Things that went over your head (non-prog-related)

[Angry Vince]

I'm some eejit.  I just heard Jim Moon discussing movie Easter eggs in his excellent Hypnogoria podcast, and it's just occurred to me that they're so-called because they're hidden and you have to search for them.  I just thought it was because they were nice things to have.  I know, I know- I'm not the quickest on the uptake.

Legend has it that during the filming of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the cast had a literal Easter Egg hunt. Some eggs from that ended up being visible in the final cut. And there you have it, actual Easter eggs -

[JayzusB.Christ]

Well I never. I love this board

[JohnW]

Been rereading a lot of Asterix for the first time in too long.

"You have nothing to lose but your chains!": the words of a German who happened to write a rather famous book called Capital.

I suppose there's no end of Asterix jokes that went over my head. It only took me forty-three years to get that one. 

[JayzusB.Christ]

I've never read an Asterix book but my cousin was a fan when we are kids. I specifically remember Asterix flicking a v-sign at an enemy but in hindsight it surely had a different meaning in France and / or ancient Gaul.

[Barrington Boots]

Asterix rules. Three great jokes just in those two panels.

I was a big fan as a kid but it wasn't until I reread a bunch as an adult I appreciated how much clever wordplay and literature jokes they contain. You can really enjoy them on multiple levels.

[JayzusB.Christ]

I kind of feel I missed out now. The artwork is incredible for starters.  And I think I may have stood in that spot in Rome.

[pauljholden]

I love asterix and the gags in English are arguably better than the gags in French. But as a kid I skimmed all the names because they were all complicated looking things that ended in ix or us and that looked hard. Regret it.

[Colin YNWA]

I love asterix and the gags in English are arguably better than the gags in French.

Can't speak to the quality of the jokes in French as my French is shocking but Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge (who translated to English) are a massive part as to why they are so good in English. Some of my all time favourite comics.

[nxylas]

I used to know a guy who was fluent in French who insisted that the originals were better and the translation was inferior, but that's just one person's opinion.

[Dandontdare]

I never got into Asterix - along with Tintin these were the teacher-approved comics you may find in the school library - I was reading 2000ad man, so fuck that shit!

The translators did do an amazing job though - the way they kept the joke by changing the language - not easy.

[IndigoPrime]

Marginally better than De'ath, I suppose.

[JayzusB.Christ]

I never got into Asterix - along with Tintin these were the teacher-approved comics you may find in the school library - I was reading 2000ad man, so fuck that shit!

Likewise. That said, hopefully Asterix was a bit less up himself about fighting Romans than Sláine, who turned into a right preachy git at the first sight of a centurion. 

[Tjm86]

The idea the Asterix jokes work better in French has been around for a long time.  They do work incredibly well in English as well.  If you've not dabbled, they are well worth it just for the sheer anarchy of the strip.  Always fun seeing what happens to the pirates each time they appear.

Just been working slowly through a re-read and they still hold their own really well.  Some of the later books slightly less so and I've not got to the post-Goscinny / Uderzo books yet (not read good things about them and a little bit unsure on that score but we'll see).

Recently gone back to Tin-Tin too as this was another series I dabbled in many moons ago.  Land of the Soviets is a fascinating piece as it is quite a stark contrast to the later books.  Tin-Tin is much more aggressive and gung-ho for a start.

[broodblik]

I have read Asterix/Tintin in two different languages (French was not one of them). I must say that maybe I am biased but I did find the jokes worked better in my language than English. I will ask my one friend whom is quite versed in French if that statement held true

[Colin YNWA]

I have read Asterix/Tintin in two different languages (French was not one of them). I must say that maybe I am biased but I did find the jokes worked better in my language than English. I will ask my one friend whom is quite versed in French if that statement held true

Yeah that would be interesting to hear about. As a none French speaker I can only say the English translations are really good. I can get clues in the names which suggest the translations work better, but as you say that's my singular perspective.

Just been working slowly through a re-read and they still hold their own really well.  Some of the later books slightly less so and I've not got to the post-Goscinny / Uderzo books yet (not read good things about them and a little bit unsure on that score but we'll see).

For me the post Goscinny comics, when Uderzo is writing as well as drawing are a great example of the law of dimishing returns. Some of the early Uderzo written volumes are pretty good, particularly Black Gold, but it quickly tales off. Its possible that would have happened even if Goscinny had not passed, we'll never now, but by the end of of the Uderzo stories they feel like hollow immitations (art aside which remains wonderful) as they feel less and less relevent.

The post Uderzo comics feel very much like immitations trying to capture the originals and sometimes getting close, often not. I wish they'd been a bit bolder and excepted they couldn't recapture the magic so rather than try keep the essence but allow the new stories to be their own thing. Still there's some decent comics there.