Asterix and the Class Act

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Asterix and the Class Act
(Astérix et la rentrée gauloise)
Asterix Class Act.png
Date2003
Series Asterix
Creative team
Writers René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
ArtistsAlbert Uderzo
Original publication
Date of publication2003
LanguageFrench
Chronology
Preceded by Asterix and the Actress
Followed by Asterix and the Falling Sky

Asterix and the Class Act (French: Astérix et la rentrée gauloise, "Asterix and the Gaulish return; la rentrée is the French return to school after the summer break) is officially the thirty-second album of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations and some stories), published in 2003. [1] Unlike the other Asterix books, it is a compilation of short stories, rather than one long story. Each story has an introductory page giving some of its original history.

History

Only one of these stories ("Chanticleerix") is completely original in this album; the remainder are reprinted from earlier sources, most notably the French comic Pilote . The majority of these stories were written by Goscinny. "Chanticleerix", "The Lutetia Olympics" and "The Birth of Asterix" were written by Uderzo after Goscinny's death. "Springtime in Gaul" and "Asterix As You Have Never Seen Him Before..." were also written by Uderzo alone.

Most of these stories have had only very limited distribution prior to this publication. In the mid-1980s, a promotional collection of some of these stories appeared in a number of translations (but not English) as Astérix mini-histoires (Asterix Mini-Stories). In 1993 there was an earlier, smaller collection also called La Rentree Gauloise which was only available in French. It also contained a four page story called "L'Antiquaire" (The Antique Dealer) as filler which wasn't written by Goscinny, but drawn by Albert's brother Marcel Uderzo, does not fit with the other stories and contains two recycled and out-of-character villains. That story has not been reprinted, but otherwise "Class Act" is an expanded, updated version of this.

The stories

Introduction (Press Conference)

Originally an announcement page for Asterix and the Big Fight – Vitalstatistix holds a modern press conference for the upcoming stories (parodying the contemporary press conferences of then-president Charles de Gaulle).

(1964 – Conférence de presse) – 1 page. First published in Pilote #260; Appeared in "Astérix mini-histoires"

Asterix and the Class Act

Asterix and Obelix catch the village children for the start of the school year, but Obelix is put in class too when he shows ignorance of current affairs.

(1966 – Rentrée gauloise) – 2 pages. First published in Pilote #363; Appeared in the original "La Rentree Gauloise" and "Astérix mini-histoires"

The Birth of Asterix

Story of the village on the day of Asterix's and Obelix's birth, which interrupts a quarrel among their friends' fathers.

(1994 – En 35 avant J.C. (Julius Caesar)) – 4 pages. Published in the 35th anniversary special of Pilote (the first Asterix story began in the first issue).

In 50 BC

Introduction to the stories (done for the American market): gives a synopsis of the themes and principal characters.

(1977 – En 50 avant J.C.) – 3 pages. First published in the May 1977 issue of National Geographic Magazine for an article on the history of Celtic people. Appeared in the original "La Rentree Gauloise" and "Astérix mini-histoires"

Chanticleerix

Dogmatix helps the village rooster (national bird of France) defeat an eagle (symbol of Rome) terrorizing the local animals, by stealing Asterix's gourd of potion to provide the rooster with the necessary advantage.

(2003 – Chanteclairix – Le Coq Gaulois) – 5 pages. New with this album.

For Gaul Lang Syne

Obelix tries to use Gaulish customs to get a kiss from Panacea, but fails, and the kiss is instead won by Dogmatix.

(1967 – Au gui l'an IX) – 2 pages. First published in Pilote #424. Appeared in the original "La Rentree Gauloise" and "Astérix mini-histoires"

Mini Midi Maxi

A fashion show generates a fight after Impedimenta quarrels with Mrs. Geriatrix.

(1971 – Mini, Midi, Maxi) – 2 pages. Done for French women's magazine "Elle" #1337. Appeared in the original "La Rentree Gauloise" and "Astérix mini-histoires"

Asterix As You Have Never Seen Him Before...

This is a mockery of the more outrageous "suggestions" made by readers, allowing Uderzo to show his facility with different styles of illustration:

(1969 – Amicales coopérations) – 3 pages. First published in Pilote #527.

The Lutetia Olympics

For the honour of Gaul, Asterix and Obelix help Lutetia (ancient Paris) win the chance to host the ancient Olympic Games by acting as security for the event.

(1986 – Lutèce olympique) – 4 pages. Done to aid the 1992 Paris Olympic bid and originally published in the bid's promotional materials.

Springtime in Gaul

Asterix helps a tiny anthropomorphic personification of Spring overcome Winter.

(1966 – Le printemps gaulois) – 2 pages. First published in Pilote #334. Appeared in the original "La Rentree Gauloise" and "Astérix mini-histoires"

The Mascot

Some unlucky Romans try to take Dogmatix as their "lucky" mascot, which brings Asterix and Obelix's vengeance down on them.

(1968 – La mascotte) – 4 pages. First Published in Pilote "Super Pocket 1". Appeared in the original "La Rentree Gauloise" and "Astérix mini-histoires"

Latinamania

A joke on modern French anxiety over the bastardization of the French language (cf. Franglais) shows the Gauls using Latin loanwords.

(1973 – Etc, etc ...) – 1 page. Where it was actually first published is not certain. Appeared in the original "La Rentree Gauloise" and "Astérix mini-histoires"

The Obelix Family Tree

The authors find a modern descendant of Obelix and invite him to their publishing house, only to learn that he is too much like his ancestor.

(1963 – Obelisc'h) – 5 pages. First serialized as strips in Pilote #172–186. Appeared in the original "La Rentree Gauloise"

The Birth of an Idea

This story depicts a brainstorming session between the authors, in which they become too excited by the idea of the stories' fights and are as a result carted off to a mental asylum.

(1962 – Naissance d'une idée) – 1 page. First published in Pilote #157. Appeared in the original "La Rentree Gauloise"

Notes

In recent editions of some translations (notably German) a new short story is included:

Obelix: As Simple as ABC

Obelix tries to learn to read after he receives a letter from Panacea for his birthday which he does not want to share with anyone else. This was later included in the book Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book .

(2004 – Lire avec Obelix) – 3 pages. First published in French literary magazine "LiRE" for the 45th anniversary of the Asterix comics.

In other languages

Reception

On Goodreads, Asterix and the Class Act has a score of 3.77 out of 5. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Asterix</i> Series of French comic albums

Asterix is a French comic album series about a village of indomitable Gaulish warriors who adventure around the world and fight the odds of the Roman Republic, with the aid of a magic potion, during the era of Julius Caesar, in an ahistorical telling of the time after the Gallic Wars.

<i>Asterix the Gaul</i> 1st comic book in the Asterix series

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<i>Asterix and the Chieftains Shield</i> Comic book album

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<i>Asterix and the Black Gold</i> Comic book album

Asterix and the Black Gold is the twenty-sixth volume of Asterix comic book series, originally published in 1981. It is the second book to be both written and drawn by Albert Uderzo.

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Asterix and Cleopatra is the sixth book in the Asterix album series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 215–257, in 1963.

<i>Asterix and the Normans</i> Comic book album

Asterix and the Normans is the ninth book in the Asterix comic book series, written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 340–361, in 1966. It depicts a meeting between Asterix's Gaulish village and a ship full of Normans (Vikings).

<i>Asterix in Belgium</i> 1980 comic book volume

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<i>Obelix and Co.</i> 23rd comic book in the Asterix series

Obelix and Co. is the twenty-third volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). The book's main focus is on the attempts by the Gaul-occupying Romans to corrupt the one remaining village that still holds out against them by instilling capitalism. It is also the penultimate volume written by Goscinny before his death in 1977; his final volume, Asterix in Belgium, was released after his death in 1979.

<i>Asterix in Corsica</i> Comic book album

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<i>Asterix and the Soothsayer</i> Comic book album

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<i>Asterix and the Roman Agent</i> Comic book album

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<i>Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar</i> 1999 film by Claude Zidi

Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar is a 1999 French-Italian-German comedy fantasy adventure film directed by Claude Zidi, the first installment in the Asterix film series based on Goscinny and Uderzo's Astérix comics. The film combines plots of several Astérix stories, mostly Asterix the Gaul, Asterix and the Soothsayer, Asterix and the Goths, Asterix the Legionary and Asterix the Gladiator but jokes and references from many other albums abound, including a humorous exchange between Caesar and Brutus taken from Asterix and Cleopatra, and the villain Lucius Detritus is based on Tullius Detritus, the main antagonist of Asterix and the Roman Agent.

References

  1. "Asterix and the class act - Asterix - The official website". asterix.com. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  2. Goscinny, René (2004). Astérix hag an distro : pevarzek istor klok Asteriks. Internet Archive. Paris : Les Éd. Albert-René. ISBN   978-2-86497-164-1.
  3. "Asterix and the Class Act (Astérix, #32)". goodreads.com. Retrieved 1 October 2018.