Asterix in Belgium (1979)

Astérix chez les Belges

A, O & Vitalstatistix instigate The Battle of the Belge

Presenting a pretentious thematic undercurrent...

Notable Nomenclature...

• Pseudonymous: Legionary.
• Beefix and Brawnix: Belgian chieftains.
• Melancholix, Alcoholix, Potbellix: Belgian warrors.
• Bonanza: Beefix's wife.
• Saintlouisblus: Legionary.
• Wolfgangamadeus: Legate.
• Monotonous: Senator.
• Botanix and Cauliflowa: Husband and wife of EEC frontier family. Parents of Manikin Pis.

Continuity; lack-thereof and other gaffes...

• The beginning of a trait in late-Asterix of too much annotation within the text. Here the book's literary references are identified on the title page.
• Veritable continuity bumper-pack to open book: fish-fight, unsubtle-shield-gag and bard-tied-up joke all-in one frame (p1).
• First time Vitalstatistix has accompanied A&O on an adventure since Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield (not counting Olympic Games where all the men accompany them.
• Pseudonymous is from A&O's old legion (see Asterix the Legionary).
• More tension between Julius and the Roman Senate (pp 25 and 26).
• As far as I know, the 'Manikin Pis' sequence contains the only example of 'toilet humour' in all Asterix.

Cleverness and contemporaneity...

• Compared to Belgium, being detailed the Gaulish village is a 'rest cure' to Romans (p5).
• Vitalstatistix predicts Brittany becoming a tourist resort (p5).
• Asterix waxes self-referential: says they can't have a feast because it's too early in the story and the bard is still with them (p6). Obelix will continue the trait in p 7.
• Pseudonymous tags along with A, O & Vitastatistix for a while (pp 15 and 16).
• A typical end-of-adventure type banquet - replete with boars, chickens and trifles en-masse - is classed by the Belgians as 'Nothing Lavish' (p17).
• A particularly bloody Roman-bashing is veiled by a floral curtain (p20).
• Saintlouisblus unwittingly inspires the invention of chips (p21). Obelix later adds fish to the equation (p42).
• The numbers of the Gaulish/Belgian troops has become exaggerated somewhere down the line (p24).
• 'O stuff your brassica oleracea capitata' is deleted by the Senate reporter from the list of Julian classical quotations. 'I shall go, I shall see and I shall conquer' stays in though (pp 25 and 26).
• The Thompson twins from (the Belgian) Tintin books make a cameo appearance as messengers; and carry their usual design of speech-bubble.
• A&O encounter Manikin Pis, subject of Brussels' urinating statue. Appropriately enough, he is first encountered spending a penny; and has to go again almost immediately afterwards (pp 29-30).
• Manukin Pis predicts the European parliament in Brussels (p29).
• 'You know what you can do with that <expletive> board of yours?' is also deemed unsuitable as a classical quotation (p34).
• Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx makes cameo appearence as a messenger (p35).
• Anachronistc reference to Waterloo (p35).
• Somewhat anachronistic reference to sandwiches (p36).
• Byron, Milton and Shakespeare lines quoted/misquoted/modified as frame captions (pp36-40).
• Centurian quotes Wellington 'Publish and be Damned'.
• Belgian banquet drawn in the manner of Pieter Breughal the elder (p43).
• Obelix takes some beers away with him (p44).
• Cacofonix tied to tree as per usual (p44).

Non-PC World

• Belgian men depicted throughout as fat gluttons to out-Obelix Obelix. The women are far more shapely.
• Belgian landscape depicted as entirely flat (p16).
• Botanix and Cauliflowa's meal is comprised entirely of beer and Brussels Sprouts (p30).

Obelix has a tender side...

• One suspects he would turn beetroot red if he noticed the voluptuous Belgian waitress complenting his table manners (p17).
• Misinterprets the phrase 'Fat of the Land' (p32).

Classic Pegleg...

Redbeard's Retort...

Chubby-cheeked bloke...

Good or what?

Transitional book between Goscinny/Uderzo and solo Uderzo (it was illustrated years after Goscinny's death - where presumably the authors would formerly work on the realisation together) represents a curious "Asterix in ..." adventure where there is really very little said about the 'in'. The Belgians are seriously undercharacterised; and this is compensated for by cramming in every last modern-day-Belgium reference. There is some fabulous humour at the expense of Julius Caesar, though.