Asterix

Asterix, formally Asterix the Gaul, is a French comic book franchise created by writer Rene Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo, first serialized in the magazine Pilote in 1959, following the diminutive but shrewd Gaulish warrior Asterix and his enormous friend Obelix in a village of holdouts resisting Roman occupation of Gaul around 50 BC with the aid of a magic strength giving potion brewed by their village druid. The series has been collected into 39 main comic albums to date, translated into more than 100 languages and dialects and selling well over 380 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best selling comic book franchises in the world and a defining work of Franco Belgian comics, known as bande dessinee. The franchise has been adapted into numerous animated films, several live action films starring French actors including Gerard Depardieu as Obelix, video games and a dedicated theme park near Paris, Parc Asterix, and its wordplay heavy character names and gently satirical treatment of national stereotypes across ancient Europe have made it a touchstone of French popular culture.