French · 1926–1977
French comic writer who co-created Astérix the Gaul and Lucky Luke. Born in Paris, raised in Buenos Aires, he moved to New York in his twenties and struggled before returning to Europe and finding his métier. With artist Albert Uderzo, he launched Astérix in 1959—a tiny Gaul resisting Roman occupation through magic potion and slapstick. The series sold 400 million copies, spawned films and theme parks, and embedded itself in French identity. Goscinny edited the magazine Pilote, nurturing a generation of cartoonists. He died of a heart attack during a stress test at fifty-one. His wordplay translates improbably well.