of our local library. I didn't get on to other comics 'till my late teens, and I still hold a place for the old Asterix stories. Bell did an awesome job of translating them into English, but for the comics to be translated (and survive translation) into so many other languages (including latin, I believe) they must have had something special to start with.
Always there are millions like me
When I was at school my friends and I used to compare notes on HHTTH knowing that we were a select few who understood these gems where no one else did at all. In a more private way I always felt the same about Asterix. Now, in later age it turns out every other bugger who was the tiniest bit geeky had the same interests.
When a student, the Asterix books in Spanish provided a new perspective on them.
I think that in time, Rene Goscinni, Albert Uderzo, Anthea Bell, Herge and Douglas Adams will come to be seen as the giants of mid and late twentieth century literature that they deserve to be.
Salut et merci, Albert
And I have no idea if Asterix is a big thing in the UK, but in France, you're a completely lost person if you haven't read all of them !
As for the puns, and characters, my favs. are Ordralfabetix and Agecanonix.
Cracks me up every time.
Re: Salut et merci, Albert
Personally, as a French, I had no idea that Astérix was also big outside France, until a Polish re-used a joke from "Asterix and the Goths". I was like "what, you know about Astérix?" and the other was "duh, of course"
Just behind me in my "home office" is a shelf with every Asterix book, plus a couple of duplicates in French and Latin. Still read one at random on a regular basis and still find them funny. I got a bit sniffly when I heard the news, which is very unusual for me :-(
> Historical figures
Also a certain number of characters (mostly romans) are caricatures of French and international public figures
Farewell and RIP
First read Asterix when courting the woman who became my wife in a small outback town. Immensely popular with tribal aboriginal children also. Both writers, artist and translators were brilliant to create humour accessible across time and cultures. Oz SBS occasionally run Asterix movies. One of the few things I watch these days. Ironically I found and read a copy of Caesars Gallic Wars in my favourite bookshop which survived the bushfires.
Albert and Renee, thanks for the laughs.
Asterix co-creator Albert Uderzo dies aged 92, Oh @#$$%!
!
> Asterix is an obvious pun on "Asterisk".
Sadly now brought to a full stop
Movie & Comic Marathon
I will be re-watching the movies and re-reading the books over the next few days. I especially love Depardieu as Obelix. Perfect casting.
O tempora, o mores!
I remember as a teen wanting to learn French "to read Asterix in the original".
I've been enjoying the recent efforts from Didier and Conrad much more than Uderzo's solo outings. As much as he was a genius visually, his own stories kinda jumped the shark in a manner I can only compare to late-stage Heinlein.
I shudder to think what the new American-translations of the back-catalogue will be like. Previous American reworkings found their way into Australian Sunday newspaper comics back in the day, and were completely devoid of all the cultural references and subtle humour found in the superb translations of Anthea Bell (d.2018) and Derek Hockridge (d. 2013) who sometimes made the translated versions funnier than the original. That these translators' names roll out of my memory and no others do is testament to their virtuoso efforts.