Asterix

Astérix is a French comic book series featuring a small Gaulish warrior of the same name and his loyal friend Obelix. Created by writer René Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo, the character first appeared in Pilote magazine in 1959. The stories are set in 50 BCE in a single Gallic village in Armorica that resists Roman occupation with wit, courage, and a magic potion that grants superhuman strength.

Central characters include Astérix; Obélix, a menhir deliveryman who has permanent superhuman strength after falling into the potion as a child; the druid Getafix (Panoramix in French) who brews the magic potion; the village chief Abraracourcix (Vitalstatistix in English); the bard Cacophonix (Assurancetourix) whose singing is famously unpopular; and Idéfix (Dogmatix) the small dog.

Publication and adaptations: The series expanded into numerous albums and has been translated into dozens of languages. After Goscinny's death in 1977, Uderzo continued the main series; starting in 2013, new stories were created by writer Jean-Yves Ferri and artist Didier Conrad. The Astérix franchise has been adapted into animated and live-action films, television, theatre, and merchandise, and the Parc Astérix theme park near Paris opened in 1989.

Impact: Astérix is one of the most widely translated and longest-running European comic series. It is noted for its mix of adventure, humor, cultural satire, and wordplay, with puns and references across various languages. The work has had a significant cultural influence in Europe and beyond, helping popularize Franco-Belgian comics worldwide.