Asterix in Spain
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| Asterix in Spain | |
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| French Title: | Asterix en Hispanie |
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| Story: | Rene Goscinny |
| Illustrations: | Albert Uderzo |
| French Edition: | 1969 |
| English Translation: | 1971 |
| Preceded by: | Asterix and the Cauldron |
| Followed by: | Asterix and the Roman Agent |
Asterix in Spain is the fourteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 498-519 in 1969.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
A group of Iberian resistance fighters are holding out against the Romans, like Asterix's village. So the Romans kidnap Chief Huevos Y Bacon's (Sopalajo de Arriérez y Torrezno in Spanish) son, Pepe. The Romans are taking him to a garrison in Gaul (as it happens, it is one of the garrisons close the Gaulish village). Asterix and Obelix beat up the Romans under the command of the Roman officer Spurius Brontosaurus and take Pepe to their village. Obelix is assigned to take care of Pepe, but the boy proves to be highly taxing, so Asterix and Obelix are assigned to take him back home.
Asterix, Obelix, Pepe and Dogmatix travel to Spain, but little do they know that Spurius Brontosaurus - who had returned to Iberia in the meantime - has spotted them and is now accompanying them in disguise to take Pepe back to Gaul (otherwise it's the lions in the circus).
Brontosaurus sees Asterix and Obelix beat up some bandits, so he plans to steal the magic potion. That night, when they are asleep, Brontosaurus steals the potion but is caught red-handed by Asterix, and in the subsequent chase both run into a group of Roman legionaries. The legionaries take Asterix and Brontosaurus to the commander-in-chief, who throws Asterix and Brontosaurus in the dungeon. In the circus of Hispalis they are both pitched against an aurochs. A woman drops her red cloak, so Asterix gets it. The aurochs keeps on charging at him, so he gets the cloak out of the aurochs's way to keep it from getting dirty, thereby introducing bullfighting. For his victory, Asterix is released, and Spurius Brontosaurus, discharged from the army, gladly decides to make his living as a bullfighter.
Obelix has meanwhile brought Pepe back to his village. Asterix arrives at the village which is being besieged by Romans, and Obelix helps him break through the lines. They say goodbye to Pepe and the Iberians and go back to Gaul for the usual banquet.
[edit] References
- Pepe in the beginning confronts Julius Ceasar armed with a sling and says "You shall not pass". This is a reference to the ¡No pasarán! speech delivered by Dolores Ibárruri Gómez during the Spanish Civil War.
- Various scenes depict stereotypical behaviour associated with Spaniards like their pride, their nature to be hotblooded and the cliché that their roads aren't very good (page 34). On page 38 the generally slow aid for car problems is spoofed too.
- The line "I think he is receiving an ear because he fought well in battle" on page one is a reference to the corrida where a bull fighter receives the ear and tail of a bull if he killed the animal.
- The scenes where various Gauls and Goths (Germans) travel in horse chariots are a parody on the vacations in Spain.
- The knight and his servant whom Asterix, Obelix and Pepe encounter are Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. This is made clear by their visual appearance and the fact that the knight madly wants to attack windmills.
- When the frightened Roman Brontosaurus tries to act like he's Spanish his knees shake against each other. Pepe says "his knees make a nice sound, as if they accompany him." This is a reference to castanets which make a similar sound when used while singing.
- The conductor in the arena, featured on page 44, is a caricature of French conductor Gérard Calvi.
- The final scenes are a fictional theory of origin on how bull fighting could have become a tradition in Spain.
- The line, "A fish. My kingdom for a fish." uttered on the last page, is a reference to William Shakespeare's play Richard III, where Richard says the nearly exact same line, except for the fact that he is referring to a horse.
[edit] Notes
- Like many Asterix stories this book does not fit well with real world chronology, for although the Iberian peninsula had long been controlled by Rome this album specifically mentions the Battle of Munda which took place in 45 BC (also mentioned) and thus about a year prior to Caesar's assassination, however he still appears in nearly 20 following albums taking place over a much greater time period.
- This was the first book in the series to feature Unhygienix the fishmonger and his wife Bacteria.
- It is also the first to feature a fight between the villagers — like many that follow it is started by Unhygenix's fish.
[edit] More information
[edit] In other languages
- German: Asterix in Spanien
- Spanish: Astérix en Hispania
