Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Asterix FAQ

Asterix turns 60 years old this year. If you’ve never read an Asterix book before, it’s not too late.

Let me answer a few quick questions to give you an idea of what you’re missing. After reading this article, you can go pick up any Asterix book at random without feeling lost. But if you want a suggestion on where to start, I’ll have that for you at the end, too.

What is the Real World History Behind Asterix?

Julius Caesar successfully fought a war known as the Gallic Wars. It took a few years. The area of Gaul in question encompassed all of France, but also extended out to Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium, Switzerland, and even some of Italy, amongst other places.

The final victory for Caesar was in a town named Alesia in France, where the great Belgae military leader, Vercingetorix, laid down his arms and surrendered at Caesar’s feet.

The Gallic Wars were over. Caesar won. He, at last, conquered all of Gaul, which was most of what we know as Europe today.

How Does Asterix’s History Differ?

Asterix is, at its heart, a piece of historical fiction.

The world of Asterix explores the question: What if one village along the Northwest coast of France maintained its freedom and never gave in to the Roman army?

That’s the village Asterix and his friends live in and constantly defend.

(Oh, and in this world, Vercingétorix didn’t politely lay his shield and sword at Caesar’s feet, but rather threw them with great force at Caesar’s feet. That’s a much funnier visual.)

How does this one Village successfully fight off the Roman empire?

They have a druid, Getafix, who makes a magic potion that gives the drinker super strength for a short time.

The Roman army, as good as they are, can’t compete against such strength.

Also, Asterix and Getafix usually have a good plan to defeat the Romans. That helps, too.

What kind of stories does Asterix tell?

Each Asterix volume is a new adventure, told with a healthy dose of every kind of comedy you can imagine. There’s a strong Vaudeville influence, to my eye, but also plenty of puns, word play, historical references, and a keen awareness of human foibles that stories often rely on in hysterical ways.

There are two types of stories in the series. In the first type, Asterix and his best buddy since childhood, Obelix, wind up on the road visiting another country. The entire book is then centered on what they find there, and how they interact with their new environment. The book is liberally peppered with references to that county and its people. It pokes fun at all of the cliches and stereotypes of that particular nation.

The other half of the stories are set in the Village, itself, usually as they defend themsevelves from Caesar’s latest scheme to get them to leave.

Who created Asterix?

Asterix was created by two French men: writer Rene Goscinny and artist Albert Uderzo.

When and Where Did Asterix First Appear?

Rene Goscinny was the editor of a new comics anthology magazine, Pilote. He needed more material to fill out the book. Along with Uderzo, they came up with the idea for Asterix, which debuted on October 29, 1959.

How Many Asterix and Obelix Books Are There?

Goscinny and Uderzo did 24 complete albums together. The first 18 would be serialized in Pilote magazine, before they started producing them straight for the album format.

After that, Uderzo did 10 more on his own.

Jean-Yves Ferri and Conrad Didier produced the most recent four books.

How Popular is Asterix?

The most recent book had a first printing of 5,000,000 copies, worldwide.

That’s pretty popular.

There’s also an Asterix theme park not terribly far from Disneyland Paris. That park is thirty years old now. Asterix has been called the Mickey Mouse of France. He’d have to be to withstand such direct competition.

How Often Are New Asterix Books Released?

For the first 24 books, they came out at a rate of at least one a year.

After Goscinny’s death in 1977, Uderzo did the writing and art on the books, himself, and released books on a much more sporadic schedule, with up to five years passing between volumes.

Under the current team of Ferri and Conrad, new books have been released every other year.

Who is Asterix?

Asterix is the smaller and smarter star of the “Asterix” series. He’s often the brains behind the operation, knowing all the right things to say and do to defeat those rascally Roman soldiers.

In case of physical danger, he’s always carrying a flask of Magic Potion on his belt.

Who is Obelix?

Obelix is the larger friend of Asterix, but don’t call him fat. He spends his days making and delivering menhirs. He also thinks the Romans are crazy.

Obelix fell into a vat of Magic Potion as a child, which is why he is always super strong. He’s not allowed to drink additional Magic Potion because it might do bad things to him. We see that plot play out in a later Uderzo volume.

Obelix exists because Uderzo wanted to draw a more traditional muscular Gaul warrior. That wasn’t what Goscinny had planned for Asterix, but he thought it was a good idea and so Obelix was born to fill that role.

(What’s a Menhir?)

Menhirs are large shaped stones that nobody in modern times truly understands. What they are and why they’re there is a mystery lost to history. They were very popular things for a time, though.

Who Is Dogmatix?

He first appeared as a throwaway character in the background in “Asterix and the Banquet.” Readers loved him, Uderzo liked drawing him, and so he became a regular.

He’s very sensitive to the destruction of the natural habitat, so please don’t knock any trees over in front of him.

How Do They Make Magic Potion?

Only the Druid Getafix knows that. The Romans only wish they knew.

Honestly, I’m not sure Rene Goscinny or Albert Uderzo even knew what it is. The ingredients for the potion included whatever was needed for the plot or for a funny line of dialogue. We’ve seen Getafix use everything from local herbs and hot water to oil, garlic, and strawberries.

It doesn’t sound all that tasty.

Where Should I Start Reading?

Start with “Asterix the Gaul,” the very first book.

The art is a little rough in comparison to later volumes, but you won’t know that until you’ve read a few. It’s a perfectly accessible book, while being very funny and fairly close in content to the final form of the series.

Go in order from there for the first 24 books.

Or, skip around to what looks exciting to you — perhaps you’re a fan of Spain and want to see Asterix’s trip there. Or maybe Switzerland, or England, or Germany.

I read the books all out of order first, and didn’t suffer at all from it.

This should be fun, so enjoy it!