Asterix

[Kankurette]

Because people are talking about the books in the Woke Street Kids thread in GB and I think they need their own thread. I'm not sure if I have a favourite - probably either Obelix & Co or Asterix in Britain.

Did anyone go the Rene Goscinny exhibition at the Jewish Museum in London a couple of years ago btw? It was great, even though the African/Native American stereotypes are utter cringe. Asterix definitely went down the pan after he died and Albert Uderzo turned it into Old Man Yelling at Cloud.

[Consignia]

I liked Obelix and Co. so much I bought the French version on a holiday in France. Ostensibly to help me learn French, but... Je ne parle pas bien le français.

[studpuppet]

We were very lucky in having English translators who a) 'got' the humour of the originals, and b) managed to translate it and/or create more humour themselves. For instance the genius to translate the dog's name from Idéfix ('fixed idea' or obsession) into Dogmatix to convey a similar pun.

This blog post has some excellent examples:

https://auntymuriel.com/2012/12/23/asterix-in-translation-the-genius-of-anthea-bell-and-derek-hockridge/

[Glebe]

Absolutely loved these as a kid, read them over and over again.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I loved the recurring cameo with those pirates they regularly met.  Every time they sailed overseas, their boat got attacked by them and they nearly always gave the pirates a battering and wrecked their ship.

[Glebe]

Yeah, the pirates would always abandon ship and be furiously rowing away in their boat, then have to draw straws for who gets eaten... I think there was one where they were having a party because there was no sign of the Gauls, then they suddenly turn up and ruin it.

RE: Racial stereotypes, yeah, you can play the old 'different times' card, but I reckon I'd be cringing like fuck reading them now. Actually, were the more offensive characterizations redrawn in recent years, or am I just completely imagining that?

[jamiefairlie]

Our library had the (then) full set so I avidly devoured them all. Definitely a step above other kids stuff.

[Kankurette]

We were very lucky in having English translators who a) 'got' the humour of the originals, and b) managed to translate it and/or create more humour themselves. For instance the genius to translate the dog's name from Idéfix ('fixed idea' or obsession) into Dogmatix to convey a similar pun.

This blog post has some excellent examples:

https://auntymuriel.com/2012/12/23/asterix-in-translation-the-genius-of-anthea-bell-and-derek-hockridge/

They must have had their work cut out with all those puns, but they did it. Apparently there's an American English translation of Asterix as well, but it's not as good as Hockridge and Bell.

Took me years to realise Mykingdomforanos was a Richard III reference, I'd been reading it wrong.

[Inspector Norse]

Yeah, I ordered a compendium of the first three books for my son recently and was quite disappointed to find it wad the American translation rather than the Bell/Hockridge ones I grew up loving. The American one is fine, of course, just the British ones had a real genius flair and wit to match the French originals.

Not sure it matters if you read them in order anyway - they weren't translated in order and the "omnibus" sets I had as a kid collected them at random and skipped a handful. Lapped it all up anyway.

This is well worth picking up if you ever find it, a passionate guide to the series with history, analysis, interviews etc.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Took me years to realise Mykingdomforanos was a Richard III reference, I'd been reading it wrong.

It took me years to understand the names Totorum, Compendium and Laudanum, which were three of the Roman camps surrounding the Gauls' village.  Aquarium, the fourth, was the only one I got as a child.  It was also years before I understood the name Getafix.

[Kankurette]

I had no idea that book existed. I may have to buy it.

I was absolutely obsessed with the theme tune for Asterix in Britain and finally managed to track it down on Youtube. It's by a Scouse band called Cook Da Books and it's called The Look Out is Out. I'm not sure if Plastic Bertrand's Asterix est là is based on it or vice versa.

[jobotic]

One of my favourites is the Mansions of the Gods. Seem to remember a few gags about the Numidian slave, that I wonder if they are different now.

Laurel Wreath is another favourite.

My grandmother lived in France and I can remember "reading" Spirou comic and Spirou et Fantasio and Gaston LaGaffe books. Still got some yet pathetically my French isn't good enough to read them properly. Love the art though.

[non capisco]

I had no idea that book existed. I may have to buy it.

I was absolutely obsessed with the theme tune for Asterix in Britain and finally managed to track it down on Youtube. It's by a Scouse band called Cook Da Books and it's called The Look Out is Out. I'm not sure if Plastic Bertrand's Asterix est là is based on it or vice versa.

For further trivia points the singer on that Cook Da Books track is Digsy, the bloke Noel Gallagher wrote  'Digsy's Dinner' about. 'Asterix est là' was recorded for a later Asterix animation and is based on the Cook Da Books song which I believe existed before being chosen for the Asterix In Britain soundtrack (which would explain why the lyrics have sod all to do with Asterix).

[daf]

It took me years to understand the names Totorum, Compendium and Laudanum, which were three of the Roman camps surrounding the Gauls' village.  Aquarium, the fourth, was the only one I got as a child.  It was also years before I understood the name Getafix.

Yes - I think I only actually got Totorum last year (I'm 50!) - all this time I was pronouncing it 'Totor-Um' like a massive idiot!

Growing up I had a mix of Welsh and English ones - here's the Welsh version of the Roman Camps :

Compendium = Bagiatrum (Bagiau trwm = heavy bags)
Laudanum = Ariola (Ar ei hôl e = Get after him)
Totorum = Cloclarum (Cloc Larwm = Alarm clock)
Aquarium = Bolatenae (bolau tenau = thin bellies)

. . . and some characters :

Getafix = Crycmalix (Cri-cymalau = arthritis)
Cacafonix = Odlgymix (Odl Gymysg = mixed rhyme)
Vitalstatistix = Einharweinix (Ein harweinydd = Our leader)

[Kankurette]

For further trivia points the singer on that Cook Da Books track is Digsy, the bloke Noel Gallagher wrote  'Digsy's Dinner' about. 'Asterix est là' was recorded for a later Asterix animation and is based on the Cook Da Books song which I believe existed before being chosen for the Asterix In Britain soundtrack (which would explain why the lyrics have sod all to do about Asterix).

That's a musical FMH. I knew he was in Smaller and then the Sums, but not Cook Da Books.

[Pranet]

I regret not reading these when I was a child because I think I would have really loved them. I've read a few as an adult and they were fine- I particularly liked the names of things as discussed on this thread- but I don't have the love of them so many people who read them when they were young do.

The one Asterix book I did have, slightly bizarrely, and still own, is the game book Asterix to the Rescue. It came with a special die and other bits and bobs. I think I was probably a bit too old for this when I got it really.

[Kankurette]

I regret not reading these when I was a child because I think I would have really loved them. I've read a few as an adult and they were fine- I particularly liked the names of things as discussed on this thread- but I don't have the love of them so many people who read them when they were young do.

The one Asterix book I did have, slightly bizarrely, and still own, is the game book Asterix to the Rescue. It came with a special die and other bits and bobs. I think I was probably a bit too old for this when I got it really.

Was that one of the Choose Your Own Adventure ones? I think we had a couple. We had one of the video games as well, the Game Gear one where you could be Asterix or Obelix. They played very differently. Obelix is a bit like Knuckles without the gliding/climbing.

[Glebe]

The one Asterix book I did have, slightly bizarrely, and still own, is the game book Asterix to the Rescue. It came with a special die and other bits and bobs. I think I was probably a bit too old for this when I got it really.

I had that! It came in a plastic pouch-cover thing with the dice and that.

[Pranet]

Yes it is a choose your own adventure type book and is the one with the plastic pouch Glebe had. I doubt until tonight it had been opened for about 30 years but it has quite a lot of stuff in it, a map, various cards, some sort of code reader...

[famethrowa]

Our school library had a good set, great fun and fantastic clever details. Old friends I will always keep with me. I remember being fascinated by the Michelin Man doing a cameo as they were on a highway somewhere.

[bakabaka]

When I was 10 I went on a French exchange and discovered when I got there that none of the family spoke any English. For the first couple of days, the lad I was exchanging with was still at school so I spent 2 days reading and rereading their extensive collection of Astérix books. There were a couple of Lucky Lukes and an Iznogoud or two, but they weren't nearly as enticing.

By the end of the fortnight I was thinking in French and couldn't think of the English word for 'No' on the plane home.

Astérix and the Trauma School of language learning.

[jobotic]

I really liked Iznogoud. Had two English translations

[ASFTSN]

Wrong forum, but I still love The Twelve Tasks of Asterix film.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Loved these. I seem to recall I had the two hardback collections (a red and a blue book), and then a few other single stories which weren't included. Just great adventures to exotic locations which really appealed to me, lovely artwork.

[The Culture Bunker]

I had that! It came in a plastic pouch-cover thing with the dice and that.

Indeed. I had Asterix to the Rescue and the sequel, which I think might have involved going to Britain. One was yellow, the other red, if I remember right.

There was a different "choose your own adventure" type affair that involved you playing as the Chief's cityboy nephew Justforkix, searching for his Uncle, Asterix and Obelix.

I was trying to think what my first Asterix book was after mentioning it on't other thread - I suspect it may have been the one with Cleopatra, where all the Egyptian folk talk in hieroglyphics. I found it very funny that when Obelix tries to speak Egyptian, it comes out as a crappy little stick-man drawing. 

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I was trying to think what my first Asterix book was after mentioning it on't other thread - I suspect it may have been the one with Cleopatra, where all the Egyptian folk talk in hieroglyphics. I found it very funny that when Obelix tries to speak Egyptian, it comes out as a crappy little stick-man drawing.

That's the one where Obelix breaks the Sphinx's nose of and when he gets to have three drops of magic potion to help him smash his way out of a tomb he, Asterix and Getafix are stuck in.

[jobotic]

Loved these. I seem to recall I had the two hardback collections (a red and a blue book), and then a few other single stories which weren't included. Just great adventures to exotic locations which really appealed to me, lovely artwork.

loved the way the sea was drawn. The Great Crossing is beautiful.

[The Culture Bunker]

That's the one where Obelix breaks the Sphinx's nose of and when he gets to have three drops of magic potion to help him smash his way out of a tomb he, Asterix and Getafix are stuck in.

Don't think they ever used the 'Obelix finally getting a bit of potion' trick again. You'd also think the potion's effects would have prevented him getting completely hammered on a bit of wine, like he does in 'Asterix in Britain' and I'm sure one or two other times.

[Astronaut Omens]

Wrong forum, but I still love The Twelve Tasks of Asterix film.

Yes, the "simple administrative formality" scene is probably my favourite bit of all Asterix.

[Keebleman]

Yes - I think I only actually got Totorum last year (I'm 50!) - all this time I was pronouncing it 'Totor-Um' like a massive idiot!

I've only got it this minute, thanks to your post, and I'm 52!  (It is more of a naval-themed pun though rather than infantry.)