Confoundtheirpolitix! Julian Assange Gets the Asterix Treatment

The founder of Wikileaks has inspired the Adventures of Asterix comic to introduce a new character: a Gallic investigative journalist.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has become the star of the latest Adventures of Asterix comic, which is being released on Thursday and features an unrelenting investigative journalist named 'Doublepolemix' in the original French, and 'Confoundtheirpolitix' in the English translation, who also bears a physical resemblance to Assange.

The comic book series follows the exploits of the main protagonists Asterix and Obelix, as well as the rest of the inhabitants of a small but independent village in Gaul, where the comics are set. The series chronicles the efforts of the villagers to resist Roman occupation, with the help of a magic potion that gives superhuman strength.

Julian #Assange inspires new ‘Asterix’ character: Confoundtheirpolitix (almost named Wikilix) http://t.co/YHgtoqvUY7 pic.twitter.com/1R0MQ3tId1

— Bean (@SomersetBean) 14 октября 2015

 In the latest edition, entitled 'Caesar's Papyrus,' or 'Asterix and the Missing Scroll,' investigate journalist 'Confoundtheirpolitix,' who lives up to his reputation by smuggling a papyrus document from Rome into the Gallic village in present-day Brittany: the last bastion of resistance that the Romans haven't managed to conquer.

Découvrez la couverture du 36ème album d'Astérix, "Le papyrus de César" http://t.co/mGIXuTga0E pic.twitter.com/ujFdVzIfZJ

— supplensois (@supplensois) 12 октября 2015

 In the papyrus obtained by Confoundtheirpolitix, Emperor Caesar and his spin doctor reveal the truth behind Caesar's military campaigns in Gaul, including their repeated defeats at the hands of the rebellious Gauls of the village, which have been expunged from the official version of the Gallic War, explains the comic.  

"If this becomes public, it will cause a scandal that rocks the entire kingdom," says Confoundtheirpolitix, telling Asterix, Obelix and the rest of the heroic villagers that it is his duty to bring the powerful to account.

Ca y est! nous l'avons, le nouvel #Astérix! Et le gentil de l'album est bien l'alter-ego d'#Assange:)#doublepolémix pic.twitter.com/RQA5EJcKAE

— Dimitri Boschmann (@dimbosch) 22 октября 2015

 The latest edition is the 35th book in the series, which has been made into 13 films. It was written by Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrated by Didier Conrad, 

who have worked on the comic for two years with veteran cartoonist Albert Uderzo, who created the comics with writer Rene Goscinny in 1959.

The coauthors wrote the series' previous volume, entitled ' Asterix and the Picts,' which was published in 2013 and sold 5 million copies worldwide. 'Caesar's Papyrus' will be published in 15 countries worldwide and translated into 20 languages; apart from Asterix and Obelix, the names of the rest of the characters are changed for each language.