Asterix the Gaul adventures - Vol. 6 - Asterix and Cleopatra

Written by: Goscinny - Drawings by: Uderzo
Original title: Astérix et Cléopâtre
Published by: Hachette Livre
First published by: Pilote no. 215 (05/12/1963)
First album edition: 1965
Cartoon film adaptation: Asterix and Cleopatra in 1968
Live-action film adaptation: Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra in 2002

How can lovely Queen Cleopatra show Julius Caesar that ancient Egypt is still a great nation? Her architect Edifis recruits his Gaulish friends to help him build a magnificent palace within three months.

There are villainous saboteurs to be outwitted, but Asterix, Obelix and Getafix still find time to go sight-seeing - and leave their mark on the Pyramids and the Sphinx's nose.

Vol. 3
Asterix and the Goths

Vol. 4
Asterix the Gladiator

Vol. 5
Asterix and the Banquet

Vol. 6
Asterix and Cleopatra

Vol. 7
Asterix and the Big Fight

Vol. 8
Asterix in Britain

Vol. 9
Asterix and the Normans

What the druids have to say about Asterix and Cleopatra

The cover is the one that contains the most written information in the collection and sums up the Pilote spirit in the sixties. It is wild, the invented yet natural complicity between the authors and their readers makes the front page of what is here a splendid album.
Cleopatra's nose has become famous thanks to Getafix … and at last we have an explanation as to the absence of one on the Sphinx.

The French dice game '421' has been wonderfully rendered in the English translation by the 'magical' combination 6,6,6. Similarly, Artifis reads the Daily Nile with comic strips called «Ptarzan» and «Pnuts»!