Albert Uderzo, the man who helped co-create the Asterix comic books stories about the warriors of Gaul battling the Roman Empire, has died at the age of 92 in his sleep of a heart attack, according to BBC.
First published in 1959, Asterix follows the adventures of a diminutive, yet fearless Gallic warrior as he defends his village from Julius Caesar and his Roman legions. Although he is outnumbered and has modest means compared to the Roman army, Asterix does have in his arsenal, a magic potion that gives him superpowers. He also has the help of best friend Obelix, who, as a child, fell into the druid’s cauldron, in which the magic potion is made.
Since 1959, the Asterix comic strip series, introduced in the French-Belgian comics magazine Pilote, now comprises 38 volumes and is available in 100 languages and sold around the world. Along with co-creating these famous stories, Uderzo also illustrated the stories following Goscinny’s death in 1977.
The Asterix comic series also inspired several TV series and some of France’s highest-budget live-action movies, notably Alain Chabat’s 2002 film “Asterix and Obelix: Meet Cleopatra.” A new film, “Asterix & Obelix, the Silk Road,” is currently being co-developed by Pathé and will be partly set in China. Along with the comics, Asterix is also the mascot of the French amusement park Parc Astérix which is located on the outskirts of Paris.