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Albert Uderzo

From Alfawiki
Albert Uderzo
Born
Alberto Aleandro Uderzo

(1927-04-25) 25 April 1927 (age 99)
Fismes, France
Died24 March 2020(2020-03-24) (aged 92)
Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Occupation(s)Comic book artist, writer
Years active1951–2011
Known forCo-creating and illustrating the Astérix series
Notable workAstérix, Oumpah-pah

Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), widely recognized as Albert Uderzo, was a French artist and writer in the comic book industry, most famously known for co-creating and illustrating the Astérix series with René Goscinny. His artistic contributions also include works like Oumpah-pah. Uderzo stepped back from his professional career in September 2011.

Early life

Uderzo was born on 25 April 1927 in Fismes, France, to Italian immigrant parents Silvio Uderzo, a carpenter by trade, and Iria Crestini. He was the fourth child in the family. After moving several times following their migration from Italy, the family eventually established themselves in the suburbs of Paris. The name "Alberto Aleandro" reflected family heritage, though its Italian form resulted from a registrar misunderstanding his father’s accent.

At birth, Uderzo had six fingers on each hand; these extra digits were removed during his early years. By 1929, the family had settled in Clichy-sous-Bois, where Albert obtained French citizenship in 1934 but occasionally faced discrimination linked to his Italian background. Despite such challenges, he recalled his childhood fondly. His siblings were Bruno, Rina, Jeanne, and Marcel.

His artistic abilities became apparent during his kindergarten years, encouraged by both his mother and elder brother Bruno. Initially, he considered careers such as a clown or an aircraft engineer like Bruno. Influences from American comics and animation—particularly Walt Disney’s creations—shaped his early interests. In 1938, the family relocated to Paris’s 11th arrondissement. Although he encountered difficulties at school, Uderzo excelled in art despite being color blind; he adapted by marking colors to compensate.

When World War II began in 1939, his father was beyond conscription age while Albert was still too young; his brother Bruno served without injury. After completing basic education at age thirteen, Albert initially aimed to become an aircraft engineer but ultimately chose to pursue art as his profession.

Working with Goscinny

Following various endeavors and travels, Uderzo met René Goscinny in 1951. Their partnership quickly flourished, leading them to join the Paris branch of the Belgian publisher World Press in 1952. Together they created early series such as Oumpah-pah, Jehan Pistolet, and Luc Junior. From 1958 until 1962, Oumpah-pah was serialized in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Tintin.

In 1959, Goscinny became editor while Uderzo took on the role of artistic director at Pilote, a magazine aimed at older children. The debut issue featured Astérix, which quickly gained popularity. During this time, Uderzo collaborated with Jean-Michel Charlier on the realistic aviation-themed series Michel Tanguy, later renamed Les Aventures de Tanguy et Laverdure.

Astérix was serialized within Pilote, and in 1961 the first album titled Astérix le Gaulois (Asterix the Gaul) was released. Subsequent albums appeared regularly over sixteen years until Goscinny’s unexpected death in 1977. Following this loss, Uderzo assumed both writing and illustrating responsibilities for the series through his own publishing company Albert René. However, production slowed considerably—averaging one album every three to five years compared to their previous pace of two annually.

Family

In 1953, Uderzo wed Ada Milani, and together they had a daughter named Sylvie Uderzo, born in 1956.

Following the dismissal of Sylvie and her husband from managing his estate in 2007, Uderzo consented to transfer his stake in Éditions Albert René to Hachette Livre. Sylvie voiced her disapproval of the transaction in Le Monde, comparing it to "opening the gates of the Gaulish village" to a corporate conglomerate. While Uderzo had originally declared that the Asterix series would conclude upon his passing, the agreement permitted Hachette to indefinitely continue producing Asterix works without his direct involvement. In 2013, Uderzo initiated legal action against his daughter and son-in-law alleging "psychological violence," to which Sylvie responded by accusing them of mistreatment toward her father. Her lawsuit was dismissed in 2014, leading to an amicable resolution between the parties.

After Uderzo retired in 2011, the continuation of Asterix was entrusted to Jean-Yves Ferri as scriptwriter and Didier Conrad as illustrator.

Before selling her shares to Hachette, Sylvie held a 40% ownership in Éditions Albert René. Hachette now possesses full ownership, having acquired the remaining 60% previously owned by Uderzo and Goscinny's daughter.

Marcel Uderzo, Albert's brother, was also a cartoonist who contributed to roughly twelve Asterix albums by assisting with drawing and coloring.

Death

Albert Uderzo passed away peacefully in his sleep on 24 March 2020 at his residence in Neuilly-sur-Seine due to a heart attack, at the age of 92. His son-in-law Bernard de Choisy clarified that the heart attack was unrelated to COVID-19, mentioning that Uderzo had been experiencing fatigue for several weeks beforehand.

Awards

Based on data from UNESCO's Index Translationum, Uderzo ranks as the tenth most translated French author overall and holds third place among French comic book authors, following René Goscinny and Hergé.

External links

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