Asterix and Obelix, from Wild Boar to Bacalhau

The adventurous Asterix and Obelix had never set foot in Lusitania. However, they will swap the wild boar of their Gallic feasts for the delicious 'bacalhau à brás' from October 23, the publication date of the new album featuring the inimitable duo. In their last travel adventure, 'Asterix and the Griffin's Trail' (2021), they ventured into the snowy steppes of the Sarmatian lands. This time, they will exchange snow for the warm Iberian sun.

Alongside their dog Dogmatix, the indomitable Gauls travel to the southwestern edge of the Roman Empire, a land bordering Hispania, famous for its rich monuments, generous inhabitants, and delicious cuisine, where cod reigns supreme. The plot reveals only that an old Lusitanian slave, who appeared in 'The Mansion of the Gods', will seek help from the diminutive, moustachioed blonde and the strong, chubby redhead.

Gauls and Lusitanians share a common enemy: Rome. Both peoples have charismatic leaders: the Gaul Vercingetorix and the Lusitanian Viriathus, who led his people in a revolt lasting eight years, entering the annals of history. Rome only managed to dispose of the skilled strategist by betraying him and assassinating him in his sleep. Julius Caesar defeated the Lusitanians in 60 BC, ten years before doing the same in Gaul.

The comic is once again crafted by scriptwriter Fabrice Caro (Fabcaro) and illustrator Didier Conrad, authors of 'The White Lily' (2023), an adventure in which Asterix and Obelix did not leave their village. "We needed a destination where they had never been. And the field is narrowing, as our favourite Gauls have travelled extensively," explains Fabcaro. He desired "a sunny, bright album set in a Mediterranean country that evokes a holiday, and Lusitania imposed itself," says Fabcaro, a frequent visitor to Portugal and enamoured with the warmth of its people.

Illustrator and scriptwriter travelled to Portugal to explore the locations and immerse themselves in the local atmosphere and specialties. "I enjoy reproducing picturesque landscapes with specific references to the culture of the visited country, and Portugal does not lack in that," Conrad rejoices.

On the provisional cover of the comic, released by publishers Salvat and Hachette, the now sexagenarian Asterix, Obelix, and Dogmatix can be seen walking on a traditional calçada, the unique Portuguese mosaic pavement. It is a true artistic and cultural expression of Portugal, and the authors wanted to pay homage to the formidable work of the calçeteiros, those artisans who hand-carved and placed each of the millions of black and white cobblestones scattered across Portuguese cities. "It took me a long time to reproduce the mosaics, and I chose as a motif an emblematic fish of the country: the bacalhau," explains the illustrator, who consulted hundreds of photos of cobbled streets and squares.

The new album will be the 41st in the series initiated in 1961 by the late Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny, the creators of these characters. Translated into 120 languages, 400 million albums of the legendary saga have been sold worldwide, inspiring a dozen films, both live-action and animated, and an amusement park near Paris. The most impatient fans can soothe their wait for the new album with 'Asterix and Obelix: The Chief's Fight', an animated series that Netflix will release at the end of April.