Asterix and the copper kettle

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Asterix und der Kupferkessel (French original title: Astérix et le Chaudron ) is the 13th Asterix volume and was published in German in 1972 and the original in 1969. The text is by René Goscinny , the drawings by Albert Uderzo .

action

The tribal chief of another Gallic village, Moralelastix, gives the Gauls a copper kettle full of sesterces for safekeeping so that he does not have to pay Roman taxes. Asterix is ​​ordered to guard the cauldron. But while Asterix is ​​guarding his house, the contents of the kettle are stolen through a hole in the back wall. As the honor of the village is violated by this theft, Asterix is ​​banished from the village.

So he goes on a journey with Obelix and Idefix to get the money back or to fill the kettle in another way. After visiting a Roman camp and confronting the stranded pirates who opened an inn, they try to make money selling wild boars in the Condate market. More unsuccessful attempts follow, including a racing bet, acting and a bank robbery, until they decide to go to Moralelastix to at least return the kettle.

On the way there they meet the Roman tax collector, whose money they steal. Asterix determines from the smell of onion soup that the money from the tax collector is the same as it was in the kettle at the beginning. Moralelastix wanted to cheat the Gauls and stole the money himself to pay his taxes and to get the money replaced by the Gauls. It comes to a fight with moral elastic, in which the cauldron falls down the cliff onto the pirate ship, which happens to be passing by. After Asterix has restored his honor and that of the village, he and Obelix return to the village and the obligatory festival is celebrated.

Remarks

“Asterix and the Copper Kettle” is a story with a more serious theme, it is about honor and guilt as well as the hardship of making money in an environment characterized by difficult living conditions. In addition, similar to the “ Battle of the Chiefs ” , we encounter the Gaulish type who ingratiates themselves and collaborates, as it turns out at the end of the story.

The episode in the ancient theater is a corruption of modern drama in the 20th century. The names of the actors refer to the theater greats Eleonora Duse and Albert Bassermann . Albert Uderzo (speaking to the prefect) and René Goscinny (who amused his neighbors with jokes) are among the audience.

The tax collector is a caricature of the future French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing , who was finance minister for a few years before the comic was published.

publication

The first edition of the album Le Chaudron was released by Dargaud in 1969 as the 13th volume in the Asterix series. The German first edition of the album was in 1972 in MV Comix , at Ehapa . With the new edition in 2002 this volume got a new cover picture, which was first seen in the MV Comix editions 23/1969 to 7/1970.

With issue 469 of Pilote of October 31, 1968 the preprint started up to issue 491.

See also

Web links