Asterix the Gaul turns 50

Asterix is a bit like the Eiffel Tower, said publisher Arnaud Noury at a news conference on Thursday to present anniversary plans,summing up the diminutive warriors elevated status in France.

Asterix and his friend Obelix appeared for the first time in print in the French comic strip magazine Pilote on October 29,1959.

Two years later,the first hardback volume of their adventures came out,with an initial print run of 6,000 copies. Since then,a total of 325 million copies of 33 Asterix books have been sold around the world,making co-creators Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo Frances bestselling authors abroad.

Goscinny,who wrote the texts,died in 1977. Uderzo,who did the drawings and later continued the series alone,recalled that their original ambition was modest.

Among other anniversary celebrations,Uderzo has created a new volume of adventures entitled The birthday of Asterix and Obelix. Reflecting the changing fortunes of the Gaul,the initial print run is 3 million.

There will also be a festival entitled The Gauls invade Paris on October 29 that will take place at eight high-profile venues including the Opera,the Eiffel Tower and the City Hall. A series of concerts for children and an exhibition in Paris,dedicated to art from the Middle Ages,will also pay homage to Asterix.