FABCARO IS PENNING HIS SECOND SCRIPT ALONG WITH THE LEGENDARY DIDIER CONRAD DOING THE ARTWORK FOR THE 41ST VOLUME OF THE ADVENTURES OF ASTERIX!
After a 2024 full of events celebrating the 65th anniversary of our favorite Gauls, with a new attendance record broken at the Parc Astérix with 2,482,000 visitors, and a 40th volume, The White Iris, which continues to achieve enormous success with 2,200,000 copies sold in French (a 2% increase compared to the 39th volume), Éditions Albert René announces an even more exceptional 2025. The 41st volume is set for release on October 23, 2025.
SOME FIRST CLUES FINALLY REVEALED IN THIS UNPUBLISHED PANEL!
There’s no doubt about it: our two friends won’t be sitting around quietly in the village tanning their mustaches. They’re planning to go see if the sun is shining brighter somewhere else!
Before joining them on this new journey, which will undoubtedly be filled with laughs, adventures, memorable encounters, and culinary discoveries, we offer you, as an appetizer, a few questions answered by Fabcaro and Didier Conrad.
So, Fabcaro, are you happy to revisit our indomitable Gauls once again for this 41st volume?
I’m thrilled! When you do an entire volume with characters you love, it makes you kind of sad to leave them behind. So, the chance to reunite with them and spend more time together, especially in a new setting—a trip—fills me with joy! I felt like a kid all over again enjoying their adventures. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like I’m doing much. I just set the scene and let them take over.
How did you approach writing a travel-themed volume? Have you finished the script?
I started out by looking for a place where our friends had never gone, but also a place I wanted to immerse myself in during the writing process. After all, there’s no reason the characters should have all the fun! Currently, I’m closer to the finish than the start of the script, though I’ll be fine-tuning the text right up to the last minute before it goes to print.
© C. Guibbaud
Which Asterix volumes are your favorite travel-themed ones? Did they inspire you in any way?
I just adore so many of the travel volumes. I really love Asterix the Legionary for the camaraderie it exudes, and especially for its gallery of hilarious characters. It’s a kind of group road trip, with everyone having their own unique traits.
I also really like Asterix at the Olympic Games for how it portrays the Gauls as tourists abroad, complete with their slightly “boorish” tendencies. It’s also the only volume that manages to be both a travel story and almost a village story, since all the men from the village participate in the trip. That said, we do miss the women of the village a little in this one.
© C. Guibbaud
And you, Didier, did the script inspire you?
For starters, I’m delighted to be working with Fabrice for the second time. He’s proven he’s just as skilled at writing a village-based volume as a travel-themed one, and yes, the destination has been very inspiring!
You’re at what stage in the creative process?
For me, this adventure is far from over. I’m currently finalizing the pencil sketches and will soon move on to the inking stage, armed with my trusty Winsor & Newton brush and India ink. I’m taking immense pleasure in drawing this book, and I hope the final result will delight readers.
How many miles will our tireless heroes go to reach their new destination?
Place your bets!