this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2025
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They kinda had to because the original author Rene Goscinny died. I think there are still new Asterix stories to this day, don't know who's writing them now.
Many of the stories relied on national stereotypes, but at least they're aimed at other E*ropean countries, it's been a long time since I've read the comics so I'm not discounting there being some horrifying racism too.
The time they went to the Americas it was bad in a "This was made by pre-boomer Europeans" kinda way, but not in an actively malicious way. It's very noble savage-y. The African pirate and Numidians are just golliwogs, it's messed up.
The Indians are... uhhh... yeah.
But again it's all in a very "This was written by people from the 1920s" way and less in an overtly colonialist and racist way, and some of the more racist portrayals were made in attempts to pay tribute to members of ethnic minorities. Which is certainly a choice. It is absolutely racist by any standard, but if you're comparing it to the guy who wrote rexist propaganda and collaborated with the nazis, it comes out shiny and clean.
I didn't even remember there was a story where they went to the Americas, but like I said, it's been many years. The African pirate is the most questionable recurring character I thought of.