René Goscinny

Lore & Background

René Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926 to Jewish immigrants from Poland. His father was a chemical engineer from Warsaw, his mother from a village near Kiev. When René was two, the family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he attended French-language schools and had a happy childhood. After his father died in 1943, Goscinny worked as an assistant accountant and later as a junior illustrator. He immigrated to New York in 1945, then enlisted in the French Army in 1946, serving as the appointed artist of his regiment.

After returning to New York, Goscinny faced a difficult period of unemployment and poverty. He met Belgian cartoonist Morris, with whom he later collaborated on Lucky Luke for more than 20 years. In 1951, he returned to France to work for the World Press agency, where he met Albert Uderzo. Together they launched the Asterix series in 1959 in the magazine Pilote, which became an instant hit. Goscinny also wrote Iznogoud with Jean Tabary and Le Petit Nicolas with Jean-Jacques Sempé.

Goscinny married Gilberte Pollaro-Millo in 1967; their daughter Anne was born in 1968. He died at age 51 of a heart attack during a routine stress test in Paris. He was buried in the Jewish Cemetery in Nice. Most of his money was transferred to the chief rabbinate of France per his will.

Reader's Guide

René Goscinny's significance lies in his prolific and influential work in Franco-Belgian comics. As the writer of Asterix, he created one of the most popular and enduring comic series worldwide, blending historical satire with humor. His collaboration with Morris on Lucky Luke is considered the series' golden age, and his children's books Le Petit Nicolas remain beloved. Goscinny co-founded the syndicate Edipress/Edifrance and was editor-in-chief of Pilote magazine. His legacy includes the René Goscinny Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, and he was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 2005. As of 2017, he was the 20th most-translated author according to UNESCO. A life-sized bronze statue of Goscinny was unveiled in Paris in 2020, the first public statue in the city dedicated to a comic book author.

Did You Know?

• Goscinny spent his childhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and attended French-language schools there.
• He met Belgian cartoonist Morris in the United States, leading to a 20-year collaboration on Lucky Luke.
• Goscinny died during a routine stress test at his doctor's office in Paris.