Albert Uderzo

Albert Uderzo (born April 25, 1927) is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny. Uderzo was born Alberto Aleandro Uderzo in Fismes (Marne, France), but his parents, Silvio and Iria, had recently moved from Italy. His name comes from the Italian village called Oderzo (formerly called Uderzo), where his family tree can be traced. His childhood ambitions were to become an aircraft mechanic, despite his talents in art at an early age. Uderzo obtained French citizenship in 1934, and during World War II, the teen-aged Uderzo left Paris and spent a year in Brittany in the west of France, where he was working on a farm and helped with his father's furniture business. Many years later when a location for Asterix's village was to be decided, Goscinny left the decision entirely up to Uderzo, who had little hesitation in choosing Brittany. Uderzo was... full article at wikipedia