Also interesting is that the names of the characters change in order to preserve the puns. Here's the names of the characters in the British English (also earlier American English) versions:
Created and drawn by Albert Uderzo. Until he died in 1977, René Goscinny did the storyline of the Asterix albums. Asterix and the other inhabitants of the rebel town are gaullic.
These are the names of the six main characters in different languages:
English(UK): Asterix Obelix Dogmatix
French: Astérix Obélix Idéfix Afrikaans: Asterix Obelix Woefix _ Alsatian: Asterix Obelix Fangmix _ _ _ _ _ Arabic: Asteriks Ubeliks Anidiks Bable: Asterix Obelix Basque: Asterix Obelix Idefix Belarussian: Asteryks Abeliks Idefiks Bengali: Asterix Obelix Bern: Asterix Obelix Idefix Brazilian: Asterix Obelix Idéiafix Breton: Asteriks Obeliks Skoazellet Catalan: Astèrix Obèlix Ideafix Chinese(M): Yali Oubi Corsican: Asterix Obelix Idefix Croatian: Asterix Obelix Snupix Czech: Asterix Obelix Idefix Danish: Asterix Obelix Idefix Dutch: Asterix Obelix Idefix English(USA): Asterix Obelix Dogmatix Esperanto: Asteriks Obeliks Snufiks Estonian: Asterix Obelix Ideefix Finnish: Asterix Obelix Idefix Flemish: Asterix Obelix Ideefix Frisian: Asterix Obelix Idefix Gaelic: Asterix Cromleax Galician: Asterix Obelix Idefix German: Asterix Obelix Idefix Greek(anc): Asterikios Obelikios Skylakas Greek(mod): Asterix Obelix Intefix Hebrew: Asteriks Obeliks Mavriks Hindi: Asteriks Obeliks Hungarian: Asterix Obelix Mirnixdirnix Icelandic: Ástríkur Steinríkur Krílríkur Indonesian: Asterix Obelix Idefix Italian: Asterix Obelix Idefix Japanese: Astiriks Korean: Asteis Obelis Latin: Asterix Obelix Idefix Latvian Asteriks Obeliks Limburgish: Asterix Obelix Idéfix Lithuanian: Asteriksas Obeliksas Luxembourgish: Asterix Obelix Iddifix Norwegian: Asterix Obelix Idefix Polish: Asteriks Obeliks Idefiks Portuguese: Astérix Obélix Ideiafix Rheato-Roman: Asterix Obelix Idefix Rumanian: Asterix Obelix Serbian: Asteriks Obeliks Garoviks Slovak: Asterix Obelix Idefix Slovenian: Asterix Obelix Ku&zcirc;ifix Spanish: Asterix Obelix Idefix Swabian: Asterix Obelix Idefix Swedish: Asterix Obelix Idefix Twents: Asterix Obelix Turkish: Asteriks Hopdediks Idefix Vietnamese: Axtêrix Ôbêlix IÐêfix Welsh: Asterix Obelix Bitabix
English(UK): Getafix Cacofonix Vitalstatistix
French: Panoramix Assurancetourix Abraracourcix Afrikaans: Abracadabrix Kakofonix Grootkokkedorix Alsatian: Geschtunhix Kenblechmusix Gellwitwix _ v_ _ Arabic: Fanniks Satiriks · Bable: Panoramix Asuracenturix Abraracurcix Basque: Panoramix Asuranzeturix Abrarakurzix Bengali: Etashetamix Kalorobix Bishalakritix Bern: Panoramix Assurancetourix Abraracourcix Brazilian: Panoramix Chatotorix Abracurcix Breton: Panoramiks Avihaniks Anerzhbrec'hiks _ Catalan: Panoràmix Assegurançatòtrix Acopdegarròtix Chinese(M): Peng Laoye Yale Abula Corsican: Panoramix Assicuranzatourix _ Croatian: Cudomix Tamburix Vrhovnix Czech: Panoramix Trubadix Majestatix Danish: Miraculix Trubadurix Majestix Dutch: Panoramix Assurancetourix Abraracourcix English(UK): Getafix Cacofonix Vitalstatistix English(USA): Magigimmix Malacoustix Macroeconomix Esperanto: Miraklomiks Malmuziks Moŝtiks Estonian: Aquavitix Lyrix Majestix Finnish: Akvavitix Trubadurix Aladobix Flemish: Panoramix Assurancetourix Abraracourcix Frisian: Crudemix Gysbetiapix Jimmerfix Gaelic: Cocairix Sgreuchanaix Uasalaix Galician: Panoramix Assuranceturix Abraracurcix German: Miraculix Troubadix Majestix _ Greek(anc): Panoramikios Kakophonikios Monarchikios Greek(mod): Panoramix Kakofonix Majestix Hebrew: Ashafiks Khamshiriks Lokhemamiks Hindi: Venadathiks Besuriks Motumaliks Hungarian: Magicoturmix Hangianix Hasarengazfix Icelandic: Sjóðríkur Óðríkur Aðalríkur Indonesian: Panoramix Assurancetourix Abraracourcix Italian: Panoramix Assurancetourix Abraracurcix Latin: Panoramix Cantorix Maiestix v Latvian: Burleviks Dziesmuliks Diziliks Limburgish: Panoramix Assurancetourix Abraracourcix Lithuanian: Mirakuliksas Trubadiksas Majestiksas Luxembourgish: Panoramix Tutebattix Zwirkinnix Korean: Panolamis Asulastoelis Ablalakoelsis Norwegian: Miraculix Trubadurix Majestix Polish: Panoramiks Kakofoniks Asparanoiks Portuguese: Panoramix Assuranceturix Abraracurcix Rheato-Roman: Miraculix Trubadix Majestix Rumanian: Panoramix Cacofonix Bratscurtarix Serbian: Aspiriniks Tamburiks Drmatoriks Slovak: Panoramix Kantatrix Abrakatrix Slovenian: Panoramix Fisteltenorkix Ataaufbix Spanish: Panoramix Asuranceturix Abraracurcix Swabian: Miraculix Majestix Swedish: Miraculix Troubadix Majestix Twents: Panoramix Lyrix Majestix Turkish: Büyüfiks Kakofoniks Toptoriks Vietnamese: Abra Welsh: Crycymalix Odlgymix Einharweinix
For example, the line "orgies, orgies, we want more orgies" is repeated over and over by an actor, during rehearsal for a play designed to shock the audience. It's the contrast between the content of this line and the matter-of-fact way in which the director is trying to figure out his scene ("Perhaps you could throw something at him at this point? A tomato, or something.") that creates the fun. We have all the techniques: repetition, exaggeration, dead pan delivery (the scene is presented as if we're watching a documentary), silly detail (the tomato).
Asterix also excels in contemporary references to 'the real world'; this scene, for instance, refers to a new radical movement in acting that was important around 1970. However, missing most of these references - and I do - doesn't make it any less hilarious.
About translators: I can't agree more. I've even seen a joke unique to a language that I hardly know: questions in Latin end in -ne, so at one point we see "Hmmmmmmmm?" translated to "Hmmmmmmmne?"
For one book at least, the entire cultural basis of the French edition was deemed to be too obscure for an anglophone audience: "Asterix and the Banquet" is the English version of "Le Tour de Gaule d'Asterix" which is of course based on the Tour de France; about half the jokes in the original are based on aspects of that race/cultural phenomenon.
Asterix is an Atari 2600 game based on the comic of the same name. Guide Asterix and Obelisk on their quest to gain treasure to defeat the Romans.
This is a strange game. The screen has seven horizontal lines across it, with large triangles at the top and bottom. This makes 8 rows between the lines. Different items sail through these rows. You must guide Asterix around the screen, grabbing the good items while avoiding the harp shaped ones. This isn't a bad game but it has absolutely nothing to do with its namesake besides the title screen.
The year is 50 B.C. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, almost entirely... There is one Gaulish village, located near the Roman outposts of Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum, and Compendium, that has resisted the Roman legions. According to reports from Roman spies, the villagers are led by two Gaulish heroes - Asterix and Obelix. The first hero, Asterix, is a shrewd little warrior with a quick mind and a large moustache. Asterix gets his superhuman strength from a magic potion brewed by the village Druid, Getafix. The other hero is Asterix's remarkably strong and hungry friend, Obelix. Obelix has a healthy appetite for wild boar, and is always ready for a good fight with the Romans. These two valiant heroes aren't afraid of anything. Except... well, except for one thing. The off-key tunes from the lyre of Cacofonix, the village bard, can make them retreat faster than a Roman can say "Veni, Vidi, Vici"!
The year is 50 B.C. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, almost entirely... There is one Gaulish village, located near the Roman outposts of Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum, and Compendium, that has resisted the Roman legions. According to reports from Roman spies, the villagers are led by two Gaulish heroes - Asterix and Obelix.
The first hero, Asterix, is a shrewd little warrior with a quick mind and a large moustache. Asterix gets his superhuman strength from a magic potion brewed by the village Druid, Getafix.
The other hero is Asterix's remarkably strong and hungry friend, Obelix. Obelix has a healthy appetite for wild boar, and is always ready for a good fight with the Romans.
These two valiant heroes aren't afraid of anything. Except... well, except for one thing. The off-key tunes from the lyre of Cacofonix, the village bard, can make them retreat faster than a Roman can say "Veni, Vidi, Vici"!
Asterix was a clone of the earlier Atari title Taz, the title screen and some of the graphics have changed, but it is the exact same game besides that. This was a Europe only release, Atari thought that an Asterix based game would sell better in Europe than a Tasmanian Devil based one. This is an unplayable game on many US Atari's because it is PAL format only.
Asterix is short, has fair hair and mustache. His helmet has white bird wings on it. He wears a black shirt and red trousers. He always carries by his belt a little flask holding magic potion - which comes in handy when the romans want a fight. He is also quite smart ; in his little village of Armorica it seems only he and the druid, Panoramix, have got any brains.
He is the hero of the witty comics named after him, Asterix the Gaul. Scripted by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the series spawns over 31 books, which I will list here (The original French titles are between brackets):
Avoid the books made after the death of René Goscinny, that is, after Astérix in Belgium ; Uderzo wrote the stories himself, and he is a bad writer. Since Asterix depends a lot on the script (usually in France, the writer only got half of what the cartoonist earned; on Asterix both Goscinny and Uderzo got as much), this makes the later volumes quite dull. The two last books, especially, are only a pale shadow of the original series. It seems Albert Uderzo is now more interested in adding a few more Ferraris to his collection than making good comics.
On the other hand, the best books of series are some of the finest comics you can find, American, French or Japanese. My favorites are Asterix and Cleopatra, Asterix in Corsica, and Asterix in Belgium, but tastes may vary.
The series was very important for the French comics. Tintin and Asterix are the comics that were considered as being for adults as well as for children, forever changing the way comics would be considered in France and Belgium. Asterix was seen as suitable reading for adults because of its many references to the politics, culture and foreign relations of the time, and is extensive use of usually good puns.
Seven cartoons have been made of the series, and two live movies, but none of those have been able to show the wit and intelligence of the series.
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