Asterix Was A Revelation

Comic artist Didier Conrad brings Asterix and Obelix to life. In this interview, he talks about art and clichés

- Adriano Sack

SINCE 2013, FRENCH-SWISS comic artist Didier Conrad has been illustrating the adventures of Asterix and Obelix. He succeeded the legendary Albert Uderzo. Conrad—a friendly older gentleman with a small white ponytail—is a grand seigneur of French comics, but has lived in Austin, USA, since 1996. Last fall, Asterix in Lusitania, the seventh volume of the globally popular comic series drawn by him, was published.

Question: What inspired you to become a comic artist?

DIDIER CONRAD: Asterix definitely played an important role. Comics experienced a real boom when I was growing up. At the end of the 1970s, a career as an illustrator suddenly became conceivable. And it was a time of experimentation. Back then, everyone wanted to make comics!

Were illustrators rock stars back then?

[Laughs] I hope not. Rock is practically dead today. I wasn’t necessarily looking to become famous, but I wanted to have a job where I wouldn't be bored or have to spend eight hours in an office. It was the good old dream of self-fulfillment, and for me, that was comics.

You’ve been living in the US since 1996. What do you like about your life there?