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Asterix And Obelix

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I heard of Asterix in French class. The teacher said it was a story about a Viking who came to liberate Gaul from the Romans. :ph34r:

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I heard of Asterix in French class. The teacher said it was a story about a Viking who came to liberate Gaul from the Romans. :)

 

Nearly right ... He's a Celt, and his big friend Obelix is a menhir (or dolmen) salesman. Obelix eats two wild boars for dinner, Asterix only one.

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Well their is one of the Asterix book which also has vikings coming to France... But I won't tell you more, you'll have to find it for yourselve :)

 

The trouble of Asterix is that it shows a vision of the gaul which is now a bit too old and too stereotyped, but it's still funny.

 

But Asterix is not the only european comic set in the time of Caesar, you also have the Alix comic by J. Martin. And there is also the excellent Murena comic which is set in the time of Nero.

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Well their is one of the Asterix book which also has vikings coming to France... But I won't tell you more, you'll have to find it for yourselve :ph34r:

 

The trouble of Asterix is that it shows a vision of the gaul which is now a bit too old and too stereotyped, but it's still funny.

 

But not totally false. I have a neighbour who looks exactly like Asterix, all the way to the moustache (I haven't yet dared to ask him to try on a helmet) and when I went to a tractor shop in the next town to buy a chain for my chainsaw I was served by a helpful young man whom I had difficulty distinguishing from Obelix. He didn't offer me a menhir.

 

I must look pretty funny too. I am usually recognised as English from about twenty metres away ... Which of the characters in 'Asterix in Britain' I most resemble, I haven't been told.

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... and when I went to a tractor shop in the next town to buy a chain for my chainsaw I was served by a helpful young man whom I had difficulty distinguishing from Obelix. He didn't offer me a menhir.

 

Looked like Obelix???? I bet he's a wow with the ladies ;)

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I used to have one or two of these Asterix comics when I was younger. I have been searching for them for years but I've never been able to find them. I also remember the Asterix game my friend used to have when we were younger, it was more of an edutainment one rather than a pure adventure game.

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A note of caution: I have been reading Asterix since 1975 and I know for a fact that the quality of those comics took a steep downward curve after the death of Goscinny, the script writer. I mean the new ones written after his demise are just not that funny. Asterix and Son and Asterix and the Black Gold were OK, but simply no comparison to the vintage ones - some of those used to have me in tears - from laughter!

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A note of caution: I have been reading Asterix since 1975 and I know for a fact that the quality of those comics took a steep downward curve after the death of Goscinny, the script writer. I mean the new ones written after his demise are just not that funny. Asterix and Son and Asterix and the Black Gold were OK, but simply no comparison to the vintage ones - some of those used to have me in tears - from laughter!

 

Yes, I'm with you. I think the first ten, or so, are the best; naturally they got more and more formulaic after that, and in addition the contribution of Goscinny was sorely missed. "Asterix in Britain" is one of the good ones, and particularly amusing to English-speaking readers. Though, as a British reader, I will never understand why French cartoonists should make fun of us for shaking hands. French people shake hands far more often than we do!

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Ave Andrew

I will never understand why French cartoonists should make fun of us for shaking hands. French people shake hands far more often than we do!

IIRC they were actually making fun of the English expression "to shake you by the hand". You're right it is a good book. My personal favourite was Asterix in Corsica - I was literally in tears with that one

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Though, as a British reader, I will never understand why French cartoonists should make fun of us for shaking hands. French people shake hands far more often than we do!

 

They also thankfully play rugby as much, but in the book it's seemas terribly British. All good fun though.

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I collected all of these when in my teens, and still have them. I have recently started buying them in French to speak the language better. I have not seen the Depardieu film - is it any good?

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