It's going to be a Gaulish fall season, by Doubleclix! Beginning on 21 September, the events in Brussels will be unveiled when Albert Uderzo discovers airplanes in the colours of Asterix and Obelix and witnesses the striking of the first Gaulish medal in many a century.
Following a press conference (for journalists only) on the 22nd, where one of many revelations will be a sneak preview of six Asterix postage stamps, is the private inauguration of the "The Mirror World of Asterix" exhibition, which will open to the public on the next day in the Tour et Taxis building.
On the 23rd, the Grand Place of Brussels will take on the appearance of a Gaulish Village, in which the "Gaulympiades" will be held, with menhir tosses and pit jumps, among other exciting events! An Asterix fresco will be inaugurated on that same day, not to mention the first Roller Parade Gauloise (trademark) that is to start at 8.00pm and cross the entire city of Brussels.
On the 24th, the Mannekenpis will dress up as - Obelix as a child! This is a nod to the album How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When He Was A Little Boy.
Next, gigantics Asterix and Obelix will appear on the Grand Place in the company of their Celtic-approved orchestras. At the end of the day, these same Celts will offer a "magic potion" tasting using a recipe from the Celtic Druids of Galicia! Haven't tasted it myself, but specialists say it is the real thing! Hmm, I wonder.
And last of all, a great Gaulish banquet will serve as a fitting conclusion to a wonderful day, once again at the Grand Place. On Sunday, the Village and all of its special activities will be opened for one last time, until nightfall!
"Now, that's a programme," declares Obelix, who has promised to be on hand for all five days, together with his friend Asterix, to honour our Belgian hosts properly!

"Now, just who are the bravest, after all?"

In a street in between two worlds, there is a spot in Brussels that historians can't quite place. Yet history was indeed made right here, in the back of a hangar with blinking neon lights. This is the home of Merlin the collector. The man who knows just about everything there is to know about Asterix objects. Once in awhile, Denis-le-Rare and I manage to catch him making a mistake on a date or a brand (although that is more difficult).

Merlin was not lying. Not even exaggerating. Not one bit! He has many, many treasures. They are everywhere, a bit chaotic, but "No, everything is in its place. Just tell me what you want and I'll find it!" he says, again and again. And in fact, he manages to produce the 1965 Serbo-Croatian magazine cover with a pirated Asterix cover in just three minutes. (He would have a 1912 South American stuffed toy version of Dogmatix, if it existed!) There are hundreds and hundreds of key chains, glasses, rubber stamps, books, magazines, figurines, copper moulds that were used in 1965 for kitschy figurines of Asterix and Obelix, as well as Getafix, Cacofonix, and Vitalstatistix. There are puzzles and even autographs by Uderzo and Goscinny that have never been seen before. There is something for everyone, amateur and neophyte alike. The hard part was choosing, and Merlin showed his impatience more than once. But his system really is very well organized, honest!

When we said no to a strange figurine of Getafix, claiming that we already had one like it in another window, he gave in, but secretly put it back the next time he got up and then feigned surprise when we made a remark about the ruse. So we had to make a draconian selection practically at knifepoint. Sometimes angry, sometimes offended by our carelessness, he repeatedly called out to "Iamass", the famous collectors' divinity responsible for the many divorces among their kind. Collectors seem to consider themselves as guardians of our heritage, and I must admit that this is often the case. They have a taste for it that so many people today are lacking.
When you get to know Merlin, he infects you with wonderment, bringing you back to your childhood. The beauty of a sculpture, the colours of a drawing, that collection of Gaulish stamps, and so on. And then you innocently start thinking that you could probably find a first edition up in the attic that would be worth its weight in sesterces! And so it goes. That is how many a collection begins, almost naively.
The path of the serious collector is not always an easy one. But one day, thanks to all those treasures doggedly bartered for, exchanged on unlikely markets on the outskirts of towns at daybreak, you may be able to use a part (only a part, Merlin!) of the fruits of your labours to put on a great exhibit.
So Denis-le-Rare, the set designers and I fought tirelessly to choose the most handsome, the most interesting specimen of the dozen items that Merlin insisted were indispensable, spouting off his well-rehearsed collectors' dogma. We valiantly resisted all of his exaggerations, unless he managed to slip something past us.

Just imagine a hangar, 100 m x 20 m, with shelf-lined aisles every 1m50. It's overwhelming. And if we wanted something decent to eat, we had to go get genuine Neapolitan pizzas at a Greek restaurant owned by a bunch of Moroccans who cook them up with four cheeses. You can't make up stories like this. When I went to get the pizzas, I double-checked the palettes of sundry items we had selected, just to make sure he hadn't sneaked something else in on us. I can't swear that I managed to dodge all of his tricks, but in the end, you'll be able to see for yourself. It's a comic book exhibition that tells the story of Asterix on several levels: that of the collector is one that is not very well known, and that we wanted to share with you. To be continued. But for now, it's just a relief to get out of that hangar!
Hello? Oh, how are you, Merlin? What? You found a box with a dozen rare figurines in the back of your bedroom - Man, I can't take any more!

Asterix beat out Obelix's little dog while Obelix himself faced his unrequited love, Panacea.
He acted like a gentleman, taking his time to move ahead, but in the end, he threw out his arms in surprise, as if to say he had nothing to do with the result. In fact, it is your votes that bring about this dream finale, with the two friends side by side.
It's just for laughs, after all.
But get to your keyboards and vote for the one that you want to see as 2005 champion of the website!