The big day's here at last! The film ASTERIX AND THE VIKINGS comes out today in Gaul and almost everywhere else in Europe over the next few weeks. Only our Italian friends will be kept on tenterhooks a little longer, as the film won't be released until next March over there… Even on his own territory, the mighty Caesar will be unable to resist the Viking + Gaulish wave any longer, as Obiwankenobix mischievously notes on my blog.
It's a reformed Roman, Plindebonus, who took on the task of preparing the first-rate DVD which can be discovered on our special page. Living up to his name, he has worked his fingers to the bone in order to offer you a collection of gifts. Firstly, there's the film itself, which will come to be considered one of the finest European animated films of all time and in which the Viking aspect is particularly successful. From their base amidst the Scandinavian ice fields, Stefan Fjeldmark and Jesper Møller have done a splendid job. And let's not forget the helping hand of the Franco-Gaulish teams, enthralled at being able to taste the mythical magical potion! It's one to see again and again!
The film is shrewdly complemented by bonus documentaries on the making-of, along with a comparison between the cartoon strip and the film. The amusement park Parc Astérix also manages to get in on the act, by enclosing a special offer for children.

And as you no doubt already know from missive 61, the must-have bonus of the year, not to be missed under any circumstances, is the booklet offered with the French DVD: "THE JUSTFORKIX CODE"! The work that all indomitable youth have been waiting for has finally arrived. I myself investigated the works used by the authors, René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, when creating "Asterix and the Normans" as well as those which inspired the film's screenplay writers! It was all written down in an apocryphal document, christened "Justforkix Codex"! But I sense a certain scepticism among you … Read on: you may already know that Albert Uderzo has done an original drawing of Justforkix for the document, but what you don't know is that, when I asked him for the drawing, specifying that it was to be for the Justforkix Code, he didn't bat an eye or flinch. Not a word was said, he didn't hesitate one minute. He's got some bottle, that druid! In a flat voice, he simply said: "When do you need it?"
I had won, he had not denied it: So René and he really were magi with access to unknown sources. How else can you explain their talents?
So hotfoot it to your favourite shop (or the closest, as these two criteria don't always coincide) and pick up the precious box beyond compare! And don't forget, it's an M6/SND production.

After almost four years of growth, your favourite website is in the throes of a revolution. Some of you have already spotted the first clues, especially on our pre-homepage where there is a random increase in entries on certain sections of the site.
Behind the scenes, I asked Tapidesourix + his cohorts and Obiwankenobix + his tribes to concoct some new, heavyweight material to thrill and surprise you. The translation stock exchange project is almost ready: it has grown exponentially and should be a unique tool in its field on the Net, one of the very first places where you can collaborate with us by adding to this bank in real time. More and more, it seems as if not a week goes by without there being a new translation somewhere in the world. At the same time, nobody can quite agree on the different versions language-by-language and album-by-album … They are all exhausted, but what you are going to discover is explosive…
Check out the site currently under development.

Obelix is delighted: Asterix has finally put the finishing touches to his mobile hut - not to a cart which would transport his roof at the same time as his little kitchen (which remains very rustic to say the least). No, after having settled his stewardship problems, Asterix has set off on a sort of new mini-tour of Gaul as he goes to meet his readers at those major trade fairs which have the good taste to showcase books and the adventures of Asterix in particular, as well as all other cartoon albums.
Consequently, "decorated" with its lovely fairy bells (no girls, this is not a sexist viewpoint, it's true, you looked pretty in the background…Ow, ow!, I'm going to tell Albert about this !… Ow !)...

Hum, anyway, the Asterix hut visited the lovely town of Chambéry at the start of October. The regional daily, the Dauphiné Libéré, even featured a special full-page spread on it (see the visual), including an interview with our director, Sylvie Uderzo. I had just given a roasting to one of the architects, who must have tried to drown our bard's house in something other than goat's milk … This will be sorted out by the time we reach Saint-Malo, the second stopover on our modest tour of Gaul, from 3 to 5 November.
Some of you might say that Asterix and his friend will not have far to travel from their village of origin, I hear you say, but nothing could be further from the truth! You can't imagine how our little Gaul is tiring me out at the moment: first Lutetia, where the letters and all that have to be dealt with, and then from Chambery to Saint-Malo I've had to follow him all the way to Frankfurt to the book fair, then on to Alicante to see if they were turning 2 films into 1 (with a cast that goes far beyond even Caesar's wildest dreams).
Soon, we'll be heading for Montreuil near Lutetia for the young people's book fair, where we'll add a touch of class as we show that comic books are as important as literature, by Toutatis ! After all, it's still reading, isn't it? And that is in spite of the efforts of the resistance who, after 50 years, is still trying to have the comic strip demoted to the ranks of a minor art. Obelix is angry and is going to let people know it!