Asterix the Gaul
| Company type | Comic narrative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Comics, Publishing |
| Founded | October 1959 |
| Founder | René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Comic albums, animated film, audiobook |
| Parent | Dargaud (publisher of comic album and film) |
Asterix the Gaul () is a French comic narrative crafted by René Goscinny with illustrations by Albert Uderzo. Initially serialized in Pilote magazine starting October 1959 and later compiled into a comic album in 1961, the story centers on Asterix, a Gaulish warrior from a village resisting Roman domination, who embarks on a mission to rescue the druid Getafix from Roman captors seeking to uncover the secret behind their extraordinary strength.
The tale's success within France prompted Goscinny and Uderzo to expand the Asterix series, which achieved widespread international acclaim and commercial success. In 1967, Dargaud produced an animated film adaptation; however, dissatisfied with its quality, the creators prevented any sequels. Additionally, an audiobook version was released under EMI Records.
By 1999, Asterix the Gaul had earned the 23rd spot in Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century, underscoring its significant cultural and commercial influence.
Plot
Set in 50 B.C., amidst Roman-controlled Gaul, a solitary Armorican village defies Roman authority by harnessing superhuman strength through a magical potion concocted by their druid, Getafix. Roman Centurion Crismus Bonus captures Getafix with intentions to exploit this advantage.
Asterix infiltrates the Roman encampment to free Getafix and uncovers Crismus Bonus’ scheme to utilize the potion to incite rebellion against Julius Caesar. Together, Asterix and Getafix outwit the Romans by brewing a potion that triggers rapid hair growth, thereby disrupting their military efforts.
After deceiving Crismus Bonus into permitting them to collect ingredients for an antidote, they manage to escape just as Caesar arrives with reinforcements. The exposure of Crismus Bonus’ betrayal results in his exile, while a truce allows Asterix and Getafix to return home, where they are honored with a village feast.
Characters
- Asterix – The principal Gaulish warrior protagonist.
- Obelix – Gaulish menhir deliveryman and warrior; Asterix’s close companion who plays a minor role here but becomes more prominent later.
- Getafix – The village druid; his initial caveman-like design was modified in subsequent stories.
- Vitalstatistix – Chief of the Gaulish village, noted for his fear of the sky falling, inspired by historical anecdotes.
- Cacofonix – The village bard.
- Fulliautomatix – The village blacksmith.
- Julius Caesar – The Roman leader during 50 B.C., whose portrayal was later revised for historical accuracy.
- Crismus Bonus – Roman Centurion stationed at Camp Compendium.
- Marcus Ginantonicus – Deputy commander at Camp Compendium; his design was altered shortly after introduction.
- Caligula Minus – Roman soldier assigned as a spy on the Gaulish village.
Publishing history
Initially published in Pilote, a Franco-Belgian comics magazine co-founded by Goscinny, Asterix the Gaul debuted on page one of promotional issue #0 dated 1 June 1959. The story continued from issue #1 (29 October 1959) through issue #38 (14 July 1960). Asterix first appeared on the cover of issue #9 (24 December 1959) and was prominently featured on issue #21 (17 March 1960). Its sequel, Asterix and the Golden Sickle, commenced serialization in issue #42 (11 August 1960).
The album Asterix le Gaulois was released by Dargaud in July 1961 with an initial print run of 6,000 copies. It was subsequently translated into Dutch (1966) among other languages. The English translation by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge was published in 1969 through Brockhampton Press.
In 1970, due to loss of original artwork for page 35, Albert Uderzo’s brother Marcel redrew this plate, resulting in minor stylistic variations. English editions from Hodder & Stoughton utilize scanned reproductions from printed pages, causing some image blurriness; conversely, the 2004 edition by Orion Books incorporates these redrawn images from French editions.
An audiobook adaptation translated by Anthea Bell and narrated by Willie Rushton was issued on EMI Records' Listen for Pleasure label in 1990.
On 29 October 2009, Google commemorated the 50th anniversary of the initial publication with a themed masthead featuring Asterix and Obelix.
The 2019 American edition published by Papercutz (publisher) introduced several modifications:
- Getafix was renamed Panoramix to align with the original French designation.
- Roman camps Totorum and Compendium were renamed Butterdrum and Lilchum respectively.
- The Decurion’s name changed from Julius Pompus to Julius Pompilius.
- Mentions of Circus Maximus were replaced by Colosseum references despite chronological inconsistencies.
Film adaptation
In 1967, an animated feature based on Asterix the Gaul was distributed by Dargaud, initially created for French television. This production occurred without prior consultation with Goscinny and Uderzo, who became aware of the project just a few months before its premiere. Due to their dissatisfaction with the animation standards, they prevented Dargaud from proceeding with the adaptation of Asterix and the Golden Sickle, allowing any subsequent adaptations only if they participated directly in the production process.