The exhibition in Paris is dedicated to the famous cartoon enjoyed for over fifty years by children and adults in 34 albums, 35with the latest album included. The cartoon has been translated into 107 languages and dialects and with over 350 million copies sold throughout the world. Covering gestation of the work, its world and its phenomenal reach and universality, this retrospective offers a playful journey to the sources, full immersion in the world of these indomitable Gauls and an analysis of the magic potion which has led to the incredible success of their adventures. The exhibition provides a setting for a comic approach to be constantly rediscovered, understood here as closely as possible to the creative process. Original or printed plates, handwritten notes and typed storylines carry on a dialog with archeological items which are the emblematic attributes of the series, recalling its historical anchoring as well as its inherent parody. The third part of the exhibition measures the “Asterix phenomenon” through its national and international impact, film adaptations, derivative toys and games, advertising use and the creation of an amusement park. Finally, the exhibition takes a moment to analyze this unequaled success by playfully dissecting the uproarious humor conveyed by storylines, dialogs and drawings. It also highlights the strength of the values incarnated by this epic parody.
