# Is "Asterix the Gaul (English first)" by René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Asterix the Gaul (English first) by René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo (Dargaud, 1961 (France) / 1969 (English)) is identified by: French original-language true first: 'Asterix le Gaulois,' Dargaud, 1961, hardcover album. The Dargaud French edition of 1961 is the original-language true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- French original-language true first: 'Asterix le Gaulois,' Dargaud, 1961, hardcover album
- First English-language edition: Brockhampton Press (London), 1969, hardcover in glazed pictorial boards, translated by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge, ISBN 0-340-04240-0, printed in Great Britain by Thomas Nelson, Edinburgh
- The English first is identified by the Brockhampton imprint and 1969 date
- Correct publisher/imprint: Dargaud

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo |
| Publisher | Dargaud |
| Year | 1961 (France) / 1969 (English) |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | French original-language true first: 'Asterix le Gaulois,' Dargaud, 1961, hardcover album |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
French original-language true first: 'Asterix le Gaulois,' Dargaud, 1961, hardcover album. First English-language edition: Brockhampton Press (London), 1969, hardcover in glazed pictorial boards, translated by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge, ISBN 0-340-04240-0, printed in Great Britain by Thomas Nelson, Edinburgh. The English first is identified by the Brockhampton imprint and 1969 date.

## Is this the true first?
The Dargaud French edition of 1961 is the original-language true first. The Brockhampton 1969 edition is the first in English ('first thus'). Later Hodder and Orion English editions are reprints. Note that the page 35 art was redrawn in 1970 after the original plate was lost, so early printings can differ slightly there.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. The trap is later French Dargaud/Hachette printings and later UK Hodder reprints. Distinguish the French true first from the first English edition by imprint and date.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Asterix the Gaul (English first)* by René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/asterix-the-gaul-english-first
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.