Talk:Asterix

Why are Asterix's books called albums? KRS 12:34, 21 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I don't know how it got started (translation from the French?), but it's a reflection of the fact that the books are actually collections of stories that originally appeared serialised in some magazine or other. --Paul A 04:26, 23 Feb 2004 (UTC)

"streaks of French chauvinism" -- Could it be made more specific? Asterix contains lots of caricatures and stereotypes on the French as well as on other countries. David.Monniaux 09:49, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)

In french, most hard cover comic books are called Albums. This goes for Tintin as well as Spirou and Asterix. Ghilz 02:43, Oct 1, 2004 (UTC)

The same goes for Finnish too. 16:01, Feb 9 2005 (UTC)

Contents

1 Expansion 2 Translation of names improving on the original 3 Super-Man 4 French regional stereotypes

Expansion

This needs to be as expansive as the Tintin article. Both are equally important comics. We definitely need pictures of the major characters: Asterix, Obelix, Abraracurcix, etc (excuse my Spanish character names; that's how I read Asterix as a child). ~Lockeownzj00 (undated, but i didnt add me username so adding it now)

Also, we need to have an article on each book, like Tintin. I can do this, but it will take awhile. Lockeownzj00 18:20, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I wrote an article about Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield as a result of the discussion in Battle of Alesia. I'm planning on writing about Asterix and the Black Gold next. — JIP | Talk 05:52, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Translation of names improving on the original

Is that really so? I think it's merely an attempt (and a rather good one) by english translators to create a pun where there was none. The pun in the original french is merely coming up with so many words ending with '-ix' (and, by the way, having a different suffix for each nation/ethnic group, such as '-us' for the Romans, '-on' for the Spanish, etc...

That's pretty much what the article says. Chameleon 21:51, 14 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Then maybe the article is too much 'english language transaltion of Asterix-centric'? Which may be valid, mind you. Again, just thinking outloud... --Jope 07:35, Oct 15, 2004 (UTC)

A certain emphasis on the English translations is to be expected in an article written in English. Also, I have read translations into other languages, and they were quite bland. Only the English ones improve the puns. Chameleon 08:45, 15 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Maybe a paragraph on names is needed, with the current reference to the english translations as a subparagraph?

Just wondering... --Jope 19:57, Oct 14, 2004 (UTC)

I'm just wondering about the pertinence of comparing how good the puns are in different versions. Seems pretty POV to me by essence. Say, I don't think that "Getafix" is an improvement on "Panoramix". --[[User:Valmi|Valmi ✒]] 22:49, 14 Oct 2004 (UTC)

It is a point of interest. If you don't think "Getafix" is a better pun than "Panoramix", then you don't get it. Chameleon 23:30, 14 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I think this was POV. :-) --[[User:Valmi|Valmi ✒]] 01:43, 15 Oct 2004 (UTC)

And, it's not what the original authors intended. Then again, maybe what we need is to credit the english translator by name... 8-)

There have been several translators. If you discover their names, credit them in the article. Chameleon 08:45, 15 Oct 2004 (UTC)

In any case, if everyone agrees, I may add as many suffixes as I can for the different nations. --Jope 07:35, Oct 15, 2004 (UTC)

I don't know about the translation of the names, but the English translators are really great, because of all the nifty little puns they manage to put in every album. I haven't read the French originals but I doubt they contain as many puns. 16:03, 9 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Astérix, in French, is famous for being crammed with puns. David.Monniaux 18:18, 17 Feb 2005 (UTC)

The "improving on the original" also strikes me as very non-NPOV. Ausir 09:40, 29 May 2005 (UTC)

Super-Man

I heard about a Superman pastiche/homage where Super-Man went to Asterix' village, but it wasn't allowed to be reprinted, because in this comic Asterix had died, or something. Does anyone know something else about it?

French regional stereotypes

"Some caricatures of the traits of certain French regions are also used: the people from Normandy smother their food in cream and cannot give a straight answer; the people from Marseille play boules and exaggerate matters, and Corsicans don't like to do any work, are easily angered and have long-standing vendettas that they settle violently."

I've just re-read Asterix et les Normands and I can't see anything about them not giving a straight answer. (I added the bit about cream, which seems to be the only characteristic of the Normans, apart from not knowing fear, the main theme of the plot.) Is there some confusion here? Flapdragon 00:54, 30 May 2005 (UTC)

I suspect the comment about Normandy refers to the portrayal in Asterix and the Banquet, not Asterix and the Normans. It's a long, long time since I read it in French, though, so I can't be certain. 81.151.206.68 03:47, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Asterix and the Normans is about Normans, not Normandians. I.e. it's about Vikings. In Finnish it's called Asterix ja normannien maihinnousu, i.e. Asterix and the Norman landing, a pun on the military operation in WWII. The French regional stereotypes described by the original writer are in Asterix and the Banquet, but the people who don't know fear are the Normans (Vikings) in Asterix and the Normans, just like Flapdragon said. It's so confusing when two peoples have so similar names. — JIP | Talk 03:58, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)

That's true, and perhaps it's surprising they didn't translate it as Asterix and the Vikings, but of course they aren't totally different peoples. The stereotype about cream wouldn't really work if we thought of them as Vikings (Norsemen, straight from Scandinavia) as opposed to Normans like William the Conqueror. Anyway thanks both for clearing up the mystery of the other Norman stereotype. Flapdragon 03:21, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)