Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday – The Golden Book

Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday – The Golden Book

Presentation

Written by: Goscinny and Uderzo

Drawings by: Uderzo
Original titleL’Anniversaire d’Astérix et Obélix – Le Livre d’or

Published by: Les Éditions Albert René
First album edition: October 22th, 2009

In commemoration of Asterix‘s 50th birthday, born on 29 October 1959 in the pages of the very first issue of the weekly magazine Pilote, Albert Uderzo has come up with an exceptional gift to pay homage to his heroes and to the millions of their readers throughout the world!

True to the love of caricature and the mocking spirit of the Pilote years, Albert Uderzo has created an album of Asterix short stories focusing on the birthday theme and filled with 56 pages of hitherto unpublished drawings! While Asterix and Obelix are off hunting wild boar in the forest surrounding the Village, many of the 400 characters from the Asterix albums come together, in answer to Chief Vitalstatistix’s invitation, to prepare a birthday party for the two friends.

While reading the album, we discover Asterix and his friends some 50 years later, a side-splitting fashion show featuring Obelix, birthday wishes from Edifis, Panacea and even the pirates, a travel guide based on a never-before published text by René Goscinny, parodies of famous record covers produced by Cacofonix, and, even more incredible, a fabulous Gaulish Museum devised by Prolix the soothsayer.

A handsome album which concludes (every rule has an exception!) not with a banquet but with a brilliant round of more than 60 characters – proof (should it still be needed) of the youthful virtuosity of Albert Uderzo’s drawing talents.

What the druids have to say about the album

Some exclusive sketches!

 

In the small Village that we all know so well, a great event is being organised. Asterix’ and Obelix’s birthday is the perfect occasion to reunite with the many friends who have shared previous adventures. Let the festivities begin!

Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday – The Golden Book
Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday – The Golden Book

Each guest will be bringing gifts for Asterix and Obelix. Those who live too far away will be sending birthday wishes to be delivered by the postman Postaldistrix. Here, we hear from Edifis himself!

The album’s surprises include parodies of famous masterpieces that seem to indicate that our Indomitable Gauls have influenced the greatest masters of the art world….

 

These extraordinary visuals will be exhibited on the gates of the Cluny Museum in Paris, at the corner of the boulevards Saint-Germain and Saint-Michel, from 22 October 2009 through 3 January 2010.

Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday – The Golden Book

Cleopatra and Julius Caesar themselves have also been invited to join in the birthday celebration for the two Indomitable Gauls. But this time, it’s the great Julius who shows some resistance….

The unforgettable from the album

Albert Uderzo making an appearance in the Asterix universe just long enough to receive a blow from Obelix, who doesn’t appreciate seeing Asterix and himself being aged by 50 years (and on top of it all, he thinks it’s funny!), Obelix as a tagger and Asterix disguised as a marsupilami, Edifis presenting the works of Leaningtowerofpisis, the pirates in the Titanix, Asterix’s wedding announcement on the front page of the Daily Lutetian, our heroes’ caricatures of famous old masters’ paintings, Asterix and Obelix with a flock of kids…. So many inventions, a wellspring of material for humorous graphics!

Various versions of the album

L’Anniversaire d’Astérix et Obélix
Le Livre d’or

Français – Éditions Albert René

L’Anniversaire d’Astérix et Obélix
Le Livre d’or

Français – Éditions Albert René – La Grande Collection

Asterix und Obelix feiern Geburtstag
Das goldene Buch

Allemand – Egmont Comic Collection

De Verjaardag van Asterix en Obelix
Het Guldenboek

Néerlandais – Éditions Albert René

El Aniversario de Astérix y Obélix
El Libro de Oro

Espagnol – Salvat

L’Aniversari d’Astèrix i Obèlix
El Llibre d’Or

Catalan – Salvat

Asterix eta Obelixen Urtebetetzea
Urrezko Liburua

Basque – Salvat

O Aniversario de Astérix e Obélix
O Libro de Ouro

Galicien – Salvat

Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday
The Golden Book

Anglais – Orion

O Aniversário de Astérix e Obélix
O Livro de Ouro

Portugais – ASA

Il Compleanno di Asterix e Obelix
L’Albo d’oro

Italien – Panini Comics

Asterixin ja Obelixin Syntymäpäivä
Kultainen Kirja

Finnois – Egmont Kustannus OY AB

Asterix og Obelix Jubilerer
Gullboken

Norvégien – Egmont Serieforlaget AS

Asterix’ og Obelix’ Fødselsdag
Den Gyldne Gæstebog

Danois – Egmont A/S

Narozeniny Asterixe a Obelixe
Zlatá Kniha

Tchèque – Egmont CR, Prague

Astérix pi Obélix is ont leus ages
Ch’live in dor

Picard – Éditions Albert René

The bookseller’s corner

Classic paperback collection

N° ISBN : 978-1444000955
Format : 287 x 216 mm
Pages : 56

Hardback edition

N° ISBN : 978-1-44400-027-6
Format : 295 x 224 mm
Pages : 56