René Goscinny

René Goscinny (August 14, 1926 – November 5, 1977) French author, editor and humorist, who is best known for the comic strip "Astérix", which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and the comic strip "Lucky Luke".

Early life

René was born in Paris in 1926, to Stanislas "Simkha" Goscinny, a chemical engineer from Warsaw, Poland, and to Anna Beresniak Goscinny from Khodorkow, a small Ukrainian village. Claude, René's older brother was born 6 years earlier; on December 10, 1920. Stanislas and Anna had met in Paris and married in 1919. The Goscinnys' moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, two years after René's birth, because of a chemical engineer post Stanislas had obtained there. He spent a happy childhood in Buenos Aires, and studied in the French schools there. He had a habit of making every one laugh in class, probably to compensate for a natural shyness. He started drawing very early on, inspired by the illustrated stories which he enjoyed reading.

Related Topics:
Paris - 1926 - Warsaw - Poland - December 10 - 1920 - 1919 - Buenos Aires - Argentina

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In the December of 1943 the year after he graduated from school, the 17 year old René lost his father to a cerebral hemorrhage forcing him to find a job. The next year, he got his first job, as an assistant-accountant in a tire recovery factory, and when he was laid off the following year, he became a junior illustrator in an advertising agency.

Related Topics:
1943 - Cerebral hemorrhage

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René, along with his mother, left Argentina and went to New York in 1945, to join their uncle, Boris, there. To avoid service in the US military, René travelled to France to join the French army in 1946. He served at Aubagne, in the 141 E battalion of alpine infantry. Promoted to senior corporal, René became the appointed illustrator of the regiment and drew illustrations and posters for the army.

Related Topics:
New York - 1945 - France - 1946 - Aubagne

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