PARIS Albert Uderzo, one of the two creators of the beloved comic book character Asterix who grew a reputation worldwide, died on Tuesday at age 92. The French press quoted family members as saying that Uderzo died of a heart attack in the Paris suburb of Neuilly. Asterix, portrayed as a short man with a droopy mustache always wearing a helmet with wings, was created in the early 1960s by Uderzo and Rene Goscinny. The character lived in a village in Gaul, present-day France, resisting Roman conquerors, along with his inseparable big-bellied friend, Obelix. “Albert Uderzo died in his sleep at his Neuilly home of a heart attack with no links to the coronavirus,” the French press quoted his son-in-law, Bernard de Choisy, as saying. “He had been very tired for several weeks.” French Culture Minister Franck Riester said that Uderzo “found the magic potion,” referring to his spirit, craftsmanship and long hours of work.– AFP
