Asterix at the Olympic Games is the 12th comic book album in the Asterix series. Serialized in Pilote issues 434-455 in 1968 (to coincide with the Mexico City Olympics), it was translated into English in 1972 (to coincide with the Munich Olympics). The story satirizes performance enhancing drug usage in sports.
About the Author
René Goscinny (14 August 1926 – 5 November 1977) was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris (considered the series' golden age) and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family of Jewish immigrants from Poland; his parents were Stanis?aw Simkha Gocinny (the surname means hospitable in Polish, Simkha is his Jewish name meaning happiness), a chemical engineer from Warsaw, Poland, and Anna (Hanna) Bere?niak-Go?cinna from Chodorków, a small village near Zhitomir, in the Second Polish Republic, now Ukraine.Claude, Stanis?aw and Anna had met in Paris and married in 1919. The Go?cinnys moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, two years after René's birth, because of a chemical engineer post Stanis?aw had obtained there. He spent a happy childhood in Buenos Aires, and studied in the French schools there. He had a habit of being the "Class Clown", probably to compensate for a natural shyness. He started drawing very early on, inspired by the illustrated stories which he enjoyed reading.
Book Plot
Gluteus Maximus (a muscular, arrogant Roman legionnaire) is chosen as one of Rome's representatives at the upcoming Olympic Games in Greece. Gaius Veriambitius, his centurion, hopes that the glory that goes with Olympic victory will reflect well on him as well, but while training in the forest Gluteus Maximus encounters Asterix and Obelix, who easily outdo him (unintentionally) with the power of the magic potion and leave him demoralised. When Veriambitius asks Vitalstatistix to see to it that Gluteus Maximus is left alone - and after Getafix explains about the Games - Vitalstatistix decides that the Gauls should enter as well. Veriambitius argues that they can't, as Romans are the only non-Greeks allowed, but Asterix rationalizes that as Gaul is part of the Roman Empire, they are technically Romans (despite their resistance to Roman rule).
The entire (male) population of the village go to Olympia (aboard a galley where they have to do the rowing) where they meet the pirates again, where Asterix and Obelix register as athletes (with Getafix as their coach) and the others all enjoy a holiday. When Gluteus Maximus and Veriambitius discover the Gauls have come to compete, they are left hopeless (Vitalstatistix telling them "We're not stopping you entering, it's just that we're going to win" is no comfort at all), and this spreads to all of the other Roman athletes. They give up training and spend all their time having elaborate parties, which causes the Greek competitors to complain about their need for healthy diets.
An Olympic judge ultimately warns the Romans that even if they think drinking will somehow make them better athletes, it will be held against them as all artificial stimulants are forbidden, prompting Veriambitius to tell him about the Gauls' magic potion. Our heroes are left gutted by the news that victory is not as certain as they had expected, but Asterix heroically vows he will compete anyway. Obelix, being permanently affected by the potion, now cannot compete and anyway doesn't quite get what's going on - he thinks he's been dismissed just because he fell into a cauldron and spends the story wondering if telling the officials he fell into a regular pot or amphora will change anything.
Asterix (sensibly only competing in the races) and the Roman athletes are beaten at every turn by the Greeks - causing a dilemma to the Olympic officials. Although their victories prove what they've believed all along (that Romans are decadent barbarians), too much success will reflect badly on the country's reputation, so they announce a special race for just the Romans and Asterix. After the announcement, Asterix and Getafix start talking, very loudly, about a cauldron of magic potion left in a prominent place. That night the Romans get into a shed that isn't guarded at night, and take the potion.
The race begins, and every Roman easily beats Asterix by several laps. Getafix suddenly accuses them of having used magic potion and, when the Romans deny, Asterix sticks his tongue out at them. When the Romans return the gesture, it is revealed that Getafix added an extra ingredient to this particular batch of potion and the Romans now have blue tongues from drinking it. They are disqualified, and Asterix is declared the winner.
The Gauls return home for their traditional banquet and Getafix notices Asterix hasn't brought his Palm of Victory home. Asterix explains he gave it to someone who needed it more: Gluteus Maximus, whose apparent victory is shown to have pleased Julius Caesar greatly.
