Asterix and Obelix heros of Gaul, France Asterix Asterix (originally AstÃ©rix) is the fictional hero of a series of comic books created by RenÃ© Goscinny and Albert Uderzo in France. The books have been translated into many languages (including Latin and ancient Greek) and are available in most countries. It's probably the most popular French comic in the world. Setting and characters The stories also feature allusions to major artistic works (such as Pieter Bruegel's Peasant Wedding and Victor Hugo's story of the battle of Waterloo from Les ChÃ¢timents in Asterix in Belgium), historical personalities (Napoleon, Louis XIV of France), famous places (Le Moulin Rouge).... [1] ( However, in many other respects the series reflects life in the 1st century BC as accurately as can be expected from the medium. For example, the multistoried apartments in Rome - the insulae - has Obelix remarking that one man's roof is another man's floor and consequently "These Romans are crazy" - his favourite line.

The text makes relatively regular use of original Latin proverbs, and allusions to Julius Caesar's De Bello Gallico, a book about the conquest of Gaul, later used as an introductory text to Latin. Some jokes are made about Caesar's use of the third person to write about himself. Asterix is very "punny" A key feature of the text of the Asterix books are the constant puns used as names of characters; The names of the two protagonists come from the French names for the asterisk and the obelisk. English language examples include the chief (Vitalstatistix), the druid (Getafix), the woeful bard of the village (Cacofonix), the fishmonger (Unhygienix), an old man (Geriatrix) with a young wife. Incidental characters often feature names like "Hiphiphurrax" and "Mykingdomforanos". This punning tradition occurs in other languages; for example, in the French original, the chief is called "Abraracourcix", derived from the phrase "Ã bras raccourcis" meaning 'with arms raised and ready, ready to punch'.

The Egyptian in AstÃ©rix LÃ©gionnaire is named "CourdetÃ©nis" in French, "Ptenisnet" in English. As a kind of visual pun, minor characters often resemble famous people or fictional characters. Notable examples include Britain's most famous bards, in Asterix in Britain, who are four in number and look like the Beatles; and a pair of Belgian warriors in Asterix in Belgium who resemble Thomson and Thompson of the Belgian Tintin comic book. More recently, this has occasionally extended to major characters: in Asterix and the Black Gold, a Roman spy is Sean Connery as James Bond, and in Asterix and Obelix All at Sea, the leader of the escaped slaves is Kirk Douglas as Spartacus. List of volumes Asterix Survey Asterix This quiz has been written by QuizQuizQuiz to help Giles Coren prepare for his Celebrity Mastermind appearance. Answers will be posted on Twitter in due course, although you can of course find them all with a bit of careful Google work. * 1. What is the name of Asterix's father? * 2.

Which real-life Gaulish warrior is the "chieftain" in question in the title of 'Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield'? * 3. In 'Asterix and Son', which couple does the baby turn out to be the son of? * 4. Which volume, published in the UK in 1973, was the first whose English title did not contain Asterix's name? * 5. Along with Anthea Bell, who translated all the 'Asterix' volumes into English? * 6. What is the role of the Thompson twins from 'Tintin' when they turn up in 'Asterix in Belgium'? * 7. Which modern city had the name of Lutetia in the 'Asterix' books? * 8. In 1959, 'Asterix' was first serialised in which French magazine? * 9. What is the character known in French as Panoramix called in the English 'Asterix' books? * 10. What is the character name of the Sean Connery caricature in 'Asterix and the Black Gold'? * 11.

In 'Asterix and the Roman Agent', what colour are the speech bubbles caused by the troublemaking Convolvulus? * 12. In 1962's 'Asterix the Gladiator', Obelix first uses which famous four-word catchphrase? * 13. Cassius Ceramix, whom Vitalstatistix has to go up against in 'Asterix and the Big Fight', is the chief of which village? * 14. In which 'Asterix' story does the blacksmith Fulliautomatix spend the closing banquet tied up with his ears full of parsley, since his nemesis Cacofonix is the guest of honour for his heroic deeds in the book? * 15. What is the name of the drunken Roman legionary to whom Caesar gives Asterix's village as a joke in 'Asterix and Caesar's Gift'? * 16. What was the title of the 1976 animated feature film based on the 'Asterix' comic book series? * 17. In 'Asterix and the Banquet' what local delicacy do Asterix and Obelix collect from Massilia? * 18.

The Britons refuse to drink Getafix's magic potion without a dash of what? * 19. In which 'Tintin' story can a character be seen wearing an Asterix costume at a carnival? * 20. Which was the first of the 'Asterix' books designed and written by Albert Uderzo alone, following the death of Rene Goscinny? Finish See how easy it is to create a survey . T Vitalstatistix - Read Asterix Comics Online Read Asterix Comics Online Read Online nothing entered Chief Vitalstatistix is the leader of the Gaulish village. He is a middle-aged, overweight man with red hair, pigtails and a huge moustache. He is generally reasonable, well-informed, fearless, (comparatively) even-tempered and unambitious – the last much to the chagrin of his wife Impedimenta. His major failings are his love of good food and drink (it is unlikely to be a coincidence that his wife is the best cook in the village) – which has led to health problems – and his pride.

As a Gaulish chief he prefers to travel on a shield, carried by two shield bearers (they say pride comes before a fall… and he finds creative new ways to fall off the shield in almost every book). The names of the shield bearers are never mentioned. Vitalstatistix fought at the battle of Alesia where Caesar (almost) completed his conquest of Gaul, before becoming chief of the village. In Asterix and the Chieftain’s Shield it was revealed that the shield he is carried on originally belonged to the legendary Gaulish warrior chief Vercingetorix.[2] His father was the village chief before him. He has a brother, Doublehelix, in Lutetia who has a young daughter and a son, Justforkix. The introduction to each story states that Vitalstatistix has only one fear “that the sky may fall on his head tomorrow”; however, he rarely alludes to this in an actual story, and then only as a rallying cry: “We have nothing to fear but …”.

This characteristic is based on a real historical account where Gallic chieftains were asked by Alexander the Great what they were most afraid of in all the world, and replied that their worst fear was that the sky mught fall on their heads.[3] Although the chief of the village, his role in most plots is usually minor, commonly featuring him granting Asterix and Obelix permission to go on their latest missions, although he has shown a greater involvement in stories such as Asterix in Belgium, where he travelled to Belgium to defend his honour when Caesar apparently proclaimed that the Belgians were the bravest of all the Gaulish peoples, or Asterix and Caesar’s Gift, where he ran against a new arrival in the village for the position of chief. French: Abraracourcix (“à bras raccourcis” – “with arms up ready to fight”) – this is the same in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and (original) Dutch (although the “o” is usually dropped) In English, his name is a pun on Vital statistics – the government birth and death records of a region and also an expression for a person’s measurements (a comment on his size).

In the American translation, he was Macroeconomix from macroeconomics. NOTE: In the English version of the Asterix the Gaul film, he also appears to have been called Tonnabrix (spelling isn’t confirmed), and in the American dub of the Asterix and the Big Fight film he is called Bombastix. In Catalan, he is Copdegarròtix (“cop de garrot” – “club hit”) In German, Greek, Latin and Scandinavian, he is Majestix from majestic; similarly in new Dutch translations he is Heroix from heroic. In Esperanto he is Moŝtiks (“via moŝto” – your highness) In Finnish he is Aladobix, referring to ‘aladobi’, a Finnish jelly-like dish containing meat (from the French à la daube) In Hungarian, he is Hasarengazfix, which means ‘His belly surely shakes’ In Polish, he is Asparanoiks, referring to ‘paranoia’, the fear of the sky falling on his head. In Turkish, Toptoriks, alluding to his roundness. In Brazilian Portuguese, his name is usually shortened to Abracurcix.

In Hindi translation, his name is mentioned as मुखिया मोटुमालिक्स (Mukhiya Motumallix), which literally means, ‘The Fat Chief’ In Bengali , the chief has a name phonetically similar to some extent to his English one: Bishalakritix, taken from the root bishalakriti, which aptly means “of huge proportions”. In Hebrew, his name is לוחמאמיקס (lokhem-amix), meaning ‘brave warrior’. In Serbian, He is Дрматорикс (Drmatoriks/Drmatorix), from “drmator”, a slang term for Communist era movers and shakers (“drmati” means “to shake”) In Welsh, he is Einharweinix, from ein harweinydd (our leader) In Greek film variations he was called Χοντρομπαλίξ, from χοντρομπαλάς (dubbing a man “fat ball”), but is currently referred to as Μαζεστίξ (from French majestueux, i.e.

majestic).He was also formerly called Μοναρχίξ (Monarchix) from the word μονάρχης (monarch) but the name changed in the later book translations after 1991. In Sinhalese – “Loku Pappa” which means Big or Head/Leader Ast�rix / Characters - TV Tropes Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold : Blond-haired and the most heroic of the main cast. Heterosexual Life-Partners : With Obelix. Best friends, comrades in arms and typically roommates. Indy Ploy : His plans are often on-the-spot improvisations. They don't always work. Invincible Hero : Asterix himself is one. Every single battle between Romans (or, really, anyone) and Asterix and the rest of the Gauls, results in the Gauls curb-stomp their opponents, thanks to their magic potion that grants Super Speed , Super Reflexes , Super Strength , and arguably Nigh-Invulnerability . Plus, even in case of a shortage, they have Obelix , who doesn't need to drink any potion since he fell in it during his childhood, and the effect never wore off.

As a result, the Romans never, ever, in any comic, manage to gain the smallest durable advantage over the Gauls. Most plot tension actually comes from Asterix being excessively prudent and avoiding confrontation with Roman troops, even though he and Obelix are more than able to defeat hundreds of Elite Mooks on their own, and have already done so a few times. When trying to steal Caesar's laurel wreath, Asterix states that the magic potion doesn't protect from being harmed by Roman weapons. Whether it's true or not is unclear, but they never seem to be hurt anyway. note What he seems to be getting at at the time is that the legionaries they're used to are the rank and file, but the ones who guard Caesar himself are, logically, in a whole different league and going to be skilled enough to do some real harm before the Gauls can land a punch. Getafix in the first volume did mention that the potion doesn't stop injury and Asterix had been knocked out once from a catapult shot in "Asterix and Obelix All at Sea" but by the nature of the comic book even non Amusing Injuries aren't lethal.

Mercury's Wings : His helmet has decorative wings, as do those of some other Gauls. Expressive Accessory : His helmet's wings are in different positions depending on his mood. Only Sane Man : Shares the role with Getafix. Never falls for superstitions, fads, and political passions. Ornamental Weapon : His sword. He tends to use his fists as his main weapon and rarely draws his sword. Occasionaly subverted. For example in Asterix and Caesar's Gift, he used it to duel a Roman drunkard and later on cut a rope. He has also used it to slice food on occasion. Pint-Sized Powerhouse : He is very short but is a powerhouse hero. Mainly after taking the magic potion, but Asterix can still hold his own without it. Punny Name : From French "astérisque", English "asterisk", a small typographical symbol (*) used for footnotes. It originally comes from Greek "asteriskos" meaning small star, and he is the small star of the series. Shorter Means Smarter : Is much smaller than Obelix. He is the smarter of the two. The Snark Knight : Especially in the first live action movie.

Vitriolic Best Buds : Astérix and Obélix have an argument or falling-out pretty much Once per Episode . It never takes long for them to make up, though. Obelix Obelix Obelodaliges Asterix's best friend and constant companion. As a baby, he fell into a cauldron of magic potion and drank quite a bit. Because of that, he's absolutely huge, and always wants to drink more potion (though Getafix won't let him). He sells menhirs. Acrofatic : He is very fat, but he has super-strength, is invincible in combat, and can defeat a Roman legion single-handed. It's canon that he fell in a cauldron of magic potion when he was little and is thus permanently under the effect of the potion. And don't call him fat . He's just well-covered. Both Obelix and Asterix mention a few times that Obelix is considered an excellent dancer - in fact, one of the best in the village. He only does this a few times, but he is consistently very talented, if indelicate with his partners. By contrast, Asterix (who is not fat) openly admits that he's a terrible dancer.

According to Asterix and Obelix's Birthday, Obelix is brilliant at Twister. Art Evolution : Obelix started off quite crude and lumpy-looking but got more rounded, cuter features. Obelix also traded pointed helmet horns for small nubby ones, lost his body hair, and stopped carrying an axe. Badass Mustache : An invincible warrior, sporting a prominent red mustache. Trademark Favorite Food : Roasted wild boars. Unskilled, but Strong : Due to being permanently superpowered, he hasn't even had the benefit of unpowered combat training the others had. This is demonstrated abundantly in the (non-canon) comic The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, where one of the trials pits him and Obelix against a Germanic Judo-master. Obelix's attempts to smash through him with brute force are effortlessly redirected, and he quickly proves entirely unable to hurt the little man, receiving his first and only legitimate defeat. Fortunately, Asterix is there to effectively talk the man into submission...

or, rather, distract him with talk and an interest in the man's fighting style that gets the poor German to give Asterix instructions and allow himself to be used as a training dummy, realising he's helped Asterix subdue him only after having his arms and legs tied into knots. There was also an instance of a gladiator trainer who could actually *dodge* Obelix's telephoned Megaton Punch blows, at which point Asterix stepped in, punching the dude into the air with a Lightning Bruiser blow, chiding Obelix with a "That's how you do it!" Vitriolic Best Buds : Astérix and Obélix have an argument or falling-out pretty much Once per Episode . It never takes long for them to make up, though. Dogmatix (Idefix) Dogmatix (Idefix) Obelix's pet dog.

Anthropomorphic Shift : A very subtle version, as he's always portrayed as a Nearly Normal Animal — but as the comic develops he shifts from an Almost Normal Animal (almost entirely a normal dog, with a dog's level of understanding and reasoning) to a Mostly Normal Animal (a lot more aware, using more human-like gestures) and up to a Largely Normal Animal (human-level intelligence, capable of a wide variety of humanlike gestures and expressions, and in the spin-off stories focusing on him he's shown as being able to communicate freely with all other animals ). The short comic Chanticleerix even strongly implies that he can talk to Obelix as well. Art Evolution : Dogmatix goes from a squarer, more terrier-like look with drooping ears to a more anthropomorphised, Disney-like appearance with raised ears. Ascended Extra : He was introduced as a literal Running Gag character in Asterix and the Banquet, as a tiny little dog that keeps following Asterix and Obelix aroud without them noticing. Readers liked him so much that he returned in the next album as Obelix's dog, and would go on to play important parts in later stories, even starring in short books and comics of his own.

Berserk Button : He doesn't like it when someone knocks down a tree. Canine Companion : The near-constant companion to Obelix. He's a cute little white dog, and very intelligent. Obelix might insist from time to time to give him some important tasks. Killer Rabbit : On occasions, he will drink Magic Potion of his own, allowing him to become practically as dangerous as the Gauls. Punny Name : From "dogmatic", adhering to beliefs without fail, which also contains "dog". It's fortuitously close to the French original which puns on idée fixe, "fixed idea". Running Gag : Frequently when Asterix and Obelix are about to travel, Asterix will try to convince Obelix to leave him behind, only for Obelix to find a way to take him anyway. Any time a tree comes down... HOOOOOOOWWWWWWWL! Team Pet : Whenever the Gauls go on a mission, Dogmatix tends to serve as the literal team pet. Getafix (Panoramix) Getafix (Panoramix) The elder and druid of the village. He is responsible for the creation of the magical potion that made the village invincible.

Badass Grandpa : Not in the sense that he is good at fighting, but in the first book of the series, he gets captured and tortured by Romans for hours to get him to reveal the secret of Magic Potion. He remains completely impervious to it. In one story, he did drink his own potion and fought Romans alongside Asterix. Cool Old Guy : Significantly older than the the duo of heroes, maker of the magic potion, speaker of Gothic, one of the calmest and most sensible inhabitants of the village, and Badass Grandpa with Magnificent Bastard tendencies. No wonder the Romans are after him. Distressed Dude : He's the most-frequently captured of the Gauls, due to his knowledge and crucial role in providing the magical potion to the village. Kidnapped Scientist : Well Clarke's third rule and all that. Druid : A magical version. Grumpy Old Man : At times, especially in the first live action movie.

Holding Back the Phlebotinum : A lot of the stories centered around the village wouldn't work if he wasn't either on a trip or incapacitate to explain the villagers that they are being morons Punny Name : Getafix (" get a fix "), Magigimix ("magic gimmicks"). Or the German variant, Miraculix ("miracle"). The Smart Guy : Smarter and more educated than the other characters. Wizard Beard : Well, Druid Beard at least. He has a long beard and magical powers of his own. Vitalstatistix (Abraracourcix) Vitalstatistix (Abraracourcix) The chief of the village. Authority Equals Asskicking : Played with. If there is an all-out threat that Asterix and Obelix can't manage alone, he takes the potion to fight like everybody else... but he always ends dropped to the floor by his carriers. On the other hand, he's shown to be either the second strongest person of the village after Obelix (whose Super Strength is active all the time), enough to deliver a Megaton Punch without magic potion.

Butt Monkey : Let's see, he has an overbearing wife, his carriers keep dropping him, and his village constantly fights amongst themselves with the slightest provocation. Embarrassing Nickname : "Piggywiggy", by his wife. Henpecked Husband : He is frequently berated and ordered around by his wife, Impedimenta, and is a frequent object of her Hair-Trigger Temper . Meaningful Name / Punny Name : Vitalstatisix, vital statistics, Macroeconomix, macro economics, Tunnabrix, Ton of Bricks. "Vital statistics" can refer to a person's measurements, thus it's a pun on his girth and weight. Only Sane Man : Views himself as one, but usually isn't. He tries to be reasonable but loses his temper easily, leads Asterix and Obelix into foolhardy quests (or assigns them anyway without bothering to go himself), and has a weakness for soothsayers. On the other hand, when calm, Vitalstatistix can be reasoned with, and, when a mass delusion strikes the village, he's often among the last to crack.

Proud Warrior Race Guy : It often gets lost in the silliness, but he actually is one, and it's also the major source of his personal pride. Like Geriatric, he is very proud to have personally participated in the Battle of Gergovia, and he is also very proud to be independent from Rome. It becomes most apparent in Asterix and the Belgians, where he, unlike virtually every other villager, is deeply offended that the Romans don't fear them as much as they used to, let alone less than somebody else and even sets out to correct this on his own when nobody else shows interest. Reasonable Authority Figure : In his good days. He is proud, easy to anger, and can be fooled or misled easily. But he is neither corrupt, nor tyrannical. He is a honorable man who fights along with his men and tries to take care of their interests. Too Important to Walk : He's held up on a shield by two Gauls. Unfortunately for his image, he ends up falling off for one reason or another (the main one being that the carriers are two different sizes).

Cacofonix (Assurancetourix) Cacofonix (Assurancetourix) The village bard and school teacher who is infamous for his bad singing voice. Always Camp : He's a singer, therefore has camp mannerisms and an imagined image of himself as a great, tortured artist. Art Evolution : Cacofonix was altered from an older man to look like he was in his late twenties or so, became much skinnier and more angular, and his hair went from a smooth bob to Barbarian Longhair with a sticky-up fringe and finally to an entertainingly anachronistic 1970s rock star hairstyle. Born in the Wrong Century : An Alternate Character Interpretation - In Asterix and the Normans it's implied he'd be The Rock Star nowadays, but no-one understands his art because it's 50BC. Later books dispense with this idea. Butt Monkey / Chew Toy : Is frequently tied up at the end of the book when the villagers are celebrating. Not allowed to sing and bother the other Gauls. note Frequently, but not always; he is present at the banquet in about a third of the books.

He is also prevented from singing and gets beaten up, or otherwise incapacitated by other Gauls, most frequently by Fulliautomatix. Drama Queen : Never makes a fuss about his physical mistreatment by the other characters unless he wasn't going to sing, but other than that there is no misfortune he can't overreact to. Dreadful Musician : On occasion he's been shown to be an acceptable musician - for example, in Asterix and the Normans - but a terrible, terrible singer. He's so bad that he can cause storms to generate indoors . The other characters think nothing of resorting to violence to shut him up. None of this penetrates his illusion that he is a poetic genius... Fired Teacher : In Asterix and the Secret Weapon he was fired from his role as the village school teacher. Flanderization : Dreadful Musician Cacofonix starts out as at least an average bard - Asterix blows off listening to his music once due to being busy (which annoyed him) and the people sitting near to his performance at the final banquet are cringing with their hands over their ears, but the villagers also perform a plot-important traditional dance to his music with every indication that they are enjoying it.

As the series progresses other characters, especially Fulliautomatix the blacksmith, start beating him up to prevent him from singing, which develops into a running gag, and he's shown to live in a hut at the top of a tree, where no-one can hear him. By the time Uderzo took over writing, he was so bad that he causes rain whenever he plays, which develops to the point where he ends up being so bad that merely playing a few notes creates an apocalyptic rainstorm that lasts for days. Giftedly Bad : Despite his complete lack of music and singing talent, there are several characters over the course of the series who absolutely love his singing, and it has saved the day several times (such as by teaching the Normans the meaning of fear in Asterix and the Normans, or ending the Ganges valley drought in Asterix and the Magic Carpet). That said he seems to be a good teacher. High Hopes, Zero Talent : In Astérix and the Normans, Cacofonix, who is a good instrumentalist but a unspeakably awful singer, is told off-the-cuff that his music is really good and he might do better in the city.

Cacofonix becomes obsessed with this idea, and convinced that he will be a huge pop star there. He steals a horse and tries to ride there, singing for food. When he becomes needed as a Human Weapon against Horny Vikings, Obelix manages to locate him again, solely by following the trail of destruction caused by the pain and outrage of people exposed to his music. In particular, in one inn his voice caused a brawl so terrible the building was torn to pieces. Hollywood Costuming : Cacofonix's slowly evolving design caused him to end up with something of a 1970s retro-50s hairstyle around the time that this was happening in Real Life , but this is definitely intentional and based on his personality . Meaningful Name / Punny Name : Cacofonix, cacophony; Malacoustix, Mal + acoustics... less so in the original French (Assurances tous risques = Comprehensive insurance). Then again, while that would be seldom necessary, his treehouse is the best lookout spot for, say, a Roman attack. Nice Guy : He's said to be a very pleasant person as long as you don't let him sing.

This is explicitly stated multiple times to be the reason why the Gaulish villagers keep him around at all, despite Cacofonix being a pretentious, delusional nuisance otherwise. Once you get past how Giftedly Bad he is and his complete inability to recognise it, he's shown to be among the most caring, thoughtful and reasonable of the villagers. Non-Action Guy : Unlike the other men of the village, he rarely takes part in fighting the Romans, only fighting when it is personal or there is no other option. Though he does do so once, beating the crap out of the Normans with a horn. He's outright identified in one book as the villager the Romans fear the least (and thus the best candidate to be kidnapped as a "present" for Caesar). Small Name, Big Ego : Despite being a terrible singer, he thinks he is a talented one. The almost universally negative reactions of everyone who hears him do nothing to dispel his illusion. Suckiness Is Painful : Cacofonix's singing voice is so bad, it is the only thing that can teach the meaning of fear to the Normans. In fact short exposure to it mentally scars them. It also summons thunderstorms and drives the wildlife away.

Fulliautomatix Semiautomatiges (Cetautomatix) Fulliautomatix Semiautomatiges (Cetautomatix) The blacksmith of the village. Art Evolution : Fulliautomatix completely changes in both face and body from a rather plain overweight late-40s man with blond hair, to a late-30s, muscular, proud-looking character with hairy arms and red hair (although it's inconsistent). He also stopped wearing a shirt and replaced it with a leather apron. Family Theme Naming : His father is Semiautomatix. Those Two Guys : With Unhygienix. They are almost always paired in scenes in which they appear. Vitriolic Best Buds : With Unhygienix. He mocks the stale fish of the fishmonger and regularly starts brawls with him. But he always hangs out with him and they frequently fight side by side. He has also let on on a couple of occasions that he doesn't really hate Cacofonix either.

Unhygienix (Ordralfabetix) Unhygienix (Ordralfabetix) The fisherman of the village, also sells his fish (imported from Lutetia by ox cart, a two-weeks trip) in the market. Berserk Button : Don't say his fish isn't fresh. Does Not Like Shoes : He's always barefoot. Honor Before Reason : This is the reason why his fish isn't fresh: he could easily get fresh fish by going fishing in the sea right next to the village, but he insists on ordering it from Lutetia on the grounds that all the best fish gets to Lutetia. Trouble is, Lutetia (Paris) is over one hundred miles from the sea, and in the time of the books (50BC) the journey took two weeks. By the time the fish arrives in Unhygienix's shop, it's been caught in the sea, carted to Lutetia, and carted all the way back to Armorica again. Refrigeration technology was not available in 50BC. It's a wonder that Unhygienix's fish hasn't dissolved into mush.

Meaningful Name : In the British edition, he's Unhygienix. In the American, he's Epidemix. His wife's name, appropriately enough, is Bacteria. Shamu Fu : His preferred method of fighting. Those Two Guys : With Fulliautomatix. They are almost always paired in scenes in which they appear. Vitriolic Best Buds : Again, with Fulliautomatix. He mocks the stale fish of the fishmonger and regularly starts brawls with him. But he always hangs out with him and they frequently fight side by side. Geriatrix (Agecanonix) Geriatrix (Agecanonix) The oldest villager. Adaptational Wimp : His live-action counterpart in the first movie is much more played as a Butt Monkey . Badass Grandpa : Beats a Roman legionary three times his size with the Roman's own club. Crazy Jealous Guy : Only time he drops the whipped husband is when his wife so much as comment on someone's else physique. Dirty Old Man : Though it's not as obvious as more well-known examples.

Rolling Pin of Doom and Frying Pan of Doom : Her Weapons Of Choice every time she gets into a Cat Fight or the rare times she fights the Romans for real along with the rest of the villagers. Mrs. Geriatrix (Mme Agecanonix) Mrs. Geriatrix (Mme Agecanonix) Geriatrix's young, sexy and nameless wife. Cat Fight : Often gets into these with Impedimenta. A variation as well since both women have quite a violent streak. Mayï¿½December Romance : She is still a very young woman. Her husband looks like he could be her grandfather. Ms. Fanservice : The most obvious example in the comic. No Name Given : She's one of few characters who is never named, in any language. She has been referred to as "Geriatrix's Wife" and "Mrs Geriatrix," but never gets a name of her own. Statuesque Stunner : Sexy character and also the tallest woman in the village. Ugly Guy, Hot Wife : She is extremely attractive. Her husband is an unattractive old man. Panacea (Falbala) A beautiful villager. First introduced in Asterix the Legionary.

All Love Is Unrequited : Obelix has a crush on her...but she's engaged (and later married). A trendy teenager and Vitalstatistix's nephew. Lovable Coward : To the point where the Normans want him to teach them fear. Jerk with a Heart of Gold : After spending the entire book cowering in fear from the Normans and generally behaving like a spoiled brat, he [1] and angrily turned on the Normans for wasting everyone's time with their idiotic idea that they'd be able to fly. He's also the only character ever to give Cacofonix praise and encouragement. Totally Radical : Is a caricature of contemporary teens, even to the point of playing Cacofonix's harp like a guitar. Cassius Ceramix (Aplusbégalix) Cassius Ceramix (Aplusbégalix) The chief of a neighbouring village, who has thrown his lot in with the Romans, and who Vitalstatistix has to fight in Asterix and the Big Fight. The Brute : He's big, rude, aggressive, only half-educated about Roman ways, and obnoxious. Until he gets hit by a menhir.

Cultured Badass : After being hit by a menhir, in common with all the other characters in the book that this happens to (except Vitalstatistix), he becomes incredibly polite. Punny Name : Doubles as a Shout-Out to Muhammad Ali 's birth name, Cassius Clay, although that and ability in the ring are the only two things he has in common with Ali. The Quisling : He's cut his hair short, shaved off his moustache, wears Roman clothes and has a part-Roman name, but more than that he's forcing his people to speak Latin and behave like Romans. He has no problem at all with fighting Vitalstatistix in order to take over the village, and the fact that the village will finally be absorbed into the Roman empire is, for him, a side bonus. Romans Julius Caesar Julius Caesar The leader of Rome based on the Real Life person . A recurring villain of the series. Anti-Villain : Usually Type I . He is a decent emperor in the comic but he still takes pride in conquering regions.

Badass Cape : "Would you mind returning to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar?" Bad Boss : He repays those who serve him well, but his zero tolerance for failure means that penalty for unsuccessful attempts is becoming lion toast. Big Bad : The Roman Empire wouldn't have been on the village's threshold if it wasn't for him. Phrase Catcher : "Et Tu Brute." The Starscream : Asterix and Son reveals Brutus was after the "son" Asterix had because that was really Caesaerion, the son of Caesar and Cleopatra, and Brutus had tried to find AND kill the child to secure his ascention to the Roman throne. This story shows him out for once as a true Big Bad , and Caesar is aghast at this treachery. Took a Level in Jerkass : He never really was portrayed as particularly nice, but in Asterix and Son, he ascends to full-fledged villain who Would Hurt a Child .note Historically, the man who ordered the death of Caesarion was none other than Julius Caesar's nephew, Augustus . Top-Heavy Guy : Like most of the centurions, has huge hairy arms and chest with normal-sized legs.

Other characters The Pirates The Pirates Better To Sink Than Be Sunk : On occasion, they will scuttle their own ship when Asterix and Obelix turn up; it saves them a few knocks and amounts to the same thing in the end. It gets pretty hilarious if they sink it when Asterix and Obelix didn't intend to attack them anyways. Boomerang Bigot : The captain seems to be a Gaul himself - he has a red beard and hair, wears a horned helmet, and swears by Gaulish gods. Chew Toy : Almost always getting their ship destroyed, and it's hilarious. Especially when it was destroyed by exploding Corsican cheese . Expy / Affectionate Parody : All of the pirates are expies of the characters from the Barbe Rouge (Redbeard) comics created by Jean-Michel Charlier and Victor Hubinon (and which, like Asterix itself, first appeared in the French comics periodical Pilote). Elmuh Fudd Syndwome : The Funetik Aksent of Baba, the African Lookout, has blanks instead of the letter "R".

Failure Is the Only Option : They're never shown to successfully pillage anyone, always getting beat up, having their ship sunk, or both. Goldfish Poop Gang : An accidental example since they never attempt to follow the Gauls and always happen to meet them by the cruelest of ironies. Ineffectual Sympathetic Villains : It gets to the point that they're not even really villains as much as victims anymore. No Name Given : Until Asterix and Obelix all at Sea (the captain is still unnamed). The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything : Other than get their ship sunk. Throw the Dog a Bone : At the end of Asterix and the Cauldron, money literally falls out of the sky onto their ship. Yank the Dog's Chain : "They're all in Roman uniform; we can take 'em." Guess who's on board! Cleopatra Cleopatra The queen of Egypt. Bad Boss : The whole reason that the Gauls make the trip to Egypt is to save Edifis from the consequences of failing her.

Behind the Black : It's a recurring joke that Cleopatra makes her entrance completely unnoticed by the characters currently on-pannel despite her usually traveling on a giant golden throne carried by several dozen slaves, with armed guards and sometimes animals by her side . And despite the sheer size, opulence and crowd around her, no one is ever aware she's here until she makes her presence known. Asterix and Son sees her arriving on a 2 story tall golden Sphinx on 10 wheels, pulled by dozens of slaves, and yet she's only noticed once she tells Caesar the baby Brutus is pursuing is his - this is despite the fact that Obelix and Brutus were BOTH facing the direction from which she arrived the previous panel! You Have Failed Me : Threatens Edifis with this. Edifis (Numerobis) Edifis (Numerobis) The best architect in Alexandria...which isn't saying much. Edifis' ramshackled buildings are the joke of everyone not living in them. In spite of this, he's given the job of constructing the palace for Caesar in three months, or be fed to the sacred crocodiles.

Luckily for him, he happens to be friend with Getafix, and manages to convince him to help with magic potion. Adaptational Badass : In the comic, he ends up as a Distressed Dude who has to be saved by Asterix and Obelix. In the live-action movie, he turns into a Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass after Getafix gave him magic potion and eventually manages to defeat a similarly magic potion-powered Artifis in a duel. Bizarrchitecture : His buildings, his house in particular. Blue and Orange Morality : He refused Artifis' Heads I Win, Tails You Lose offer not out of pragmatism but on grounds that Artifis works his slaves to death. He's not the least bit intimidated of being fed to the crocodiles, if anything, he fears his constant stress would make him unpalatable to the sacred crocodiles. Distressed Dude : He gets kidnapped by Artifis in the comics. Reasonable Authority Figure : He's in charge of the palace construction, but does his to make things run smoothly. His best decision was getting his Gaulish friends involved.

Artifis (Amonbofis) Artifis (Amonbofis) Edifis's rival in architecture. Artifis would like nothing more than see Edifis fed to the crocodiles, and works to sabotage the construction. Adaptational Villainy : In the comic, he actually ends up reconciling with Edifis and making a Heelï¿½Face Turn . In the live-action movie, Edifis makes him the same offer, only for him to pull a Redemption Rejection . Ascended Extra : He was a Disk One Final Boss in the comic, where he is defeated at the end of the first half and replaced by the Romans. In the live-action movie, he gets a bigger role, actually joins force with the Roman and even has a climatic duel with Edifis. Tear the Messenger Apart with Wild Horses : Why Rhetoric lies about Getafix's response and then tries to bolt. Rhetoric (Cloridric) Metric's interpreter, and later one of at least ten rival kuningōz. Blatant Lies : In the hopes of saving his own neck. Oh Crap!

: "He speaks Gothic [sic]." "He speaks Gothic." Omniglot : He is an interpreter. The Starscream : With a little help from Getafix's trademark brew. Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds : Starts off rather pitiable, but becomes chief of the Goths, which goes to his head. You Have Outlived Your Usefulness : Plans to pressure-boil our heroes when this happens. Olaf Timandahaf (Olaf Grossebaf) Olaf Timandahaf (Olaf Grossebaf) Kuningaz of the Normans, he kidnaps Justforkix to learn the meaning of fear. Are you an expert on ASTERIX? Are you an expert on ASTERIX? Here is a test to see if you are a real Asterixophile Translated by Y. Scott-Tennent from an article by Antonio Trashorras in el suplemento del País 1 Vitalstatistix, the brave chief of the Gaul tribe, is only afraid of one thing. What is it? That the Romans will discover the formula for the druid Getafix's magic potion. That the sky may fall on his head tomorrow. His wife Impedimenta.

In how many of Asterix's adventures does Queen Cleopatra appear ? In all of them In one, Asterix and Cleopatra In two, Asterix and Cleopatra and Asterix's Son 3 According to the map at the beginning of all Asterix books, what is the name of the four fortified Roman camps that surround the indomitable Gaulish village ? Aquarium, Totorum , Laudanum and Compendium. Babaorum, Fructuarum, Piscatorum and Petibonum. Olitorum, Acuarium, Siliginarum and Aquitanium. 4 Which of the following places has Asterix not had an adventure in ? Corsica. What year was Asterix created in and what weekly supplement did he originally appear in ? In 1959 for the Tintin magazine. In 1959, for a magazine called Pilote. In 1965 for a magazine called A Suivre. 6 In Asterix the Gaul, the first album in the series, the Romans think they have got hold of the secret magic potion which makes the Gaul so strong.

However, they are duped, because the potion they drink is not the real one and instead of making them stronger, what in fact happens is that It makes their tongues go dark red. It makes their hair grow and grow. It makes them sleepy. How many albums end with a scene of an enormous banquet in the Gaulish village? All of them. All of them except Asterix and Cleopatra. All of them except The tour of Gaul and Asterix and Cleopatra. 8 By the way, all of the inhabitants of the village except for one seem to participate in these banquets. Who is left out ? Obelix, because he is not allowed to eat too much wild boar so that he won't get any fatter. Getafix, the old druid, because he usually falls asleep before them. Cacofonix, the bard, who is usually tied up so that he won't sing during the party. 9 All the banquets shown are in the Gaulish village and, usually, in the moonlight. All of them except for one, which is held in Armorica, under a bright sunshine and another in a destroyed Roman garrison in The Chieftain's Shield.

a Norman village in Asterix and the Normans. Cleopatra's opulent galleon in Asterix's Son. 10 What do the Gaulish villagers often fight among themselves with/about ? Menhirs. Hygienix, the fishmonger's, rotten fish. Special flowers used in making the magic potion. 11 What adventure does Idefix, Obelix's tiny dog, first appear in ? In 'Asterix The Gaul'. b) In 'The Tour of Gaul'. In 'Asterix in India'. 12 Obelix is known for his happy, outgoing personality, even when he beats the Romans up, but there is one thing which really does rub him up the wrong way. That is not having wild boar to eat. not having Romans to give a good hiding to. being called fat. 13 Does the enumeration of the different albums correspond to the chronological order in which they were produced by Goscinny and Uderzo ? Yes No 14 It is almost traditional when Asterix and Obeliz jump into the sea, they always come across a group of unfortunate pirates, whose ship is inevitably destroyed by the invincible Gauls.

Can you remember which was the first adventure the Gauls and pirates met each other in ? In 'Asterix in the Olympic Games'. In 'Asterix, the Gladiator'. In 'The Rose and the Sword'. 15 Geriatrix, the oldest member of the tribe is also married to the prettiest girl in the village whom Obelix has a crush on. who was a Roman slave saved by the villagers. who is a relative of Impedimenta, the chief's wife. 16 The Gaul's favourite exclamation is By Tutemis ! By Tatumis ! 17 Which is the first album drawn and written by Uderzo, after the death of his partner Goscinny ? 'Asterix's Odyssey'. 'Asterix and the Big' Fight'. 'The Great Divide'. What is the name of the proud leader of the Iberians in Asterix in Hispania Chief Toro Sentadito Chief Chuloquesoy 19 What album do Asterix cross the Atlantic ocean and come in touch with a tribe of North American Indians in ? In 'Asterix and the Cauldron'. In 'The Great Crossing'. In 'Asterix and the Golden Sickle'.

20 What surprise present did the whole tribe prepare for their strongest, biggest and most gullible friend's birthday in 'Obelix and Co.'? An entire herd of wild boars. A giant, shiny menhir. A brand new Roman garrison for him to beat up on his own. 21 What does the village ironmonger often use his hammer for, apart from when he is working ? To hit himself on the head so that his headaches will go away ( he's a bit of a brute). To persuade the bard Cacofonix not to play the lire or sing. To threaten Obelix with when they argue. 22 .- In one of Asterix and Obelix's adventures, there is a pair of very special guests, Laurel and Hardy,dressed up as authentic Roman soldiers. Which story does this happen in ? In 'Obelix and Co.' In 'Asterix in the Olympic Games'. In 'Asterix, the Legionary'. 23 In another album, two other famous classical European cartoon characters appear briefly. Do you know who they are and what album they appear in ? Hernández and Fernández, from Tintin, appear in 'Asterix in Belgium'.

Mortadelo and Filemón appear in 'Asterix in Spain'. Spirou and Fantasio appear in 'Asterix and the Soothsayer'. 24 Obelix was dropped in the magic potion as a child. Has he ever been allowed to have some later? Never. Whenever he manages to persuade Getafix, the druid. 25 In the Asterix books, whenever Julius Caesar appears he always speaks about himself in Latin Asterix and the Soothsayer | The Asterix Project | Fandom powered by Wikia Asterix and the Soothsayer Asterix and the Soothsayer (French: Le Devin) is the nineteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series , by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 652-673 in 1972. Plot Edit One stormy day, the Gauls — with the exception of Getafix , who is at his annual druid meeting — are huddled in the chief's hut, fearing for their lives.

But then, a man enters the hut in a burst of lightning - it is a soothsayer , who promptly proceeds to see the future for our superstitious Gauls. He predicts that "when the storm is over, the weather will improve." But not all are impressed; Asterix alone dares question the qualities of this soothsayer, who is in fact a fraud. Although Asterix can see this, not everyone is convinced, most notably Impedimenta , the chief's wife. Partly out of superstition and partly out of personal ambition, she convinces the soothsayer (known also by the name "Prolix") to remain in official hiding near the village, where she and the other villagers may question him at will. The only two whom she will not permit into the forest are Asterix and Obelix . Obelix in particular has a grudge against the soothsayer, who has threatened to kill Dogmatix in order to examine his guts for predictions of the future. When Obelix finally thwarts Impedimenta and enters the forest, he finds Prolix there and chases him up a tree.

When he threatens to uproot it, Prolix puts him off by claiming to see a vision of a beautiful woman who loves warriors matching Obelix' description. Obelix returns to the village and almost instantly falls for Mrs. Geriatrix. Prolix meanwhile is arrested by a strictly rule-abiding Roman Optio (a senior officer). The Optio brings Prolix before the Centurion, who decides to make use of the imposter's persuasive voice. Back in the forest Impedimenta and Asterix have within moments of each other discovered the absence of the soothsayer, causing consternation among the villagers who were told by the soothsayer that the gods would put a curse on them if anything untowards happened to him. Being that Obelix has been beguiled by Prolix's ironically accurate description of Mrs. Geriatrix (not mentioned by name), Asterix finds himself standing alone. Prolix returns at that moment, claiming dramatically that soon the air in the village will become polluted by a divine curse. Terrified, most of the villagers leave their home, to wait on a nearby island for the curse to run its course, as if it were a quarantined virus.

Asterix, Obelix, and Dogmatix stay behind. The Romans soon arrive to investigate the village, while the Gauls hide in the local undergrowth. Unknown to either, Getafix has completed his conference (which seems to be a facsimile of a twentieth-century scientific conference) and returned. Hearing of the situation, he concocts a witty plan by which to drive out the Romans and teach the villagers a lesson. Using a number of unidentified ingredients in his cauldron, the Druid literally raises such a stink that even the powerful Obelix is affected. The fumes spread to the village, expelling the Romans, Prolix, and Cacofonix the Bard who had sneaked back to find his lyre. Prolix is baffled: the seeming fulfillment of his prediction has set him to wondering if he is becoming a real soothsayer. On the other hand, the appearance of the foul air has cemented the Centurion's faith in his oracle. He sends word to Caesar that all of Gaul is now conquered ("All?" "All."). But, like Crismus Bonus of Asterix the Gaul , he begins to desire the Imperial Throne for himself.

To pass the time, therefore, he has the soothsayer tell him exaggerated stories of the luxuries emperors enjoy. Meanwhile, Getafix joins the other villagers on the island to explain the Truth. Here we see a reference to the priestly role of the Druid, when Vitalstatistix begs Getafix to "appease the anger of the Gods, which has fallen upon our poor village." To which Getafix replies "Nonsense!" and proceeds to demonstrate what is really going on. Inspired by this, the villagers go home, while the Romans deal with their own problems. The Optio is himself confused, because even though the Centurion is convinced that Prolix is a genuine soothsayer, the Optio's own observations tell him otherwise. Though upright and law-enforcing, he is not intellectual and finds himself thoroughly perplexed by the simplest of contradictions. Even his inferior officers regard him as an "idiot". In the village, trouble is still present.

Impedimenta and her fellow women are not convinced that Prolix was a cheat, partly because he only foretold pleasant things for them, such as a business partnership between Vitalstatistix and Impedimenta's brother Homeopathix, each of whom considers the other an arrogant dope. Asterix has an idea; they might give the soothsayer a surprise, to prove that his predictions are not genuine. The surprise is quite simple: the Gaulish men and women will attack the Roman camp together. The plan is successful: the Gauls arrive at the camp and Prolix admits that he had no idea that they were coming. This convinces Impedimenta who beats the Centurion and the soothsayer with a rolling pin, causing her husband Vitalstatistix to look on her with an almost patronizing pride. Returning to the village, the Gauls meet an envoy of Caesar's who has come to check on the Centurion's claim that the village is conquered. They beat him and his escort up.

The envoy, Bulbus Crocus, goes to the camp and faces the Centurion: "AND LOOK WHAT YOUR CONQUERED GAULS DID TO US, BY JUPITER!" He reduces the centurion to a common soldier, and, when the ex-centurion reflexively tries to give the Optio an order, the Optio rebukes him for his tone to a superior officer and orders him to sweep out the camp alone. Prolix, who has been taking a lot of yelling from the now-ex Centurion over being a fraud, leaves the camp swearing to give up soothsaying at the risk of having the sky fall on his head, whereupon Rain-God, Taranis , sends down a thunderstorm. The Gaulish village, however, is soon at peace, enjoying themselves for the present and not worrying about the future - with the exception of Cacofonix, who still dreams about being a famous singer. Cultural references Again, with a more adult-theme which started with Asterix and the Roman Agent , the story revolves around the superstitions of the people at the time ( Gauls and Romans alike) and of today, and parodies the general gullibility of humanity.

The story includes (page 9) an illustration of the Roman and Gaulish pantheon of gods. In that illustration, Uderzo includes a drawing of his own country home. A soothsayer's fantastical prediction of the future is illustrated by a photograph of La Défense , the modern district of skyscrapers outside Paris . The scene at the bottom of page 10, where the characters observe the cutting up of a fish, is a reproduction of Rembrandt 's painting Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp Adaptations Edit An animated film bearing the title Asterix and the Big Fight was released in 1989, however although it contains elements from that album, it is actually more an adaptation of this book. Part of the plot was also used in the first live action Asterix film, Asterix and Obelix vs Caesar .

Question: In the Asterix stories, what is the name of the portly chief?
Answer: Vitalstatistix