I am only scared of the sky falling on my head!

My father is big into comics. As a child, I often found myself fumbling upon them because they were lying around all over the house. I have read Tintin, Archies, Batman, Chacha Chaudhury, Phantom and various others. The one I really got hooked on to was Asterix though. They are funny, witty and clever but more importantly they always provided a meaningful message.

These French comics (translated to more than 100 languages and dialects) are written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Their combination worked like magic. Uderzo's intricate illustrations of the Gaulish village and the characters speaks volumes of the quality if his art. The best images are found on the last page, where the village generally celebrates Asterix and Oblelix's triumph over an extravagant dinner. Uderzo's attention to detail is exemplified here when you realize that you have spent a good ten minutes going through each character's actions and expressions. Uderzo also took up the job of writing, after Goscinny's death in 1977. He has maintained consistency in repeating the magic of the previous books (although I haven't read the recent additions to the collection).


A few things that are worth talking about out in the Asterix series:-

1. The inseparable and selfless friendship between Asterix and Obelix.

2. How easily they can start a fight over rotten fish, yet the ironical unity amongst the villagers when it comes to defending their village. The divided behavior of the Romans has often been the cause of their defeat.

3. The simplicity in thought amongst the characters - In spite of having the burden of being chief, Vitalstatistix is engrossed in keeping himself falling off his shield; Cacofonix only wants to sing when someone departs; Oblelix wants to eat wild boar in the middle of a crisis situation; Fullyautomatix is ready to bash up everything around him especially Cacofonix when he is about to sing; Unhygenix is only concerned about his fish which are mostly rotten and so on...

4. The villagers are brave, very brave indeed. They only fear that the sky may fall on their heads!

5. The concept and theme in these books are seriously unique. Isnt it amusing that all their names end in 'ix' and have a peculiar familiarity to their characters?


Personally, my favorite character is Obelix. I love his whole look and attire. He is an innocent menhir sculpture and delivery man, strong as hell because he fell into a cauldron of magic potion as a baby, loves to fight and eat wild and gets really angry if anyone calls him fat! He carries with himself an air of simplemindedness and kindness.

Even today when I am feeling low, my father will sometimes say "Why are you upset? Dont be scared of anything except the sky falling on your head!". It instantly makes me smile and I remember the stories of Asterix and Obelix

For more information on Asterix and Oblelix:
http://gb.asterix.com/index1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix