Asterix: Asterix and The Black Gold: Album 26

Description

The druid Getafix is running short of rock oil - an essential ingredient in the magic potion that gives the Gaulish villagers superhuman strength to fight Julius Caesar's Roman legions. But the Phoenician merchant Ekonomikrisis has forgotten the druid's order, and Asterix and Obelix set off to prospect for black gold in the Middle Eastern desert. Their mission is complicated by the Roman secret agent Dubbelosix and his amazing folding chariot, which is equipped with all the latest spy gadgets. Although they finally come home empty handed, all is not lost - Getafix has discovered that beetroot juice works just as well in the potion ...

Rene Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, and spent most of his childhood in Argentina, before eventually moving to Paris in 1951. He died in 1977. Albert Uderzo was born in 1927 in a small village in Marne, France. He met Rene Goscinny in 1951 and on 29 October 1959 their most famous creation, Asterix, made his first appearance on page 20 of Pilote. Asterix the Gaul, their first album, was published in 1961 and there have now been 33 Asterix albums. Rene Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, and spent most of his childhood in Argentina, before eventually moving to Paris in 1951. He died in 1977.

A cartoon drawn with such supreme artistry, and a text layered with such glorious wordplay, satire and historical and political allusion that no reader should ever feel like they've outgrown it.--TIME OUT The Asterix books represent the very summit of our achievement as a literary race. In Asterix one finds all of human life. The fact that the books were written originally in French is no matter. I have read them all in many languages and, like all great literature, they are best in English. Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge, Asterix's translators since the very beginning, have made great books into eternal flames.--THE TIMES