Albert Uderzo

Alberto Aleandro Uderzo, better known as Albert Uderzo (Fismes, Marne, France, April 25, 1927-Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France; March 24, 2020), was a French cartoonist and comic book writer. His most famous series was Asterix , together with screenwriter René Goscinny (1926-1977), whose first edition appeared on October 29, 1959 in the magazine Pilote before to be released as an album.

Biography

Uderzo was born in Fismes, in the Marne department, shortly after his parents, Silvio Leonardo Uderzo and Iria Crestini, moved there, emigrants from Italy. His last name comes from the Italian town of Oderzo (formerly called Uderzo), where his family came from. As a child he dreamed of becoming an aircraft mechanic, despite his artistic talent at a very young age.

During World War II, the young Uderzo left Paris and spent a year in Brittany, western France, working on a farm and helping with his father's furniture business. Many years later, when Goscinny left the decision to locate Asterix's village in his hands, Uderzo quickly chose Brittany.

After the war, he launched a successful cartooning career in Paris, creating the likes of Flamberge and Clopinard, a one-legged little man who always triumphs against all odds. Between 1947 and 1948 he created other comics, such as Belloy and Arys Buck. In 1950, he drew several episodes of the British-born character Captain Marvel Jr. for Bravo! magazine.

With Goscinny

After a few years of other creations and travels, he met René Goscinny in 1951, becoming fast friends, and deciding to collaborate together in the new Paris office of the Belgian company World Press in 1952. His first creation was Jehan Pistol. In 1958 they began their work on Oumpah-pah (which would last until 1962), as well as some other series. In 1959 Goscinny and Uderzo became editor and artistic director, respectively, of the new magazine Pilote, aimed at older children. In the first issue, Asterix appeared for the first time on the French market, being an immediate success.

Initially it was just another serial within Pilote, but in 1961 the first independent album was published, Asterix the Gaul. By 1967, the comic had become so popular that its authors decided to dedicate themselves exclusively to it, producing about two albums a year. After Goscinny's death in 1977, Uderzo also took over the script, which slowed production down to about one album every four years.

On December 27, 2010, the French Treasury delegation considered that Uderzo was co-author of the Astérix works and, for this reason, he was sentenced to pay around 200,000 euros for the 24 titles of Astérix and Obelix in which he only signs as cartoonist.

Withdrawal

Uderzo retired due to his advanced age. In 2013, he made the decision, not without initial reluctance, to hand over the making of the Asterix stories to a new creative team, selected by himself. Even leaving all the responsibility to the young Didier Conrad (pencils) and Jean-Yves Ferri (script), Uderzo reviewed the pages developed by them, limiting himself to making small suggestions.

His last professional illustration was to support the release of the new authors' first album ("Asterix and the Picts") by developing a promotional illustration for it.

Family

Uderzo had a daughter, Sylvie Uderzo, with his wife Ada. According to The book of Asterix the Gaul, it was speculated that Uderzo based the characters Falbalá and Zazá on Ada and Sylvie, respectively, although this was denied by Uderzo. When Uderzo sold his part of Éditions Albert René to Hachette Livre, Sylvie accused him in a column in Le Monde newspaper that with this action it was "as if the gates of the Gallic villa had been opened to the Roman Empire" 3. 4;. Sylvie owns 40% of Éditions Albert René, while the remaining 60%, previously owned by Uderzo and Goscinny's daughter, is currently held by Hachette Livre.

The comic The sky is falling on us! was dedicated to his older brother Bruno Uderzo (1920-2004).

Unix controversy

Uderzo-owned publishing house, Les Éditions Albert René, denounced in a German court the use by certain computer companies of names ending in "ix" (usual in companies that work with Unix variants), since they considered that they were damaging their brands "Asterix" and "Obelix".

Death

He passed away at the age of 92, on March 24, 2020, at his mansion in Neuilly-Sur-Seine, a city located in the metropolitan area, west of Paris. His cause of death was a heart attack. The news was spread by his son-in-law Bernard de Chosy.

Awards

• Knight of the Legion of Honor, 1985.