The adventures of Asterix and Obelix are famous for their humour, friendship, and the unity of a small Gaulish village resisting Rome. Behind the scenes, however, the history of the series involved several family disagreements, business decisions, and legal disputes before eventually reaching a more stable arrangement.
Understanding the relationships between the families of the creators—René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo—helps explain how control of one of Europe’s most successful comic series evolved over time.
The Creative Partnership
The Asterix series began in 1959 when writer René Goscinny and artist Albert Uderzo created the characters for the French comics magazine Pilote. Together they produced a long run of classic albums that quickly became bestsellers across Europe.
During the early decades of the series, the publishing rights were handled by the company Dargaud. The partnership between Goscinny and Uderzo remained close until Goscinny’s sudden death in 1977.
Marcel Uderzo’s Role
Less widely known is the contribution of Albert’s younger brother, Marcel Uderzo. Marcel worked in the studio for many years and assisted with various production tasks, including inking and colouring on several albums during the 1960s and 1970s.
When Albert Uderzo decided to take greater control of the series after Goscinny’s death, the professional relationship between the two brothers came to an end. In 1979, Uderzo left Dargaud and founded his own publishing company, Éditions Albert René, which would publish all future Asterix albums. Marcel Uderzo was not part of the new company. 🖊️
The Next Generation
Control of the Asterix legacy gradually passed to the families of the two creators. Two key figures emerged:
• Sylvie Uderzo, the daughter of Albert Uderzo
• Anne Goscinny, the daughter of René Goscinny
Sylvie Uderzo became heavily involved in the management of Éditions Albert René and served for many years as the company’s managing director. Anne Goscinny, meanwhile, pursued a literary career and became a novelist, while also maintaining a share in the Asterix rights inherited from her father.
Both women played roles—though in different ways—in protecting the legacy of the series created by their fathers.
The Sale to Hachette Livre
A major turning point occurred in 2008 when Albert Uderzo sold his majority stake in Éditions Albert René to the French publishing group Hachette Livre.
The decision ensured that Asterix would become part of one of the largest publishing groups in Europe. The move also paved the way for future albums to be produced by new creative teams after Uderzo retired from drawing the series.
The sale led to a series of legal disputes involving members of the Uderzo family. These disagreements were widely reported in the French media and lasted several years before being resolved. ⚖️
A Reconciliation
In 2014, Albert Uderzo and Sylvie Uderzo announced that their legal disputes had been settled and that the family had reconciled. The lawsuits were dropped, bringing an end to a difficult chapter in the history of the series.
Albert Uderzo passed away in 2020 at the age of 92. Today, both Sylvie Uderzo and Anne Goscinny remain involved in preserving the legacy of the characters created by their fathers.
The Modern Asterix Era
Since 2013, new Asterix albums have been created by a new team: writer Fabcaro and artist Didier Conrad (following the earlier collaboration between Conrad and writer Jean‑Yves Ferri).
These albums are published by Hachette Livre and continue the adventures of the famous Gaulish village for new generations of readers.
More than sixty years after the first appearance of Asterix, the series remains one of the most successful European comics ever created, with hundreds of millions of albums sold worldwide.
The adventures of Asterix and Obelix are famous for their humour, friendship, and the unity of a small Gaulish village resisting Rome. Behind the scenes, however, the history of the series involved several family disagreements, business decisions, and legal disputes before eventually reaching a more stable arrangement.
Understanding the relationships between the families of the creators—René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo—helps explain how control of one of Europe’s most successful comic series evolved over time.
The Creative Partnership
The Asterix series began in 1959 when writer René Goscinny and artist Albert Uderzo created the characters for the French comics magazine Pilote. Together they produced a long run of classic albums that quickly became bestsellers across Europe.
During the early decades of the series, the publishing rights were handled by the company Dargaud. The partnership between Goscinny and Uderzo remained close until Goscinny’s sudden death in 1977.
Marcel Uderzo’s Role
Less widely known is the contribution of Albert’s younger brother, Marcel Uderzo. Marcel worked in the studio for many years and assisted with various production tasks, including inking and colouring on several albums during the 1960s and 1970s.
When Albert Uderzo decided to take greater control of the series after Goscinny’s death, the professional relationship between the two brothers came to an end. In 1979, Uderzo left Dargaud and founded his own publishing company, Éditions Albert René, which would publish all future Asterix albums. Marcel Uderzo was not part of the new company. 🖊️
The Next Generation
Control of the Asterix legacy gradually passed to the families of the two creators. Two key figures emerged:
• Sylvie Uderzo, the daughter of Albert Uderzo
• Anne Goscinny, the daughter of René Goscinny
Sylvie Uderzo became heavily involved in the management of Éditions Albert René and served for many years as the company’s managing director. Anne Goscinny, meanwhile, pursued a literary career and became a novelist, while also maintaining a share in the Asterix rights inherited from her father.
Both women played roles—though in different ways—in protecting the legacy of the series created by their fathers.
The Sale to Hachette Livre
A major turning point occurred in 2008 when Albert Uderzo sold his majority stake in Éditions Albert René to the French publishing group Hachette Livre.
The decision ensured that Asterix would become part of one of the largest publishing groups in Europe. The move also paved the way for future albums to be produced by new creative teams after Uderzo retired from drawing the series.
The sale led to a series of legal disputes involving members of the Uderzo family. These disagreements were widely reported in the French media and lasted several years before being resolved. ⚖️
A Reconciliation
In 2014, Albert Uderzo and Sylvie Uderzo announced that their legal disputes had been settled and that the family had reconciled. The lawsuits were dropped, bringing an end to a difficult chapter in the history of the series.
Albert Uderzo passed away in 2020 at the age of 92. Today, both Sylvie Uderzo and Anne Goscinny remain involved in preserving the legacy of the characters created by their fathers.
The Modern Asterix Era
Since 2013, new Asterix albums have been created by a new team: writer Fabcaro and artist Didier Conrad (following the earlier collaboration between Conrad and writer Jean‑Yves Ferri).
These albums are published by Hachette Livre and continue the adventures of the famous Gaulish village for new generations of readers.
More than sixty years after the first appearance of Asterix, the series remains one of the most successful European comics ever created, with hundreds of millions of albums sold worldwide.