The co-creator of the popular Asterix comic books, Albert Uderzo, has died at the age of 92.
The French artist and writer created the popular series, detailing the entertaining adventures of Gaulish warriors fighting the Romans, alongside his friend René Goscinny in 1959.
Uderzo illustrated the books and then took over writing duties after Goscinny’s death in 1977.
Asterix books have sold over 370 million copies worldwide, and have been adapted into cartoons and films.
Uderzo’s son-in-law Bernard de Choisy told the AFP news agency: “Albert Uderzo died in his sleep at his home in Neuilly, after a heart attack that was not linked to the coronavirus.”
Sorry to hear that Albert Uderzo, illustrator and co-creator of #Asterix has passed away. How much history, geography, art and humour did we all learn from reading these fantastic books? And how to read Roman numerals.
Everyone should read one today. (By Toutatis) pic.twitter.com/l0UBZvNuwy
— Orkney Library (@OrkneyLibrary) March 24, 2020
Uderzo retired from illustrating the series in 2011, handing over the reins to a younger artist to allow Asterix to “carry on for generations and generations.”
The first book under new artist Didier Conrad was Asterix and the Picts, which saw the Gaulish heroes head to Scotland – or North Caledonia as it was at the time.
The book, published in 2013, featured an encounter with Nessie.
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