Hebdo victims to get Asterix proceeds

Proceeds from a Paris auction of an original 1971 Asterix comic artwork will go to families of the victims of the Charlie Hebdo magazine attack.

Rene Goscinny displays samples of his comic strip "Asterix the Gaul"

An original page of artwork from the 1971 comic Asterix has sold for 200-thousand dollars. (AAP)

An original page of artwork from the 1971 comic Asterix and the Laurel Wreath went under the hammer in Paris for 150,000 euros ($A206,939.37), with the proceeds going to the families of victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack.

The storyboard from the 18th comic in the popular French series will carry a special dedication by co-creator Albert Uderzo.

Auction house Christie's said it would waive its commission for the charity sale.

The artwork, sold at an auction dedicated to comic books, had been valued at between 150,000 and 200,000 euros. There was no immediate information about the buyer.

Twelve people were killed when two Islamist gunmen stormed the Paris offices of the satirical Charlie Hebdo weekly magazine on January 7, in an attack that shocked France.

The publication had repeatedly been threatened for its cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed.

Two days after the shootings, Uderzo came out of retirement to pen cartoons in tribute to the victims, who included some of the country's most celebrated cartoonists.

"Moi aussi je suis un Charlie" ("I'm Charlie too"), says Asterix in one of the cartoons, echoing the "Je Suis Charlie" slogan adopted by people around the world protesting at the attack on freedom of expression.

The drawings also showed the Gallic cartoon hero punching an adversary high into the air.

The second cartoon showed Asterix and his sidekick Obelix bowing their heads in grief, holding their hats. Asterix grasps a rose, and their pet Dogmatix looks on with a sad expression.

"Charlie Hebdo and Asterix are very different, of course. I am not going to change my stripes," 87-year-old Uderzo told Europe 1 radio at the time.

"I simply wanted to show my friendship for these cartoonists, who have paid with their lives."


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world