Asterix the Racist?
It was just over 50 years ago that the first Asterix adventure was published in Pilote, a French comics periodical. The brainchild of scriptwriter René Goscinny, Asterix and his friends were illustrated by his good friend Albert Uderzo.
325 million books (in 107 languages), 11 films and a theme park later, the Asterix franchise continues to enjoy a loyal following, with fresh 'converts' being added as new generations are introduced to the canon.
I can still remember discovering my first Asterix book in the Latymer Upper School library in the early 1970s. I can't remember what the title was, but I do know that I was soon devouring every edition I could get my hands on.
The artwork was clean, full of detail, and action-packed. The characters had hilarious names like Obelix, Getafix and Cacofonix. And the pun-filled humour was a brilliant mixture of cringe-worthy and intelligent. And then there were the national stereotypes, the overly formal, warm beer-drinking British, the flamenco-dancing Spanish...
Which has led some to see the comics as being racist. Indeed, Uderzo's caricatures are rarely flattering. Obelix regularly insists that the Romans (along with Goths, British, Egyptians...) are crazy. And Geriatrix is conspicuously xenophobic exclaiming, 'you know me, I've got nothing against foreigners. Some of my best friends are foreigners. But these particular foreigners aren't from this village!'
So, am I going to burn my collection? Or, more importantly, stop buying copies for my friends' children? On both counts, 'no'.
The majority of literature (including Scripture) is littered with simile, metaphor and caricature. I can still remember dissolving into hysterics on my first reading of Song of Songs 7:4, and having my youth leader patiently (and through gritted teeth) explaining to me the importance of recognising literary genres.
We need to read literature contextually, whether that be comics, Chronicles or Corinthians. Being aware of its origins, intentions and nuances will enrich our enjoyment of it without blinding us to the questions that it raises.
Brett Jordan
Author's personal note: There are over 30 Asterix books. However, most agree that the ones written by Goscinny (who died in 1977) are superior.
Links
To find out more about Asterix click here
To find out more about other characters in the stories, click here
You can visit the official Asterix website here
Don't forget that the most important background detail for any and every text of the Bible is that the authors assumed the supernatural to be real. At no point does it help to answer the question: 'But is it?'
Date:
2010-01-17 21:27:31
Author:
David Young