Asterix the Gaul

Template:Infobox Asterix Asterix the Gaul is the first volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations).

Plot summary

Template:Spoiler All Gaul is divided into three parts. No, four - for one small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the Roman invaders....

Centurion Crismus Bonus, keen to discover the secret of the Gauls' superhuman strength, sends a spy into the village. The Roman's identity is revealed when he loses his false moustache, but now he knows about the magic potion brewed by the Druid Getafix. With that potion, Crismus Bonus thinks, he could overthrow Julius Caesar, and become Emperor himself, so he kidnaps Getafix to get the recipe. When Asterix joins the druid in captivity, they demand a list of hard-to-find ingredients for the magic potion - only this turns out, though magical, to be a very different brew — an extremely potent potion that causes the hair and beard of the drinker to begin growing at a rapid pace. The Romans eventually convince Getafix to make an antidote, and Getafix knowing that the potion's effects will soon wear-off instead makes a soup. At the same time Getafix made a small quantity for Asterix to drink, and the two begin bashing their way out of the Roman camp. As they are escaping they are stopped by a huge army of Roman reinforcements, and are captured again. When Crismus Bonus returns to his tent, he find Julius Caesar there checking on the condition of the area. Then upon meeting Asterix and Getafix he learns of Crismus Bonus' intentions. He then frees Asterix and Getafix for giving him the information, and telling them that they are still enemies; and he sends Crismus Bonus away to Outer Mongolia, where there is a barbarian rebellion.

Characters

Introducing

• Asterix - Gaulish warrior
• Obelix - Gaulish menhir delivery man
• Getafix - Gaulish druid
• Vitalstatistix - Chief of the Gaulish Village
• Cacofonix - Gaulish bard
• Fulliautomatix - Gaulish blacksmith
• Julius Caesar - Roman leader (historical)

Development

Because this is the first album, many story points and characterizations are still in their formative stages. In fact, due to its original, serial nature some develop as the story progresses:

• The Roman second-in-command changes abruptly a few pages into the story.
• Getafix begins the story living in a cave in the forest and looking much like a stereotypical caveman. He also uses a walking stick.
• Obelix is seen carrying an axe in his first appearance. It is never seen again. He is satisfied to help Asterix eat one boar between them.
• Asterix and other villagers appear to be using the potion constantly, yet seeing the potion made is viewed as an event.
• Fulliautomatix is seen working metal with his bare hands. He also bears no resemblance to his later appearances.
• Cacofonix the bard plays and calls a dance, and at the end is seated at the table at the feast. Later albums established a running gag where he is never allowed to sing, and is tied up and gagged at feasts to prevent this.
• One of the few books where we get to see some of Getafix's "other tricks", namely, the hair-growth potion and its antidote.

Publishing history

The story was first published as a serial in Pilote, a French comic magazine founded by Goscinny and a few other comic artists.

The first page appeared in the promotional issue #0, distributed June 1, 1959, and the story was completely published in the magazine from issue #1 (October 29, 1959) until issue #38 (July 14, 1960). A small head of Asterix first appeared on the cover of #9 (December 24, 1959), and a full Asterix cover was used on #21 (March 17, 1960).

The next story, Asterix and the Golden Sickle, started in issue #42 (August 11, 1960).

Asterix le Gaulois was published in July 1961 by Dargaud in the so-called "Pilote collection" in 6000 copies. A Dutch translation followed in 1966, and other languages followed soon after.

The English translation by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge was first published in 1969 by Brockhampton Press.

Notes

• This album establishes the convention that all Gaulish male names end in -ix, and all Roman male names end in -us.
• The plate for page 35 was redrawn by Albert Uderzo's brother Marcel in 1970 because the original was lost. This is why there are some slight differences in the drawing style. All English versions from Hodder & Stoughton (Hodder Dargaud) use the original illustrations which were made from a copy of an actual printed page, hence the blurriness. The 2004 release from Orion Books uses the redone illustrations from the French editions.

Film adaptation

The book was adapted into a film, which was released in 1967. Goscinny and Uderzo were not consulted during the making of the film, and the first they heard of it was a few months before it was released, when they were shown an early version of it. It was generally not well received, and a planned adaptation of Asterix and the Golden Sickle, made by the same animation team, was scrapped in the wake of its release.

In other languages

• Catalan: Astèrix el Gal
• Dutch: Asterix de Galliër
• Finnish: Asterix gallialainen
• Polish: Asterix Gal
• Spanish: Asterix el Galo
• Swedish: Asterix och hans tappra galler
• Italian: Asterix il Gallico
• German: Asterix der Gallier

Sources

• Template:Fr icon "BDoubliées". Le journal Pilote par année. Retrieved 2006-06-09.

Template:Asterix books dk:Asterix og de gæve gallere