Albert Uderzo Autograph

Profession:
(1927-2020) French comic book artist, and scriptwriter ASTERIX.

Year of Birth: 1927

Albert Uderzo, born in 1927, is a French comic book artist and scriptwriter, best known for his work on the Astérix series. He was born in Fismes, Marne, in the Champagne region of France. He was raised in a small village with a population of roughly 2,000. As a young boy, Uderzo loved to draw and was encouraged by his parents to pursue his talent. After graduating from high school, he attended the École Estienne in Paris, where he studied art and advertising. After graduating in 1949, he began working as an illustrator and cartoonist for a variety of French newspapers and magazines.

In 1951, Uderzo met writer René Goscinny and the two began to collaborate on a variety of projects. Their first major project was the comic book series Oumpah-pah, which was published from 1954 to 1959. In 1959, the duo began working on a new comic book series, Astérix le Gaulois, which featured a small village of Gauls who were determined to resist Roman occupation. The series was an instant success and went on to become one of the most popular comic book series in the world, with more than 300 million copies sold.

In the 1970s, Uderzo and Goscinny began to work on other projects, such as the animated series The Adventures of Tintin and the comic book series Iznogoud. After Goscinny's death in 1977, Uderzo continued to work on the Astérix series, both writing and illustrating it himself. He continued to work on Astérix until he retired in 2011.

Uderzo's work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Grand Prix National de la Bande Dessinée, the Grand Prix de l’Académie Française, and the Grand Prix du Festival International de la Bande Dessinée. He was also inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame in 2013. In addition to his work in comics, Uderzo has also written and illustrated several children's books.

In his retirement, Uderzo continues to be an advocate for comics, especially the Astérix series. He has been featured in numerous documentaries about the series and even wrote his own autobiography, My Life in Comics, which was published in 2011. Uderzo's work has been an inspiration for generations of comic book artists, and his influence on the medium is undeniable.

Albert Uderzo has left an indelible mark on the comic book industry, and his work will continue to inspire generations of comic book readers and creators for years to come.