# Albert Uderzo dies at 92 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203 "2020-03-24T22:34:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/21 "2020-03-26T01:27:24Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The previous panel had shown a street vendor and a customer arguing over a piece of fruit. In the English version, the exchange was: **IRATE VENDOR:** Oh, so this melon is bad, is it? **HUFFY CUSTOMER:** Rawther, old fruit! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/22 "2020-03-26T08:44:00Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The names given to Romans in the books were the best: Marcus Ginantonticus, Crismus Bonus, Nefarius Purpus, Dubius Status, Sendervictorius, Appianglorius, Obsequeus… My favorite was the olympic athlete Gluteus Maximus. And of course, Odius Asparagus. Seems like at least some of English pun names were better than the original French, as best I can tell. The Druid’s French name is Panoramix. What does that mean? Is there a pun there? In English, it’s Getafix. The bard’s French name is Assurancetourix which I’m told means Traveler’s Insurance. In English, his name is Cacofonix. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/23 "2020-03-26T09:05:38Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > And of course, Odius Asparagus. > > Seems like at least some of English pun names were better than the original French, as best I can tell. The Druid’s French name is Panoramix. What does that mean? Is there a pun there? In English, it’s Getafix. > > The bard’s French name is Assurancetourix which I’m told means Traveler’s Insurance. In English, his name is Cacofonix. … And the blacksmith/armorer’s name is Fulliautomatix, and the fishmonger’s name is Unhygenix. The leader of the Caledonians (Scots) was MacAnix, and that of the Hibernians (Irish) was O’veroptimistix. The chief of Asterix’s tribe is Vitalstatistix, supposedly a comment on his ample proportions. I actually prefer his German name: Majestix. His wife’s name is Impedimenta. Here’s a long list of chaarcters’ names in multiple languages: > **[List of Asterix characters | Vitalstatistix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Asterix_characters#Vitalstatistix)** > > Chief Vitalstatistix is the chief of the Gaulish village. He is a middle-aged, bigbellied man with red hair, pigtails and a huge moustache. He is generally reasonable, well-informed, fearless, (comparatively) even-tempered and unambitious — the last much to the chagrin of his wife Impedimenta. His major failings are his love of good food and drink (it is unlikely to be a coincidence that his wife is the best cook in the village) — which has led to health problems — and his pride. As a Gaulish chi... ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/24 "2020-03-26T09:30:54Z")
I think there were cases where G&U devoted an entire page to setting up some elaborate pun, and if it didn’t translate well into English, the translators re-wrote the entire page of dialog because none of it would have made any sense. ISTR there was a whole page like this in _Asterix The Gladiator_. OTOH, the entire first two pages of _Asterix In Switzerland_ is devoted to setting up an elaborate pun – in English! I have to assume that the same must have somehow worked in the original French, or else they could never have written and drawn what they did. [Full text and art, in English.](https://readallcomics.com/16-asterix-in-switzerland/) ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/25 "2020-03-26T11:24:08Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > And of course, Odius Asparagus. > > Seems like at least some of English pun names were better than the original French, as best I can tell. The Druid’s French name is Panoramix. What does that mean? Is there a pun there? In English, it’s Getafix. > > The bard’s French name is Assurancetourix which I’m told means Traveler’s Insurance. In English, his name is Cacofonix. Panoramix is a pun on Panoramic, probably because he has a larger view of the world than a lot of his fellow gauls. Assurancetourix, is not really Traveler’s insurance but rather complete coverage insurance (literally Insurance all risks) like you would get for a car. The chief’s wife is called Bonemine (bonne mine), which means someone who is always up beat or with a sunny disposition, which of course is the complete opposite of her character. But back to Uderzo, one interesting thing that I did not realize about him was that he was color blind and made sure to clearly label his paint and pencil colors. He also did the illustrations for Les Aventures de Tanguy et Laverdure, which was made into two animated tv series and inspired a live action [movie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Fighters) . //i\ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/26 "2020-03-26T11:37:35Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > And of course, Odius Asparagus. > > Seems like at least some of English pun names were better than the original French, as best I can tell. The Druid’s French name is Panoramix. What does that mean? Is there a pun there? In English, it’s Getafix. > > The bard’s French name is Assurancetourix which I’m told means Traveler’s Insurance. In English, his name is Cacofonix. I never liked translating the Druid’s name as “Getafix”. It makes him sound like a drug pusher – and not the kind that makes strength potions. I understand re-naming the dog “Dogmatix”, but they really could have kept it as “Ideefix” That said, really do like the Roman names (and names for the Roman camps) they come up with. And I think the Egyptian in _Asterix the Legionary_ – “Ptenisnet”, represented in his speech fumetti as a drawing of a Tennis Net – is priceless. Does anyone know what the name (and joke) in the French original was? ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/27 "2020-03-26T13:12:11Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > And I think the Egyptian in _Asterix the Legionary_ – “Ptenisnet”, represented in his speech fumetti as a drawing of a Tennis Net – is priceless. Does anyone know what the name (and joke) in the French original was? In French it is Tennis Court (Courdeténis) so very similar //i\ ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/28 "2020-03-26T14:12:13Z")
Anthea Bell was briefly mentioned upstream. She was the one who translated Asterix into English, and created a whole new range of puns and wordplay for it. She also died, about 18 month ago. An obituary of her wide-ranging work as a translator is [here](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/18/anthea-bell-magnificent-translator-of-asterix-and-kafka-dies-aged-82). ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/29 "2020-03-26T23:39:04Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Hey! I learned a new word too! > > Am I the only one here who never heard of a _luthier_ before? I had to look that one up. > > It’s a person who makes or repairs bowed stringed instruments, like violin, viola, or cello for example. I gather that would exclude things like guitar, dulcimer, and piano. Guitar builders are luthiers alright. _Bowed_ string instruments isn’t a qualifier. Asterix comics are a cherished part of my early years. Goscinny died impossibly early, but the death of Uderzo marks the end of an era to me. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/30 "2020-03-27T01:06:18Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > Anthea Bell was briefly mentioned upstream. She was the one who translated Asterix into English, and created a whole new range of puns and wordplay for it. > > She also died, about 18 month ago. An obituary of her wide-ranging work as a translator is [here](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/18/anthea-bell-magnificent-translator-of-asterix-and-kafka-dies-aged-82). This is a good example of what it means to be a translator. They don’t just take words from one language and put them into another. Anyone with a bilingual dictionary could do that, and the result wouldn’t be a translation. Translators need not only a native or near-native knowledge of the original language (which, unless you’re lucky enought to be born into a multi-lingual family, takes years to acquire). They also have to write well in their own language in a variety of styles and registers, and they require a broad knowledge of other cultures and disciplines. I’ve been at it professionally for almost 40 years now, and I never stop learning. Languages change over time, and I have to keep up with them. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/31 "2020-03-27T01:11:41Z")
> [@icon](#): > > Assurancetourix, is not really Traveler’s insurance but rather complete coverage insurance (literally Insurance all risks) like you would get for a car. “Comprehensive auto insurance.” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/32 "2020-03-27T01:48:48Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > “Comprehensive auto insurance.” So in German, they could have named the bard Vollkaskoix, but they went for the somewhat lame Troubadix. But I like Verleihnix, the fishmonger. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/33 "2020-03-27T01:53:57Z")
… And the crotchety old village elder is Geriatrix. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/34 "2020-03-27T02:01:18Z")
Another good name in the German translation, in “Asterix and the Normans,” was Grautvornix, Justforkix (which was also very clever) in English, the young Norman who wanted to learn what fear is, because Grautvornix means “Isn’t afraid of anything”. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/35 "2020-03-27T02:02:53Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > … And the crotchety old village elder is Geriatrix. 😃 In German, Methusalix. Somehow the Gauls of that time must’ve picked up some of the old testament ;). ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/36 "2020-03-27T15:45:04Z")
So many great books, although the later ones did not capture their original brilliance. May both G and U spend eternity in The Mansions of the Gods. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/37 "2020-03-28T11:47:52Z")
I loved those books when I was a kid, any time I stumbled upon a Tintin or Asterix and Obelix book in the library was a good day. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/38 "2020-03-28T14:26:15Z")
Does anyone here know Goscinny’s _ **Le petit Nicolas** _? My daughter read the books in French when she was in primary school. I remember them as being very clever and funny. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203/39 "2020-03-28T23:41:24Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > I loved those books when I was a kid, any time I stumbled upon a Tintin or Asterix and Obelix book in the library was a good day. Tintin was actually by Hergé. But some Oumpah-Pah and Lucky Luke and other Goscinny creations appeared in _Tintin_ magazine. > [@terentii](#): > > Does anyone here know Goscinny’s _ **Le petit Nicolas** _? My daughter read the books in French when she was in primary school. I remember them as being very clever and funny. Sure, I know them, and I read them, they are not very obscure, just haven’t cracked them open in a while. Basically they are children’s books featuring schoolchildren. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-uderzo-dies-at-92/850203.md?page=1)