Asterix and Obelix Turn Fifty

In half a century, Asterix, Obelix, and their canine friend Dogmatix have amassed a global franchise and fanbase comparable to the likes of Disney. The universally adored characters, some of the most recognizable cartoon faces in French culture, celebrate their 50th birthday this year. Last Thursday, an anniversary edition of the gang’s bande dessinée (literally, drawn strip), titled Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday—The Golden Book, commemorated this milestone.

The series focuses on Asterix, Obelix, and their community of Gauls as they fend off the encroaching Romans in ancient France. Begun in 1959 as the project of illustrator-writer team Albert Uderzo and the late René Goscinny, the gaulois heroes have appeared in myriad media formats since the comic’s beginnings in the French magazine Pilote. From the original comic books to feature films and even video games, the Asterix franchise has consistently attracted young and old readers around the world—to date, the books have been translated into over 107 languages.

The brand new commemorative book, the 34th in the series, contains 56 new comics and exclusive content such as some previously unpublished text by Goscinny, with illustrations by Uderzo.

Feed your Asterix & Obelix curiosity with these great links :

ASTERIX website

Buy Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday — The Golden Book on Amazon ($14.95)

What’s your favorite Asterix and Obelisk story? Tell us below!