He was a master in creating funny running gags, amusing puns, great slapstick violence and clever cultural-historical references. He even advocated equal appreciation for this often ignored profession.The man is widely admired for his hilarious and engaging storylines, full with unforgettable characters and equally classic scenes. René Goscinny therefore remains a legend in comic history. He was one of the few comic writers of his time to become as famous as the illustrator. And these are only a few of the dozens of comics he penned gags and narratives for. His contributions to all these series are generally regarded as their golden period. He furthermore wrote stories with the naïve school boy 'Le Petit Nicolas' (1955) with Jean-Jacques Sempé, and scripted the brawny Native American 'Oumpah-pah' (1958-1962) with Uderzo, the dictatorial grand vizir 'Iznogoud' (1962- ) with Jean Tabary and made the nonsensical educative parody 'Les Dingodossiers' (1965-1967) with Marcel Gotlib. Goscinny's name is also attached to another international bestseller, 'Lucky Luke' by Morris, which he reshaped into a hilarious parody of the western genre. In fact, 'Astérix' is one of the few comics admired by intellectuals because of its great satire, vivid depiction of the Gaulish-Roman era and many double layers in language and cultural-historical references. The adventures of the indomitable Gaul are popular with children and adults alike.

René Goscinny is probably the best known writer of humorous comics in Europe. Together with Albert Uderzo he made his mark as co-creator of 'Astérix' (1959- ), the bestselling European comic series in the world, only behind Hergé's 'Tintin'. Guest appearance of Goscinny (right) in a 'Jehan Pistolet' story, drawn by Uderzo.

Le petit nicolas rene goscinny