Crowd around for Asterix! Some 200 journalists from the world over elbowed their way through the small Auditorium at the French National Library in Paris on 8 October 16, 2009 as they were treated to an exclusive preview of the incredible banquet of activities being prepared for the 50th anniversary of Asterix and his friends.A new album, stage shows, exhibitions and even a major event that goes by the code name "The Gauls are invading Lutetia", have everyone waiting with bated breath…. Albert Uderzo, Anne Goscinny, Arnaud Nourry (CEO of Hachette Livre) and Isabelle Magnac (manager of Editions Albert René) have announced a programme to make your mouth water! And here, just for you, is a quick peek at the many other surprises in the making… Watch the slide show presenting the press conference. Acknowledgements to Philippe Cauvin for the pictures. |
Thursday 22 October 2009
50 years of fun with Asterix: Now that's something to celebrate!
Asterix is 50 years old! - Press review
Friday 16 May 2008
 Asterix the Gaul, Asterix and Cleopatra, The 12 Tasks of Asterix: three exceptional animated features we all grew up with and which continue to unite Asterix lovers in front of the television each year for endless fun and laughter.These three animated features were the fruit of a fortuitous  association of talents: the visual world and stories created by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny, the unforgettable songs composed by Gérard Calvi and, last but not least, the voices of Asterix and Obelix, just as one imagines them when reading the albums, marvellously interpreted by Roger Carel (Asterix) and Jacques Morel (Obelix).Yet unfortunately only one of these two voices remains after the death of Jacques Morel, on 9 April 2008, much to Obelix's great sorrow. In the Asterix Village, a minute's silence was naturally held to honour the man who prepared the ground for Pierre Tornade and Jacques Frantz with an unforgettable interpretation of Obelix's voice - a voice which we will continue to enjoy every time we watch this animated trilogy, unique in its genre. |
Friday 2 May 2008
Albert Uderzo's studious studio
Press review - Edition - The official asterix.com website
 At a time when the disco years are making a comeback, the names of famous places often ring in our ears, like Studio 54 for example, the famous New York discotheque. Far from the sequined trousers and glitterballs from the 1970s, the legend that is Asterix is nurtured in "Studio 56", where a team of jolly characters bring Albert Uderzo's latest creations to life.Located in Bénifontaine in the Pas-de-Calais department, in the heart of Ch'ti territory (in fact, the water of Bénifontaine is used in the production of the famous Ch'ti beer!), Studio 56 appears above all like a sanctuary for Asterix fans. Inside, Albert Uderzo's drawings take pride of place: the walls are lined with the most exquisite Asterix prints, forming an art gallery documenting nearly 50 years of creativity. You couldn't wish for a more beautiful place to work…  Asterix is first and foremost a living legend, and the team at Studio 56 is bustling about breathing life into Albert Uderzo's projects. On this day alone in March 2008, their work includes elements in an Asterix video game and new graphic creations for the Parc Asterix theme park… At each step of the way, Albert Uderzo passes judgement, moving the creative process forward, correcting the final product if need be and giving his approval to all adaptations of his work.What's more, Albert, we could really use a helping hand! Everyone in Studio 56 is scratching their heads: a slogan is urgently needed for a forthcoming top-secret Asterix operation! Asterix's co-creator retires to his drawing board to seek inspiration… which isn't long in coming! Albert Uderzo returns, all smiles, with a slogan that meets with everyone's approval; advertising executives take note!  Daily life in Studio 56 also involves creating the albums in the Asterix Grand Collection: restoring the inking and lettering, applying new colours - it's a huge project that will keep our studio teams occupied for several years to come! On a more general level, under Albert Uderzo's watchful eye, we carefully supervise the graphic quality of all artwork reproduced from Asterix albums. For the uninitiated, this can often result in some strange conversations: "You see, here, we start off with a small bromide proof, that takes us back a bit… to enlarge this we're going to have to clean up the brush stroke and correct the reproduction defects…". And, in fact, you see what they mean! And you realise to your astonishment just how much work is necessary to ensure that each depiction of Asterix conforms to the quality of the drawings created by Albert Uderzo for his albums.But now there's new mail in the letterbox. It's Albert Uderzo with a new idea, and of course it's urgent! The studio becomes a real hive of activity once again, full of impatience to bring the great leader's new inspiration to life. "Join up", they said? Zigackly! And every day the teams from Studio 56 join forces once again for the cause of Albert Uderzo and Asterix! |
Friday 25 April 2008
Red Beard is over the moon with joy: here is a party in which his pirate crew is invited as a guest, not as a special present to be offered to Asterix and Obelix! Indeed, Albert Uderzo turns 81 today and the whole Asterix Village is gathering to wish him a happy birthday!
Friday 28 March 2008
Albert Uderzo’s autograph sessions
 The year is 1966 AD. The Roman invasion is nothing more than a distant memory from the times of our "Gaulish ancestors". The "pop years" are upon us and all of Gaul appears transfixed by songs from the first modern musical celebrities. However, two authors are still holding out with stories of indomitable Gauls: René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo are in place, on the top floor of Printemps, in Paris, ready for a marathon book-signing session to mark the release of the seventh Asterix album, Asterix and the Big Fight. The staging is set and the scene easy to imagine: all of Printemps is occupied by legions of Asterix fans. Really, you say? Well, actually no, as Albert Uderzo recalls with humour, in his book Uderzo se raconte: "It was a great disappointment because not a single reader came to have their book signed. The wait was incredibly long, and we began to wonder why. We suddenly heard a commotion and a crowd moving about on the floor below, when an employee appeared and grinned as he told us that Sheila was downstairs, signing her latest LP. She had apparently just arrived from a tour in Brussels and had told everyone that she was taking the latest Asterix album back in her luggage! We would have been very happy that day to sign it for her if she had only known that we were right upstairs on the floor above!"  No man is a prophet in his country, concludes Albert Uderzo, recalling that the creative tandem of the most famous Gaul has long been wrongly considered to be Belgian! Times change, but the effects of the Asterix magic potion are still overwhelming: the book-signing session on Tuesday, 18 March 2008, at the Paris Book Fair took place amongst the glare of flashbulbs from Asterix fans' cameras. Sitting at a little table on the edge of the Asterix stand, under a big screen showing an Asterix animated feature in 3D, Albert Uderzo met with 100 of his fans who had pre-registered for the session. In the alleyways of the fair, a new game was starting: "I'm 22, what are you?", "66" and so on. A certain Numbersix might even have become a permanent resident of the Asterix village… Throughout the fair, hundreds of readers swarmed happily around the Asterix stand, much to Albert Uderzo's great pleasure. This year, three titles in particular had won people's hearts: the book of the film Asterix at the Olympic Games, the comic strip album Asterix at the Olympic Games and How Obelix fell into the magic potion when he was a little boy, which all had their place at this stand that took us back to childhood and the village of our long-time heroes. And that is the greatest success of René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo: allowing us to continue living out our childhood dreams! |
Monday 10 March 2008
Albert Uderzo at the Paris Book fair
 The big news for all Asterix fans is that Albert Uderzo will be appearing on 18 March for a special book signing at the Paris Book Fair being held at the Porte de Versailles. It's a rare event which will feed the dreams of millions of Asterix readers throughout Gaul, some of whom will not hesitate to get up with the lark to be sure of their place at the front of the autograph hunters' queue…Here at the Editions Albert René village we therefore held a summit meeting to plan arrangements for this autograph session as well to avoid the collapse of exhausted, starving fans and the furious glances of neighbouring stands overrun by a legion of fans, their arms stacked high with Asterix albums. Given the success of last year's arrangements, it shall once again be the most indomitable fans amongst you who will be rewarded: when the Paris Book Fair opens on 14 March 2008, come and sign up at the Asterix stand to be sure to take part in this very special event.  Finding us couldn't be simpler: go to the Porte de Versailles, Hall 1, Stand T 39. Hmm, I still see worried faces… Will finding the Asterix stand be as difficult as acquiring permit A-38 in "the place that sends you mad" in The Twelve Tasks of Asterix? Not at all! Have no fear: A huge, lighted Asterix balloon flying high above will make the stand impossible to miss!
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