PARIS, May 26 (AFP): Four original drawings by the creator of Asterix the Gaul sold on Tuesday for nearly 400,000 euros to benefit Paris hospitals.
Albert Uderzo, who invented the plucky hero who gleefully took on Roman legions, died from heart failure linked to the coronavirus in March at the age of 92.
His widow Ada said the charity auction was a way of thanking "our new heroes who have resisted the invader," a reference to the virus that has killed more than 28,000 people in France.
The four original cartoons sold for 390,000 euros ($426,000), the auction house Artcurial told the media.
Uderzo co-created Asterix with scriptwriter Rene Goscinny and kept the epic going after his friend's untimely death in 1977.
He went on to create an entire gallery of characters beloved of children and adults across the world.
The drawings - which included images from the relatively recent adventures, Asterix and the Secret Weapon and Asterix and Obelix All At Sea - were donated to the Paris hospitals trust by the artist's widow and daughter.
Ada Uderzo and her daughter Sylvie wanted "to join with whole nation in paying tribute to French hospital staff" for their work during the pandemic, the auction house said.
More than 380 million Asterix books have been sold worldwide in 111 languages, with films, television series, video games and a French theme park dedicated to the comic and its characters.
Albert Uderzo, co-creator of French hero Asterix, passes away in his sleep at age 92
We're going desi, by Toutatis! How did Asterix and Obelix learn to speak fluent Hindi?
Asterix comics in Hindi! Om Books releases complete series after five years of translation
Actor Aamir Khan is giving family goals with his cute Asterix pictures
This cookbook get its inspiration from Asterix & Winnie The Pooh
Louvre Abu Dhabi goes online: Get videos, audio and images of art, archaeology on the museum website
Hong Kong's contemporary art centre Para Site presents Garden of Six Seasons
Indian museums go online with digital events on International Museum Day
New Banksy art unveiled at Southampton hospital to thank doctors, nurses