Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers already?

Let's talk about Asterix here...

Moderator: Jochgem

Antworten
toddly6666

Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers already?

Beitrag: # 25710Beitrag toddly6666 »

All of the Uderzo books released after Asterix and the Magic Carpet have been forgettable, sloppy, and poorly written. Why can't Underzo hire a new writer so that he can just stick to drawing? His writing post-1990 have just been awful - the stories are all over the place and just not really interesting. It's okay to run out of ideas. It happens to everyone. What's even worse is that Uderzo is putting his insecurities about how audiences perceive Asterix and Obelix' sexuality in the books - in the last books, he's been letting people know that Asterix and Obelix "like women." He's been throwing in these little illustration hints and storylines in an unnatural forced way that "they both like women." That's how insecure he is about his characters that he has to worry about how audiences perceive his beloved comic book characters. Underzo, please let someone write these books!

What does everyone else think?
Furienna

Re: Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 27771Beitrag Furienna »

Well, I think it's been obvious, that Asterix and Obelix "like women" since early on. But other than that... I don't know if other people should be allowed to do "Asterix" or not...
toddly6666

Re: Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 27775Beitrag toddly6666 »

Furienna hat geschrieben:Well, I think it's been obvious, that Asterix and Obelix "like women" since early on. But other than that... I don't know if other people should be allowed to do "Asterix" or not...
Allowed or not, Uderzo is an awful writer - I don't know how anyone could be any worse. Lucky Luke had many writers...
Maik

Re: Should Underzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 27792Beitrag Maik »

From what I recall Uderzo either selected or planning to select, a new artist who will takeover the series (and writing as well)
To be honest – I don’t see reason why do wee need more Asterix books. Why can’t series be left closed/finished?
You mentioned Lucky Luke – while I must admit that the guy who is doing current series has talent (both artistically and when it’s get down to humor) his books just have the same flavor as the old books did.
In my opinion the series should be left as it is without risking new guy to make it worse – the problem is not that he may do a bad job, but that he will turn Asterix into something complete different… (once again – not bad, it juts wont fell like Asterix any more)

As for Uderzo writing skills – While his is no Gościnny, I find most of his solo books to be pretty decent., and I like the fact that he started exploring Asterix and Obelix bachelor life..
Unfortunately “Falling sky” was pretty horrible (if not offensive to the fans) and “Asterix and Obelix birthday” while had some great pictures (painting parodies) wasn’t much better [I especially hate few last pages when Uderzo actually made a fart joke in Asterix series!!! THAT’S JUST WRONG!!!].
To me Uderzos biggest mistake was not quitting while he was ahead and finish the series after “Asterix and the Actress” (which while not a perfect book, was in my opinion better then “Asterix and Obelix all at sea” – I somehow prefer this series to not end whit some epic/climatic adventure, but a rather comedic story) or maybe even after “Secret weapon”.
Furienna

Re: Should Underzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 27795Beitrag Furienna »

I haven't read the most recent "Asterix" adventures, and most people would say, that I'm not missing anything. Uderzo's first couple of solo adventures were good though.
Maik

Re: Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 27797Beitrag Maik »

For me the first "poor" book he did was "Asterix and Obelix all at sea".

The newest book didn't even had any plot. Just random pircutres and short stories forced to be tie together... Sadly other then some great parodies of fameuse paitings [just like the one in "Asterix in belgium"] most jokes where flet and characters somehow shallow. The only part I like where first few pages which shown Asterix, Obelix and other villagers as old people [as a nice joke Geratrix didn't change at all :methusalix: ]
Over all this book was more like "Asterix and the Class act" rather then a "brend new adventures".

:legion: :legion: :legion: :legion: :legion: :legion: :legion: :legion: :legion:
Sofieke

Re: Should Underzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 27874Beitrag Sofieke »

I personally didn't mind the actress really, only the part with the dolphin and the flee antics of asterix made me shiver a little. A good writer could have prevented these things.

It took me months to recover from the Falling sky.......I DO NOT understand that book. I know all the explications about the war in Afghanistan and stuff, but for GODSAKE, draw a pamphlet about it, make a tv-spot or whatever. Why make it a comic? Do you think any americans will have read that book?

I do not get Uderzo with that one at all.....I understand and agree with his political point of view, but this was not the way to get it across. he did so much damage to his characters.....

So I agree with the statement. I'm not sure what way the stories could go, but I do not want the falling sky to be the last one. What I really want, is to erase it from my memory. But fans do not have such luck. :-)
Maik

Re: Should Underzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 27880Beitrag Maik »

I think I'm the only person on the planet who actually like Asterix jumping sequence in the "Actress" :roll:
It's just so silly/absurde/wird... The dolphin on the other hand was a strange deus ex machina [aka Hero win by luck] which isn't bad once a while, but Uderzo did use it to offten in my opinion.
The book had it share of plot wholes/contunity problems :
:asterix: - Asterix and Obelix birtday on the same day [I think there isn't a single fan who did complaine about this one already so I won't make more comments about it]
:asterix: - Pompey thing... Which onestly didn't bother me at all. It is a historicall error but one I can have them pass... [Well the ending about Cesar sending Pompey to Africa is confusing however, but then agian it's a error I notice years after first reading the book]
:asterix: - The fact that Asterix and Obelix parents live in Condate [which Asterix and Obelix visited a dosen times by now... but then agian, they never took time to visit Panacea and Tragicomix when their been there as well]
:asterix: - The idea that some random Roman consul knows that Obelix is in love with Panacea and so happens that he have an actress that looks just like she... Bit of a strech, ey?

But all this - somehow didn't bother me this much and story itself was pretty enjoyaball, and I find it way better then "Asterix and Obelix all at sea" [not to mentioning "The Falling Sky"] and I sometimes wish Uderzo made "Actress" as book 30 insted. :hammer:

:verleihnix: :verleihnix: :verleihnix: :verleihnix: :verleihnix: :verleihnix: :verleihnix: :verleihnix: :verleihnix:
Obelix's Chum

Re: Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 31943Beitrag Obelix's Chum »

Personally I like Uderzo's recent work, (thought saying that i'm a Sci fi fan aswell as an Asterix fan so I would like the Fallen Sky) and okay the celibration for the 50th year was a bit.....Rubish but give him some slack in my opion he is actually a good writer.
Benutzeravatar
Digger
AsterIX Village Elder
Beiträge: 347
Registriert: 21. Dezember 2009 22:13
Wohnort: Aurich

Re: Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 31979Beitrag Digger »

toddly6666 hat geschrieben:Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers already?
YES :!:
beardsy

Re: Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 33579Beitrag beardsy »

I have all the Asterix books (I think) but hadn't got round to reading the new ones - I wanted to read them in order.

But this thread made me look at the last one, Asterix and the Falling Sky.

My jaw dropped open pretty quickly.

What was that?! It's really, horribly poor.
Sofieke

Re: Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 34685Beitrag Sofieke »

The thing that disturbed me in the actress really, (and in the falling sky too, but that book has much much worse problems), was that whereas Asterix comes off as fairly intelligent in earlier books, here he just runs after things the entire story. He does not really play a role in it and nor does Obelix. I mean, TRAGICOMIX influenced the story line more than Asterix and Obelix.

And that's what I mainly disliked about it. If that had not been the case, there would not have been any use for a dolphin. I have nothing against them, :-) but it could have been an interesting thing to for example do something with the pirate ship that came along....

And the jumping scene, well I guess I was embarassed in Asterix' place.

I do not think the entire idea of that comic was bad, I liked the intrigue with Pompeius, although them not recognizing Walhalla was another example of who they were made 'dumb' in the book. Obelix is supposed to be madly in love with Panacea and he does not even recognize her.....
Nor does Asterix.... And I liked to see their parents introduced...but the idea could have been handled with much more spirit.

I would feel really sad if I knew there was never going to be another comic, but the way Obelix and especially Asterix are portrayed during the movies, live-action and animated and even in their own comic, that is just not how I got to know them in the earlier books.
fazul

Re: Should Uderzo stop writing and hire good writers alread

Beitrag: # 36384Beitrag fazul »

Hi everybody (I'm new to this forum).

I my opinion, Uderzo is just bent on cashing in on Asterix's heritage. He even doesn't mind that someone will keep on drawing Asterix after he dies...

He did two decent books after Goscinny (The Great Divide and Asterix in the Land of Black Gold, especially the second one), but afterwards it has been a steady steep descent into the dark.
Antworten