Albert Uderzo, who along with René Goscinny created the immortal Asterix comics, came out of retirement to sketch this tribute to slain cartoonist friends at Charlie Hebdo, several French and German news organisations reported Friday.
Uderzo, now 87, told French daily Le Figaro in an interview that he was devastated at the loss of Charb, Wolinski, Tignous and especially Cabu, whom he had known since 1962.
“I represented Asterix giving a beating to an enemy, saying: ‘I too am Charlie!’,” Uderzo told the newspaper, according to a Google translation from the French.
“But instead of buskins, I drew slippers… Through this drawing I offer my tributes to those of Charlie Hebdo… I want to express my commitment to the freedom of expression. Like Asterix, I too am Charlie!”