THE ASTERIX PHENOMENON

First appeared: 29 October 1959 in Pilote magazine

1st comic book: Asterix the Gaul in 1961: 6,000 copies

370,000,000 comic books sold worldwide: 8,880 Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other.

Placed end to end, the books would stretch twice around the Earth, and would weigh 12,900 tonnes (i.e. 400 lorries weighing 35 tonnes each.)

111 translations (languages and dialects)

9 animated films

4 live action films

1 theme park: "Le Parc Astérix"

100 licenses

'If there's anyone who can simply transcend age altogether it's my first choice, the little Gaulish warrior called Asterix ... and despite the burden of expectations they don't disappoint ... It's a delight. And while the creative team in France has changed, we can be grateful that the English version remains in the incomparably skilled hands of Anthea Bell, who's translated the books with wit and energy since the very beginning' - Daniel Hahn, Independent