London, Aug 19 (ANI): A McDonald's ad showing comic character Asterix enjoying a hamburger and fries has sparked outrage in France, with fans claiming the Gallic hero has surrendered to the American fast food chain.
Comic book character Asterix and his pal Obelix are both shown having a good time at a McDonald's outlet while the village's tone-deaf bard, Cacofonix, sits outside tied to a tree, his harp by his side.
"Come as you are", reads the slogan on the bottom of the billboard, designed by Euro RSCG, the advertising agency.
Albert Uderzo, who co-founded Asterix with the late Rene Goscinny, was consulted for the advertising campaign and his studio drew the picture.
But aficionados of Asterix, who many see as a symbol of French cultural exception in the face of US domination, voiced their dismay online that the character had "sold out" to consumerism.
"Did the sky fall on their heads?" the Telegraph quoted one contributor to Le Poste, a news blogging website, as asking.
"After resisting the Romans, have the Americans finally scalped the invincible little Gaul?" the newspaper Le Figaro asked.
Taken aback by the outcry, Albert Rene, the publishers who own the image rights to the comic, denied they had sold out.
"Asterix remains a rebel," a spokesman told TF1 News.
"He doesn't work for (McDonald's) but with (McDonald's). The Gauls 'come as they are', as the slogan says. We are not defenders of 'malbouffe' (bad food)," he stated. (ANI)
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