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Albert Uderzo, the celebrated French illustrator and writer who created the beloved “Asterix” franchise with René Goscinny more than 60 years ago, has died. He was 92. Uderzo’s family told the French newswire Afp that he died in his sleep of a heart attack at his home in Neuilly, near Paris.

Created in 1959, the “Asterix” comic strip series comprises 38 volumes that have been translated into more than 100 languages and sold around the world.

It has also inspired several TV series and some of France’s highest-budget and most successful live-action movies, notably Alain Chabat’s 2002 film “Asterix and Obelix: Meet Cleopatra.” A new movie, “Asterix & Obelix, the Silk Road,” set to be directed by Guillaume Canet, is currently being co-developed by Pathé and will be partly set in China. Asterix is also the mascot of the French amusement park Parc Astérix which is located in the outskirts of Paris.

“Asterix” follows...

Albert Uderzo, the famed French comic book artist, has died at the age of 92.

French wire Afp reported that Uderzo had a heart attack and his death was not coronavirus related.

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“Albert Uderzo died in his sleep at his home in Neuilly, after a heart attack that was not linked to the coronavirus. He had been extremely tired for the past several weeks,” his son-in-law Bernard de Choisy told the agency.

The illustrator created the Asterix comic book series with René Goscinny after they met in 1951. Eight years later, the duo became editor (Goscinny) and artistic director (Uderzo) of the French magazine Pilote, and it was in those pages that they first introduced Asterix,...

This article is sponsored by Hachette Children’s Books.

The latest story in the long running adventures of Asterix The Gaul has arrived and to celebrate we invite you to channel your inner Getafix, take your potion, and see how you fare in our Asterix brain teaser. Ten tricky questions await to see if you know your Amorica from your Celtica, and your Cacophonix from your Dogmatix.

The 38th album in the series, Asterix and the Chieftain’s Daughter sees our diminutive Gaulish hero and his trusty side-kick Obelix embark on a new escapable when they encounter the teenage daughter of venerated chieftain Vercingetorix, who’s on the run from the Romans. Young Adrenalin seeks refuge in the Gaulish stronghold and it’s Asterix and Obelix who are tasked with keeping an eye on the headstrong teen.

Here’s the official synopsis:

“Upheavals and pandemonium are definitely on the horizon!

Pull up a chair and join us for a rundown of all the biggest comics stories from the past seven days, from the surprising inspiration for a new Asterix character to a new Superman just like the old Superman.

Julian Assange inspires an Asterix character

Writer Jean-Yves Ferri and artist Didier Conrad have turned to a surprising inspiration for a new character in the 36th book in the classic French comic series, Asterix and the Missing Scroll.

The journalist called Confoundtheirpolitix - a character caught up in the battle against Julius Caesar's propaganda machine - was inspired by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

According to Agence France-Presse, he came close to being named Wikilix, which would have been no more on the nose than your average Asterix character (we're looking at you, old man Geriatrix).

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