Mascots - Asterix & Obelix

Asterix and Obelix, the indomitable Gauls and two main characters of the world-famous Asterix comic series, act as mascots of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, jointly organized by Germany and France in Cologne and Paris. Everybody knows Asterix and Obelix. Many people ask however what these heroes of a comic book have to do with ice hockey.

The successful battle that the famous Gauls fight against the superior Roman Empire should encourage the smaller teams on paper not to accept the supremacy of the leading ice hockey nations and to challenge them bravely.

Luc Tardif, president of the French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG) and vice president of the Organizing Committee of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, once said:  “For our fans and the teams which participate in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Asterix and Obelix serve as role models to show: Nothing is impossible.” Anyhow, Asterix and Obelix are sportsmen. In Volume 12 of their adventures Asterix participates in the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece. There of course he goes without the magic potion of the druid Getafix!

Asterix and Obelix are very well-liked since many years in France and Germany which are clearly the strongest markets for the adventures of our 2 heroes. The global production of the 36 volumes so far amounts to more than 370 million copies. They have been translated into more than 111 languages and dialects, inter alia “Kölsch”, the dialect of Cologne.