Images

Asterix co-creator Albert Uderzo dies at 92

Asterix co-creator Albert Uderzo dies at 92

Uderzo initially illustrated the comic, created along with writer Rene Goscinny. The duo created 24 comic books.
Updated 25 Mar, 2020

Albert Uderzo, one of the two creators of the beloved comic book character Asterix who grew a reputation worldwide, died on Tuesday at age 92.

The French press quoted family members as saying that Uderzo died of a heart attack in the Paris suburb of Neuilly.

Asterix, portrayed as a short man with a droopy mustache always wearing a helmet with wings, was created in the early 1960s by Uderzo and Rene Goscinny. The character lived in a village in Gaul, present-day France, resisting Roman conquerors, along with his inseparable big-bellied friend, Obelix.

“Albert Uderzo died in his sleep at his Neuilly home of a heart attack with no links to the coronavirus,” the French press quoted his son-in-law, Bernard de Choisy, as saying. “He had been very tired for several weeks.”

French Culture Minister Franck Riester said that Uderzo “found the magic potion,” referring to his spirit, craftsmanship and long hours of work. Riester may also have been making a reference to the famous magic potion in the Asterix series, which gave the hero and his fellow villagers temporary superhuman strength.

“Supreme nobility, he accepted that his heroes survive him for the happiness of the public,” Riester said.

Uderzo initially illustrated the characters created along with writer Rene Goscinny. Together, they created 24 comic books. After Goscinny’s death in 1977, Uderzo also took over the comic books’ writing duties, deciding to continue without his creative partner.

Goscinny’s daughter, Anne, called the two men “brothers” and praised Uderzo’s “courage” for continuing without his collaborator.

“They were as different as fire and water, but they lived something that few among us could live,” she stated. “They were the kind of friends you don’t often have in life.”

Uderzo, whose father was an Italian immigrant, was born on April 25, 1927, in France’s Marne region, but grew up outside Paris. As a child, he was captivated by Walt Disney characters, notably Mickey Mouse, one of the inspiration of his own artistic talents.

After numerous jobs and referrals, he met Goscinny when he was 24. An instant friendship developed “and we decided to remake the world with all the thoughtlessness and the boldness of our youth,” Le Monde quoted Uderzo as saying in his memoirs.

After collaborating on other projects for some nine years, Asterix Le Gaulois appeared in 1961.

Fans offered thanks on social media and recollections of childhood memories reading the Asterix comic books whose fan base includes adults.

The books have also been translated into dozens of languages.

Asterix-based spinoffs include movies and a theme park outside Paris that draws tens of thousands of fans of the iconic resistance hero and his mighty sidekick, Obelix.

Comments

Loond khan Mar 26, 2020 01:14am
Always loved Astrix comics.
Recommend (0)
Amarnath Mar 26, 2020 03:34pm
Needless to say, some of the emotions portrayed in asterix have shaped the readers emotions. Persons like Uderzo and Rene Gicinni are, in the deepest sense, some of the most powerful persons to have lived. For them to have impressed upon kids, who grew up in some remote corner villages in India, and so many more sans internet, it takes abundant creativity and fine eye for human emotions.
Recommend (0)
Laila Mar 26, 2020 06:46pm
Love Asterix comics. If you don't know them, now is an excellent. Time to check them out or even the big screen version.
Recommend (0)
Taj Mar 26, 2020 09:49pm
Rest in peace genius
Recommend (0)