March 19, 2015 – The Values of the Republic series started in 2013, it embodies the values coming from French history and that are today universal. After Sempé in 2014, the duo formed by Uderzo-Goscinny illustrates them.
Created in 1959 by the scriptwriter René Goscinny and the illustrator Albert Uderzo, the comics Astérix features two heros, Astérix and Obélix who are living in a small Gaul village, holding out against the invaders. Symbols of France and of French people, Astérix and Obélix embody with simplicity, humor and pride the republican values.
France / 2015 / 10 euro / Design: Uderzo & Goscinny.
Astérix and Obélix are ardent supporters of Liberty, our Gauls use their resourcefulness and energy to fight any form of oppression.
Equality is a value that is very important in the series, whether in the village or between men and women.
As the adventure progresses, the Gauls meet various peoples of Europe: The Swiss, The Normans, or the Hispanic… Those meetings which marked numerous episodes are an expression of Fraternity.
Peace is a fragile and highly valuable value, always very difficult to reach. The olive branch is a representative symbol of this value. Another allegory of this value is the final banquet that always takes place at the end of the albums, gathering all the characters together.
All these values are brought together; they keep their own importance, and form an entity, under the Republic’s protection. Republic is the incarnation of the Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. Peace is the foundation of this set.
Uderzo & Goscinny
Albert Uderzo was born on the 25th of April 1927 in Fismes. Uderzo started to draw early. As from his 14th anniversary, he did some illustrations for many youth magazines and then for the daily press: he became cartoonist reporter. In 1950, he worked with the scriptwriter Jean Michel Charlier with whom he created Tanguy et Laverdure.
In 1951, he met René Goscinny with whom he created several series and comics.
René Goscinny was born on the 14th of August 1926 in Paris. He started his career as assistant accountant but when he turned 19, he became artist assistant in an advertising agency. After he met Uderzo, he steered towards scriptwriting. He is the author of Petit Nicolas (1959), and has launched Iznogoud in 1962. He died in 1977, he was 51 years old.
In 1959, for the launch of the Pilote magazine, Goscinny and Uderzo created Asterix the Gaul. The series is a success. Today it is composed of 35 titles that have been distributed in over 355 million copies in the entire world and translated in more than 111 languages.
To get to the website of the Monnaie de Paris please click here.
To learn more about Astérix and his friends you may visit the official Asterix website.