http://www.asterix.com/
After reading my profile and much to my surprise, many of my tv.com friends seem to ignore who Tintin and Asterix are. It wouldn't be a great deal to me if they hadn't been so tied to my childhood as they are. And not only my childhood; as soon as I started to work, I saved some money and bought both collections in full, so nowadays they keep on filling many hours of my leisure time with the greater entertainment. If you have the chance, give them a try. Yesterday, I blogged about Tintin so today it is Asterix day.
My collection in the blue covers edition :D
(Some parts are edited from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix)
The Adventures of Asterix is a series of french comic books by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). Uderzo has continued the series since the death of Goscinny in 1977. The series follows the exploits of a village of ancient Gauls as they resist Roman occupation. Sometimes, this resistance leads the main characters to travel to various European countries (but also Egypt, America, India and other non-European locations) in every other book, while the remaining are set in and around their village.
This village is celebrated as the only part of Gaul not yet conquered by Julius Caesar and his Roman legions. The inhabitants of the village gain superhuman strength by drinking a magic potion prepared by the druid Getafix. The village is surrounded by the ocean on one side, and four unlucky Roman garrisons on the other, intended to keep a watchful eye and ensure that the Gauls do not get up to mischief.
The Gauls
The series concentrates on two Gauls Asterix and his sidekick Obelix (who fell into the magic potion got unlimited super-human strength when he was a baby) and have many adventures together.
In truth, all that we know about the village is that it is located somewhere on the coast of Brittany. The Village doesn't have that great a population; I just look at the number of huts. They make up for the lack of numbers with the Magic Potion and their strong sense of liberty. Their inhabitants keep the village running with their jobs such as Vitalstatistix (Chief), Fulliautomatix (blacksmith), Unhygenix (fishmonger), Getafix (Druid), Obelix (Menhir delivery man, although, this isn't exactly that beneficial to the village), Cacofonix (Bard, school teacher) and Bucolix (farmer).
Despite they are usually one whole village that supports each other, it often fights among each other when Romans are scarce. This is usually in the form of a fish fight, caused because of the constant bickering between Faulioutomatix and Unhygenix about the state of Unhygenix's unfresh fish.
Asterix is a very small but fearless and cunning warrior, ever eager for any new adventure. One of Asterix's most visually engaging features is his helmet, the wings of which mirror his expressions. Asterix is a bachelor, and one of the smartest members of the village, so he is usually chosen for any dangerous, important or exotic mission. Unlike most of the other villagers, he does not start or join brawls for the fun of it, although he does enjoy a good fight when there's cause. He rarely resorts to weapons, preferring to rely on his wits, and when necessary, his (magic potion enhanced) fists since he is only an average swordsman.
Obelix is a sidekick with superhuman strengt. He is Asterix's' closest friend and works as a menhir delivery man when not bashing Romans. Obelix also owns the quarry where he chisels the menhirs himself. It is never directly stated what the menhirs are used for. Obelix usually trades the stones away for whatever he needs, resulting in the village having a literal field of menhirs. He has a little dog named Dogmatix.
He is a large man who does not however see himself as fat, and may not even be aware when people are talking about him in that regard, being confused as to who is fat. On the other hand, when he does notice such allusions being made about him, he gets very angry about the "mistake". Being called fat, or being hinted as being fat, is one of the primary causes of conflicts between Asterix and Obelix in each album. Although conflicts between the two friends invariably degenerates into insults being screamed back and forth between the two friends, Obelix and Asterix inevitably make up swiftly.
Unlike the other villagers, Obelix has no need to drink Getafix the druid's's magic potion that gives superhuman strength, because he fell into the cauldron as a baby and its effect on him became permanent. Since this effect was not intended or expected, Getafix refuses to allow him even one more drop except under the direst circumstances, which annoys him greatly.
Obelix is kind-hearted, but is socially inept. He is still not completely aware of his own strength and almost invariably breaks any door he gently knocks on. He is frequently used as a human battering ram for opening locked doors or breaking through walls. Similarly, he is unaware that others do not share his superhuman strength, and shows great surprise when others are crushed by what he calls "a small menhir", or when Asterix attempts to explain to him that a small dog like Dogmatix cannot lift a menhir. He also has little interest in subjects of a formal education or intellectual pursuits, since sheer strength usually solves his problems, so he generally leaves any decisions to Asterix..
His passions in life are hanging around with Asterix, beating up Roman legionaries, eating, and making and carrying menhirs, in about that order. Like Asterix, Obelix is a bachelor, but he is easily smitten by a pretty face. He harbours a hopeless crush on Panacea.
Obelix' favourite food is roast wild boar which he usually hunts with Asterix, but he has a voracious appetite, and will try eating nearly anything with few exceptions. In fact, he eats nuts and oysters in the shell, and is completely oblivious to drugs and poisons. However, when he consumes alcohol, he gets very drunk very quickly. His trademark phrase is "These Romans are crazy".
Dogmatix is a tiny dog. His name is a pun on the word dogmatic. He is a dog of fixed ideas. His role is minor in most of the stories, significant mainly as a point of conflict between Asterix and Obelix as to whether he should be allowed to accompany them on their adventures. However, he is often doing something interesting in the background and occasionally fulfils an important part of the plot. He is an ecologist dog who loves trees and howls in distress whenever one is damaged. Despite his small size, he is quite fearless. Like many dogs, Dogmatix is very protective and jealous of his master, especially when he falls for, or is shown affection by, beautiful young women.
Asterix the Legionary is one of the storis I like the most. It is a lot of fun the fact that Asterix and Obelix have to deal with people from all over the world, hardly having left their village before. It leads to all kinds of confussion but despite their different cultures and languages, the end up grouping together and standing from each other. The Egyptian man, who has no clue of what is going on, is the funniest one ever.
Storyline
The book begins with a now familiar scene of the indomitable Gauls' village. Asterix and Obelix have just returned from a fruitful hunt, when at the entrance to the village they pass a beautiful blond young lady by the name of Pancea who has returned to the village after studying abroad. Obelix immediately falls in love. After a few scenes of Obelix embarrassing himself, Panacea receives word that her fiancé Tragicomix has beenconscripted into theRoman army and shipped to North Africa. Asterix and Obelix promise Panacea that they will return Tragicomix to her, even though it breaks Obelix's heart.
Asterix and Obelix head for Condatum where they learn that Tragicomix has already left for Massilia, the Mediterranean port from which the soldiers depart. They then decide to enlist in the Roman army and end up training with a Goth, a Briton, a Belgian, a Greek, and an Egyptian tourist who is on holiday and does not realise what he had got himself into.
After completing training (which is rather relaxing for the conscripts while very stressful for the Centurions), the newly formed unit sets off as reinforcements to Caesar who is fighting a losing campaign against a rival Roman. Asterix and Obelix soon find out that Tragicomix has gone missing in action after a skirmish.
Asterix and Obelix desert and set out to search for him successfully rescuing the young man. However, due to their actions Caesar and his rival believethat the other is attacking and they both prepare for battle. In the confusion that follows, Caesar achieves a great victory (the historical Battle of Thapsus, 6 February 46 BC). The Gauls are cornered by Caesar, but released and sent home for the service they provided. Panacea is reunited with Tragicomix and everybody is overjoyed. In gratitude, Panacea kisses both Asterix and Obelix. Obelix faints and Asterix spends the customary banquet sitting on a tree hopelessly in love, as well.