Comic series
New “Asterix” volume: Think positively instead of beating yourself up
Editions of the new Asterix volume entitled “The White Iris” are assembled in a logistics hall and packaged in displays for retail. photo
© Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
The new “Asterix” volume “The White Iris” will be released at the end of the month: illustrator Didier Conrad and the new copywriter Fabcaro are already chatting from their workshop.
Sensitive conflict discussions instead of backlash, balanced nutrition instead of fresh wild boar: In the new “Asterix” comic (October 26th), the declared do-gooder Visusversus turns the Gallic village upside down. “The White Iris” is the 40th volume and the first in which the copywriter Fabcaro contributed. The French creators of the series revealed on Monday first details.
With Visusversus a new character appears. “The character was recreated for this album, which was not easy. An identity had to be found,” said illustrator Didier Conrad at a presentation in Vanves near Paris. The result: a charming do-gooder who is not too young but not too old either, much taller than Asterix and has a lush head of hair – which will play a role in the new adventure.
Positive thinking is called for
“The White Iris” is the name of a new school from Rome, a method,” reveals the duo. “It propagates positive thinking.” As Conrad and Fabcaro told, Caesar wanted to use this movement to help the soldiers in the camps around the infamous Give new impetus to the village that had become tired. The makers were quickly able to agree on the title. Iris was the goddess of the rainbow in Greek mythology, an ancient idea of new beginnings and hope, they explained.
The teachings of this school of thought are also well received by the villagers, especially Gutemine. Visusversus’ theories trigger one of the most violent marital crises between her and Majestix. Because as a real macho, the chief has a hard time with the gentle way and will and makes almost every mistake.
Fabrice Caro is very successful in France under the stage name Fabcaro. His comic “Zaï zaï zaï zaï” sold more than 180,000 copies. He replaces Jean-Yves Ferri as author, who is taking a break for the time being. For the 50-year-old, the offer to design the scenario for the 40th album came as a complete surprise. “It was surrealistic.”
For the first time without Uderzo
Albert Uderzo created the characters Asterix and Obelix in 1959 together with the author René Goscinny. After his unexpected death in 1977, Uderzo continued alone for decades. He also died in 2020, but had already retired from being responsible for Asterix years before. In 2011, Ferri and Conrad replaced him in the role. They created five volumes together.
The 40th volume is the first volume that was created without Uderzo. For the previous adventure “Asterix and the Griffin,” Uderzo was presented with the sketches and designs. Uderzo would have liked Fabcaro’s unusual humor, said his daughter Anne at the introduction. He pushes him as far as possible into the absurd, just like her father once did.
The comic book will launch on October 26th with a circulation of more than 5 million copies and will be published in around 30 countries, including Germany.